What happens when credit card debt is charged off?
Daniel Santos
Updated on February 20, 2026
Once your debt is charged off, your creditor sends a negative report to one or more credit reporting agencies. It may also attempt to collect on the debt through its own collection department, by sending your account to a third-party debt collector or by selling the debt to a debt buyer.
Should I pay my charged off credit card?
The Benefit of Paying Your Charge-Off For one, paying a charge-off makes you look better when you apply for credit. Lenders, creditors, and other businesses are less likely to approve an application as long as you have outstanding past due balances on your credit report.
What happens when a credit card debt is charged off?
The Debt is Sold When It’s Charged Off. The creditor charges off the credit card account after 180 days. At that point, it has two choices – take the loss or try to make some of the money back.
Can a credit card company charge you back after 180 days?
The internal collection department isn’t subject to federal laws governing how debt collectors operate. Some state collection laws extend to original creditors, but the federal rules don’t apply. The creditor charges off the credit card account after 180 days. At that point, it has two choices – take the loss or try to make some of the money back.
What happens if you miss a payment on a credit card?
When you miss too many payments, your creditor may charge off the debt. When your debt is charged off as a bad debt, don’t fool yourself into thinking it goes away. A charged off debt can lead to harassing phone calls, garnished wages, and a major drop in your credit score.
What happens when Capital One credit card is charge off?
This means the account is permanently closed and written off as a loss to the company, although the debt is still owed. Join the millions using CreditWise from Capital One. You could find that reaching out to your credit card company is helpful. Many creditors may be willing to work with you. Collection Charge-Off—What Do I Owe?