A young woman sits at a table comparing her laptop screen with a notebook.

What Is Credit Card Debt?

5 min read

Last Updated: May 29, 2025

Key Takeaways

Credit card debt consists of outstanding balances across a person’s credit card accounts.
Credit card debt can lower your credit score because it affects your credit utilization ratio.
Credit counseling or balance transfer offers can help you avoid bankruptcy.

See If You're Pre-Approved

Did you know?
Learn More

Important Information

Discover Identity Theft Protection for only $15/mo.

Pay off debt faster with a Balance Transfer

Next steps

Application Icon

See if you're pre-approved

View all Discover credit cards

See rates, rewards and other info

You may also be interested in

A woman scrolls on her phone and sits in front of a laptop reviewing her credit.

What Does Derogatory Credit Mean?

6 min read

A man and woman sit together; he holds a piece of paper, she holds a mobile phone.

What's a Debt Management Plan?

7 min read

A couple sit together at a table looking thoughtfully at a laptop, phone, and paperwork.

What is Debt-to-Income Ratio, and How Do You Calculate It?

4 min read

A young couple looks over documents on their laptop while also playing with their husky puppy.

Guide to Credit Card Consolidation

5 min read

Was this article helpful?

Glad you found this useful. Could you let us know what you found helpful?

Article was easy to understand

Article answered my questions

I understand what Discover offers

Sorry this article didn't help you. Can you give us feedback why?

Article was confusing

Article was too long

This information isn't what I was looking for

I don't understand what Discover offers

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your feedback

You are now on a Capital One webpage. Please be sure to review Capital One’s Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice.