Bankrate’s 2026 Credit Card Debt Report

For example, the average credit card balance is $6,523, according to TransUnion . If you only make minimum payments at 19% APR, you could be in debt for 170 months and pay $6,491 in interest.“Minimum payments could keep you in debt for decades and cost you thousands of dollars in interest,” Rossman explains.Even if you’re making minimum payments on your balance, that may not cut it.About 3 in 5 cardholders (61%) with credit card balances have been in debt for at least a year — that’s up from 53% in late 202 ...