No, a credit card company generally can't just take money from your bank account for a debt on a different card or bank, but they can if you have both the credit card and bank account with the same institution and have fallen into arrears, using a process called "right of set-off" (which must be in your deposit agreement). A court judgment is usually required for other lenders or collectors to seize funds, though they can't directly access your account without permission or legal action like a bank levy after a judgment.
Credit card companies cannot take money out of your checking account without your permission, even if both accounts are from the same bank. If you have a Chase credit card and checking account and you are late on your credit card payment, for example, Chase cannot seize the funds in your checking account to cover it.
The truth is, they can't do that on their own—but under certain conditions, they can ask a court for permission. If they get a judgment against you, they may be able to freeze or withdraw funds through a legal process called a bank levy.
Stopping a card payment
You can tell the card issuer by phone, email or letter. Your card issuer has no right to insist that you ask the company taking the payment first. They have to stop the payments if you ask them to. If you ask to stop a payment, the card issuer should investigate each case on its own merit.
A single missed payment may lower your score by 50–100 points. 60–90 days late: More missed payments cause deeper drops. Creditors may close your account or reduce your credit limits. 120+ days late: Most credit card companies “charge off” the account—marking it as a loss on their books.
Taking action means they send you court papers telling you they're going to take you to court. The time limit is sometimes called the limitation period. For most debts, the time limit is 6 years since you last wrote to them or made a payment. The time limit is longer for mortgage debts.
While you won't be thrown in jail for failing to pay your credit card debt, the consequences can still be serious. Lawsuits, wage garnishment, relentless collection efforts and long-term damage to your credit score can make life much harder.
That means a debt you haven't paid in 7+ years won't show up on your credit anymore. ✅ BUT: That doesn't mean the debt is legally gone. It's just no longer visible on your credit report. Collectors can still contact you, and in some cases, they can still sue you or enforce old judgments.
A credit card lock or freeze allows users to temporarily turn off certain features of their credit card. Locking your credit card prevents new charges and cash advances while allowing recurring payments to continue going through.
The "15" and "3" refer to the days before your credit card statement's closing date. Specifically, the rule suggests you make one payment 15 days before your statement closes and another payment three days before it closes.
The worst a debt collector can do, which is also illegal, involves using force, severe harassment (like calling at all hours, abusing you, or telling others about the debt), deception (fake court letters), threatening illegal actions (jail time, which isn't possible for most debt), or taking unfair advantage of vulnerabilities like age or illness; they can't trespass or take your property without a court order, but they can pursue legal action leading to wage garnishment, asset seizure, or bankruptcy as a last resort.
Use this 11-word phrase to stop debt collectors: “Please cease and desist all calls and contact with me immediately.” You can use this phrase over the phone, in an email or letter, or both.
You will find at least three types of bank accounts that have protection from creditors.
Options such as debt settlement, nonprofit credit counseling, or bankruptcy can help reduce what you owe or offer a structured path to becoming debt-free.
5 Things Credit Card Companies Don't Want to Tell You
A ghost credit card is a payment method that is tied to a specific department within a company or to a specific purpose or vendor, rather than to an individual person. The business providing the card to its employees or its vendors can set spend limits.
Contacting the merchant or service provider is your first step. Let them know you no longer want your credit or debit card to be charged and ask for information on their cancellation process. Most legitimate companies will accept your request to cancel unless there are specific contractual obligations.
Security: RFID blocking can help protect your sensitive information from being stolen by criminals using RFID skimming devices. Peace of Mind: Using RFID blocking can provide you with peace of mind knowing that your cards are protected from potential data breaches.
Locking a credit card prevents the card from being used to make most new purchases. But your credit card company will likely continue to authorize any recurring charges you already approved, like subscription payments or automatic bill pay.
What will my credit card company do? Do not ignore letters and emails from them. If you get in touch with them there may be ways they can help before they take action to recover the debt from you. It can help if you show your lender what you can and cannot afford to pay.
Consequences for missed credit card payments vary depending on the card and the issuer. But generally, if you don't pay your credit card bill, you can expect that your credit scores will suffer, you'll incur charges such as late fees and a higher penalty interest rate, and your account may be closed.
Credit card debt forgiveness is rare, but your credit card issuer may be willing to negotiate with you. You can also consider debt relief options like finding a nonprofit credit counseling organization to help you resolve debts in a manageable way with less stress.
The worst a debt collector can do, which is also illegal, involves using force, severe harassment (like calling at all hours, abusing you, or telling others about the debt), deception (fake court letters), threatening illegal actions (jail time, which isn't possible for most debt), or taking unfair advantage of vulnerabilities like age or illness; they can't trespass or take your property without a court order, but they can pursue legal action leading to wage garnishment, asset seizure, or bankruptcy as a last resort.
If you are struggling to pay, we offer free debt advice. You cannot be sent to prison for not paying most common debts.
The 2-2-2 credit rule is a guideline lenders use to assess a borrower's creditworthiness, requiring two active revolving credit accounts, open for at least two years, with a history of on-time payments for those two consecutive years, often with a minimum limit of $2,000 per account, to show financial stability for larger loans like mortgages. It demonstrates you can handle multiple credit lines responsibly, not just have a good score, building lender confidence.