Before you request help
- List each card’s balance, stated APR, minimum payment and payment date from its own statement.
- Draft a short explanation of the payment difficulty and the amount your budget can support.
- Prepare questions about the duration, cost and written terms of any proposed payment change.
Bring the right records
You do not need to upload these to make an initial inquiry. Keep them for a conversation with the right creditor, professional or service.
- Recent card statements
- Current card agreement and any promotional-rate notice
- A household income-and-essential-expense worksheet
What to keep in view
A creditor can decline a settlement. No amount, discount, creditor participation or outcome is guaranteed. Compare the written terms, fees and alternatives before making a commitment.
An issuer hardship request does not guarantee approval, waived charges or a pause in payments.
For consolidation, compare fees and the full repayment term as well as the monthly payment; a longer term can cost more.
Compare more than one route
Keep an issuer hardship request, a debt management plan and a new consolidation loan distinct. A debt management plan typically routes payments through a counseling organization; it does not erase the debt.
Read the complete settlement guide
Go deeper into the process, practical tradeoffs and questions to ask.
Credit card debt settlement guide →The research behind this topic
Read the complete saved research with its tables, direct sources, review notes and open questions. A source record is not a guarantee about your case.
Sources for this page
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What is the difference between credit counseling and debt settlement, debt consolidation, or credit repair?
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What should I do if I can’t pay my credit card bills?
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What do I need to know about consolidating my credit card debt?
Selected public guidance checked October 29, 2026. Source guidance is general; laws, contracts, program terms and individual circumstances can change the result. How we use sources.