Help Paying Credit Card Debt

Samir's story

Originally, Samir took out a credit card to fill the gap between payday and the end of the month. He could always cover his minimum amount comfortably, so he started using credit to shop and go out instead of his debit card – that way he could worry about repayments after payday.

But then his credit card was declined and Samir realised he'd reached his limit. Now he owed higher repayments than he could afford, he couldn't rely on his credit to spend, and his finances were keeping him up at night.

At first, Samir planned to stop spending for a month or two to get his outstanding balance lower – then he could go back to using the available credit as before. But soon he found himself back in the same position, only this time:

• Samir had exceeded his credit limit by accident
• he had applied for a payday loan to make a payment on his credit card
• he had borrowed money from his brother and couldn’t pay it back

How Barclaycard helped

Samir was feeling overwhelmed with credit card bills, fees and payday loan repayments. When his brother confronted him, he found out what had been going on and asked Samir to call Barclaycard straight away. Samir got through to one of our support team, Anne.

• Anne gave Samir time to explain things in his own words and wasn't judgemental or demanding, as Samir had feared
• Together they created a plan for Samir to make affordable payments while Anne explained what information she needed, as well as how it would affect Samir’s credit score and what could be done to help
• She checked that Samir knew he could access his Barclaycard account online or via the Barclaycard app to make debit card payments, change payment due dates and, when he could afford to, set up a Direct Debit
• She also advised that there is free help and advice available and that he should also check out the government website for information and services available to him. We’ve included links to organisations that offer independent help and advice in the ‘Other ways to get help’ section below.

Samir hated the idea of telling Barclaycard what was going on. But Anne helped put a working plan in place and showed him where to create a budget online. With some light at the end of the tunnel, Samir finally began to feel like the weight was lifting.

Does your story sound like Samir's?

Feeling like you have no money and too many repayments can be overwhelming. But you don’t need to handle it alone. Call us as soon as you can and let us know what’s going on.

You're not alone - we're here to help

We know your debts aren't going to disappear on their own, but we really can help. If you get in touch, we'll ask you about your income and outgoings so you can feel confident you're only repaying what you can really afford. And your priority payments – Council Tax, rent/mortgage repayments and household bills – will always come first.

It's probably the last thing you want to do, but giving us a call won’t make anything worse. We won't spring any surprises on you; our advisers are here to listen, understand and agree a solution with you – not demand payments you can’t afford.

You can rest assured, we’ll ask your permission before we do anything and check how you feel about your other finances.

We'll try to provide you with help that’s clear, practical and easy to understand. Also, we'll advise you where to find free and independent help.