If you're feeling overwhelmed by your credit card balance, there are a few debt relief options that can help – including debt settlement. This can involve a company negotiating payment terms that are affordable for you so that you can settle the debt with your credit card provider (or other creditors).
But companies that offer debt settlement can charge fees for this service. So, if you want to tackle your debt without paying a company to help, let's take a look at some of your options.
If you're struggling with credit card debt, other debts or bills and are not sure what to do, you can get free and confidential advice from a professional financial counsellor by calling 1800 007 007 between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday.
A debt settlement company works on your behalf to help you settle outstanding debt by looking at your financial situation and offering different solutions. Some options include:
Some of these options, such as debt agreements, can only be filed by a registered practitioner but there are usually fees. Make sure you ask about the debt solutions company about the costs first so that you can decide whether it's affordable.
Remember, there are other ways to deal with credit card debt – including on your own terms. And if you need support or free advice at any stage, call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.
Do you have credit card debt?
Australians have $18.1 billion of credit card debt accruing interest according to Reserve Bank of Australia data for September. Individually, the average Australian has $1,157 of credit card debt, according to October data from our consumer sentiment tracker. It peaked in January ($1,967) and has slowly been declining throughout the year.
1. Contact your credit card provider's financial hardship departmentBanks and credit card providers have dedicated financial hardship teams that can help you find ways to settle your credit card debt. Just call your provider and let them know you are experiencing financial hardship.
They will ask about your circumstances and suggest some options for dealing with the debt.
2. Negotiate a payment planLet your credit card provider know what your financial obligations are and what type of payment plan would be affordable for you.
Some options could include reduced repayment amounts over a longer period of time, waived fees or charges, restructuring or consolidating debts or even freezing the account.
3. Draw up a budgetCreate a budget to help make sure you meet the new repayment plan. This could also be an opportunity to see if there are any areas of your spending that you can cut back on – at least until the debt is settled.
4. Repay your debtPay the amount necessary to settle your debt. If you have any more concerns during this time, contact the financial hardship team again and let them know. Remember you can get free support at any stage by calling the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.
Depending on the amount of debt and your circumstances, some of the other options you could consider include:
A balance transfer credit card offers an introductory 0% p.a. interest rate for a set period of time, such as the first 12 months, when you move your existing debt to the new account. This can temporarily help you pay a larger amount of debt off your card because there are no interest charges. However, if you have a large debt (or debts), you may not be able to move it all to a new card.
If you're juggling multiple debts, this type of personal loan gives you a way to move them onto a single account. This means that you will only have to make one repayment and deal with one set of fees, which can make managing the debt more straightforward.
There are support services in Australia that you can access for free, including the National Debt Helpline's financial counselling service (1800 007 007) and financial support teams at The Salvation Army and Mission Australia.
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Find out what balance transfer credit card options you can use to consolidate debts from Zip Money, Zip Pay and other interest-free accounts.
Balance transfers are not allowed between certain credit card brands. Read on for a list of lenders that do and don’t allow a balance transfers between them.
Use this guide to see which providers accept balance transfers from a personal loan to a credit card and discover how you can repay your debt faster with 0% balance transfer offers.
Here's how to get more value out of your credit card with exclusive promotions, offers and perks available to existing customers.
If you're considering a balance transfer, compare which credit cards can accept your debt based on the balance transfer limits.
Get details of what credit cards may be available when you and your partner are looking for a way to balance transfer debt between you.
I am drowning in CC debt. Having companies constantly contacting me. What can I do? I have read all about ‘offering’ to repay a percentage is this possible?
Hi Jay,
Thank you for reaching out to us.
You may settle your credit card debts in different ways which will depend on your financial capability. See the options that you may take in settling your credit card balance.
Before applying, please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria and read through the details of the needed requirements as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you. You can also contact the provider if you have specific questions.
I hope this helps.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us again if you have additional questions.
Cheers,
Ash
Hi, We have 3 credit cards and about 18 months ago we contacted one of those dept help assist companies to deal on our behalf to claim financial hardship and so basically that was all good interest was frozen and we made minimal repayments, however not so long ago this dept help company has gone into receivership and we were stuck. I then contact the banks directly and we negotiated for another 6 months which is great. Basically in a few weeks we will have enough money pay them out however we were told that you can make them an offer to settle the debt and one of them have accepted around 20% off what is owing $13500 Now my question is what is recorded on the Credit File, will they listed at Default or as settled now sure where to call and ask.
Hello Molly!
Thanks for the inquiry! We know you’re working hard to get this all taken cared of. :)
Debt settlement companies may declare “paid”, “settled” or “paid as agreed” on your credit file, depending on their internal procedure and differentiation. We recommend that you consult with your settlement company to verify which one they put on the file of their customers who are paying less than the actual balance.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jonathan
If I have a credit card debt of $35k with a bank, but also have a property valued at $500k and a loan with them of $335k, can the bank do anything with the property I have if I stop paying the credit card off?
Hi Darren,
Thanks for your question.
Please check the product disclosure statement of your credit card, under the financial hardship section. It should state what the course of action is if your financial commitments can not be met.
In most cases, your debt is transferred to a debt collector, and new payment terms can be made.
Cheers,
Shirley