No 0% Credit Card? What To Do Instead.
The Short Version
- Ask for a lower interest rate on the credit card you have.
- Ask about a hardship program if you can't keep up.
- Send any extra money to the debt you chose to pay first. Not sure which? Compare both strategies.
- A nonprofit credit counseling agency can explain a debt management plan.
1. Stop Spending On This Credit Card.
Stop spending on this credit card. If you can't pay cash for it, don't buy it.
2. Ask For A Lower Interest Rate.
83% of credit card holders who asked for a lower interest rate got one. Here is how to ask.
3. Ask About A Hardship Program.
If you can't keep up with the payments for a while, your credit card company may offer a plan with a lower interest rate or payment. Ask whether the program is reported to the credit bureaus, and what the conditions are, before you agree. Here is what to ask.
4. Put Your Debts In Order.
Pay every minimum, and send any extra money to the debt you chose to pay first. Not sure which? The debt snowball calculator compares both strategies and what each one costs.
5. Learn What A Debt Management Plan Is.
A nonprofit credit counseling agency can explain a debt management plan: you make 1 payment a month to the agency, and it pays your credit card companies under terms it arranges with them.
This is education only. I don't name an agency and I don't help you enroll. Before you agree to anything, ask the agency about its fees and how the plan works.
Want The Steps?
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Next Steps
- Ask for a lower interest rate.
- Ask about a hardship program.
- Put your debts in order in the debt snowball calculator.
Questions People Ask
Why was I turned down for a 0% credit card?
Each credit card company decides on its own rules. The 5 moves on this page work with the credit card you already have.
Is a debt management plan a new loan?
No. It is a repayment plan for the debts you already have, not new borrowing.
Source for the 83% figure: LendingTree survey of 2,050 U.S. consumers, May 2025.