The total outstanding credit card dues in scheduled commercial banks have increased significantly over the past three years. RBI said that it does not maintain data at the ecosystem level regarding unpaid credit card dues or the number of customers who roll over their credit card balances instead of paying the full amount.
However, the RBI has provided information on credit card receivables of scheduled commercial banks, including outstanding advances, gross non-performing assets (NPAs), write-offs and recoveries for the last three financial years.
Credit Card Outstanding Dues Increasing
The data shows that credit card advances outstanding with banks have increased steadily over the past three years. As of March 31, 2023, the total credit card outstanding stood at ₹2,10,400 crore. This amount increased to ₹2,64,691 crore by March 31, 2024, and further rose to ₹2,95,084 crore by March 31, 2025.
| Particulars | 31-03-2023 (Rs. cr) | 31-03-2024 (Rs. cr) | 31-03-2025 (Rs. cr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advance Outstanding (As on date) | 2,10,400 | 2,64,691 | 2,95,084 |
| Gross NPAs (As on date) | 4,072 | 4,870 | 6,778 |
| Write Offs (April to date) | 8,208 | 10,733 | 15,674 |
| Actual recoveries (April to date) | 1,513 | 1,560 | 1,968 |
Most credit cards offer an interest-free period of about 45 to 50 days. If you pay your full credit card bill within this time, the bank usually does not charge any interest.
- If you pay the full amount before the due date, no interest is charged.
- If you pay only the minimum amount due, the bank may start charging interest on the remaining balance.
- Interest rates on credit cards are usually higher than normal loans.
- Late payment can also result in late fees and additional charges.
Rise in Bad Loans from Credit Cards
The amount of credit card loans turning into bad loans has also increased during the same period. Gross NPAs in credit card loans were ₹4,072 crore as of March 2023. This rose to ₹4,870 crore by March 2024 and further increased to ₹6,778 crore by March 2025.
Increase in Write-offs by Banks
Banks have also written off a large amount of credit card loans over the past three years. During 2022-23, banks wrote off credit card loans worth ₹8,208 crore. In 2023-24, write-offs increased to ₹10,733 crore. In 2024-25, the amount written off rose sharply to ₹15,674 crore.
Despite large write-offs, the amount recovered by banks remains relatively small. Banks recovered ₹1,513 crore during 2022-23, ₹1,560 crore in 2023-24 and ₹1,968 crore in 2024-25.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
