Credit Card Chaos: Where Americans Face the Most Trouble with Their Cards

The United States depends heavily on credit cards, with the Federal Reserve reporting that credit cards account for 32% of transactions nationwide. Benefits like rewards programs, budgeting tools, credit-building, fraud protection, interest-free promotions and more make them valuable tools for everyday purchases and big-ticket items across most lifestyles. But when credit card holders encounter issues such as account denials, unexpected fees and interest, incorrect charges, or inaccurate credit reporting, it can drain valuable time and resources for all involved parties, adding friction to the broader economy. But in the last year alone, Americans filed over 262 million official complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about their credit card products and issuers.

With this in mind, SmartAsset evaluated data for all 50 states between August 2024 and July 2025 to determine where people are having the most trouble with their credit cards. The relative frequency of complaint types is also examined.

Key Findings

Texans are most dissatisfied with their credit card companies – and here’s why. Texas ranks first nationwide for credit card-related complaints, with a significant portion tied to credit reporting issues. In fact, nearly 40% of complaints in Texas are for incorrect information on credit reports.
Washington, D.C. has a higher rate of credit card trouble than any state. Adjusted for population size, D.C. has the highest number of complaints at 427 in the last year. Problems with a purchase shown on the statement was the biggest issue at 17.3%, followed by getting a credit card and incorrect information on their report, both at 14.5%. Surrounding states of Delaware (2nd nationwide), Maryland (7th), and Virginia (8th) also had particularly high rates of credit card problems.
Illinois residents had the most trouble getting a credit card. Overall, the state ranks 13th for the most credit card problems. But Illinoisians are having the toughest time nationwide when it comes to actually securing accounts. A total of 1,417 complaints were filed in this category in the last year, or 22.9% of the total 3,530 credit card-related complaints.
Louisianans struggle most with fees and interest. Just over 18% of the complaints in the state – 239 out of 1,1319 total – were related to these charges. Issues with obtaining a credit card (324 complaints) and incorrect information on credit reports (273 complaints) were also common. Together, these lead to the Bayou State ranking as the 11th highest rate of credit card-related complaints nationwide.
These midwestern states have the fewest problems with their credit cards. South Dakota, Wyoming, and North Dakota had the fewest relative complaints nationwide, with less than 200 combined over the last year. These few complaints were, however, enough to give North Dakota the highest rate of complaints regarding closing one’s account, at 13.8% of 65 total complaints. South Dakota, meanwhile, had the highest rate of complaints nationwide for trouble using the card, at 9.0% of 67 total complaints.

Top 10 States Where People Are Having the Most Trouble With Their Credit Cards

1. Texas

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.000551234
Total credit card complaints: 12,658
Population aged 18+: 22,963,044
Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 24.30%
Getting a credit card: 7.20%
Other features, terms, or problems: 4.46%
Incorrect information on your report: 39.18%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 9.88%
Fees or interest: 4.51%
Struggling to pay your bill: 0.59%
Improper use of your report: 0.46%
Trouble using your card: 1.62%
Problem when making payments: 2.84%
Closing your account: 3.29%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 1.51%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.05%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.07%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.04%

2. Delaware

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.000535389
Total credit card complaints: 439
Population aged 18+: 819,965
Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 9.11%
Getting a credit card: 7.74%
Other features, terms, or problems: 9.79%
Incorrect information on your report: 24.15%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 12.98%
Fees or interest: 6.61%
Struggling to pay your bill: 2.05%
Improper use of your report: 6.83%
Trouble using your card: 4.10%
Problem when making payments: 5.24%
Closing your account: 6.83%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 4.10%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.46%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.00%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.00%

3. Georgia

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.000447093
Total credit card complaints: 3,798
Population aged 18+: 8,494,879
Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 15.38%
Getting a credit card: 15.93%
Other features, terms, or problems: 7.40%
Incorrect information on your report: 18.75%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 15.48%
Fees or interest: 7.16%
Struggling to pay your bill: 1.42%
Improper use of your report: 1.66%
Trouble using your card: 3.26%
Problem when making payments: 4.08%
Closing your account: 7.08%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 1.84%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.13%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.26%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.16%

4. Nevada

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.00044508
Total credit card complaints: 1,117
Population aged 18+: 2,509,660
Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 5.82%
Getting a credit card: 17.46%
Other features, terms, or problems: 7.97%
Incorrect information on your report: 13.34%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 22.92%
Fees or interest: 9.04%
Struggling to pay your bill: 0.63%
Improper use of your report: 0.98%
Trouble using your card: 4.66%
Problem when making payments: 5.73%
Closing your account: 6.18%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 4.48%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.09%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.54%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.18%

5. Florida

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.000435286
Total credit card complaints: 7,936
Population aged 18+: 18,231,710
Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 17.49%
Getting a credit card: 14.09%
Other features, terms, or problems: 8.69%
Incorrect information on your report: 13.51%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 18.17%
Fees or interest: 7.80%
Struggling to pay your bill: 1.23%
Improper use of your report: 1.20%
Trouble using your card: 3.35%
Problem when making payments: 5.32%
Closing your account: 5.93%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 2.87%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.14%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.16%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.04%

6. Rhode Island

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.000432394
Total credit card complaints: 386
Population aged 18+: 892,705
Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 3.89%
Getting a credit card: 5.18%
Other features, terms, or problems: 5.44%
Incorrect information on your report: 49.22%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 15.28%
Fees or interest: 8.29%
Struggling to pay your bill: 0.26%
Improper use of your report: 0.26%
Trouble using your card: 0.52%
Problem when making payments: 5.70%
Closing your account: 3.63%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 2.33%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.00%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.00%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.00%

7. Maryland

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.000413371
Total credit card complaints: 1,993
Population aged 18+: 4,821,332
Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 15.70%
Getting a credit card: 10.64%
Other features, terms, or problems: 8.63%
Incorrect information on your report: 16.76%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 19.37%
Fees or interest: 8.53%
Struggling to pay your bill: 1.66%
Improper use of your report: 0.75%
Trouble using your card: 2.91%
Problem when making payments: 5.92%
Closing your account: 5.77%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 3.16%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.10%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.05%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.05%

8. Virginia

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.000409
Total credit card complaints: 2,799
Population aged 18+: 6,843,521
Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 2.89%
Getting a credit card: 9.32%
Other features, terms, or problems: 8.25%
Incorrect information on your report: 40.51%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 16.40%
Fees or interest: 7.61%
Struggling to pay your bill: 1.07%
Improper use of your report: 0.71%
Trouble using your card: 1.93%
Problem when making payments: 3.47%
Closing your account: 4.79%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 2.68%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.18%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.11%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.07%

9. New York

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.000383855
Total credit card complaints: 5,996
Population aged 18+: 15,620,467
Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 13.91%
Getting a credit card: 11.99%
Other features, terms, or problems: 9.71%
Incorrect information on your report: 9.74%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 24.38%
Fees or interest: 9.31%
Struggling to pay your bill: 1.02%
Improper use of your report: 0.60%
Trouble using your card: 3.30%
Problem when making payments: 5.20%
Closing your account: 7.02%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 3.45%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.07%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.22%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.08%

10. West Virginia

Credit card complaints per capita: 0.000382818
Total credit card complaints: 543
Population aged 18+: 1,418,429

Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem: 4.42%
Getting a credit card: 4.42%
Other features, terms, or problems: 3.31%
Incorrect information on your report: 71.09%
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement: 6.45%
Fees or interest: 2.76%
Struggling to pay your bill: 0.55%
Improper use of your report: 0.18%
Trouble using your card: 1.10%
Problem when making payments: 3.68%
Closing your account: 1.29%
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers: 0.74%
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes: 0.00%
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services: 0.00%
Unable to get your credit report or credit score: 0.00%

Data and Methodology

Complaints lodged with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau between 8/1/2024 and 7/31/2025 were considered for 50 U.S. states. States were ranked based on the total number of credit card-related complaints per number of state residents aged 18 and older. Population data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2023. Complaint categories were also evaluated as a percentage of all complaints, with complaint categories including:

Problem with a company’s investigation into an existing problem
Getting a credit card
Other features, terms, or problems
Incorrect information on your report
Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Fees or interest
Struggling to pay your bill
Improper use of your report
Trouble using your card
Problem when making payments
Closing your account
Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers
Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes
Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services
Unable to get your credit report or credit score

Credit Card Chaos: Where Americans Face the Most Trouble With Their Cards – 2025 Study

Key Findings

Top 10 States Where People Are Having the Most Trouble With Their Credit Cards

Data and Methodology

Questions about our study? Contact us at press@smartasset.com