How does a 30-day late credit card payment affect me versus a 60-day late one?

A payment less than 30 days late usually triggers only a late fee, and typically isn't reported to the credit bureaus, so your score is spared. Once you cross 30 days, the issuer can report it as a delinquency, which can drop your score significantly, especially if your score was high to begin with, and that mark can linger on your report for up to seven years.

At 60-plus days late, the damage deepens: further score drops, and importantly, the issuer can then legally raise your APR on your existing balance to a penalty rate, something the CARD Act otherwise restricts within the first year. The lesson is to never let a payment cross 30 days. If you'll be late, call and pay before that threshold, and ask the issuer to waive a first-time fee.