What happens when your credit card gets declined?

I pay $34 a month for a gym membership. Ive been broke as hell lately due to less hours at work and i only had 28 dollars in my card. What will happen if the gym charges my card and it gets declined? Will it effect my credit? Also how do you max out your credit card? If i have 28 in my card and i try to pay more than that i will just get declined. Would i have to spend exactly $28 dollars to max it out?|||You are almost maxed out now (very bad for your credit when you go over 30% of your credit line).





When your payment is declined (and it probably will be since you don't have enough on your card to cover it), you will probably be charged a fee by the gym. In addition, you will still owe the payment. I doubt that the declined payment will be reported to the credit bureau as most companies only report payments that are over 30 days late, but I can't state that for certain (there are exceptions).





Most credit card companies do not assess fees if you go over your credit limit, or at least they didn't at one time. It used to be that the card was simply declined. With the new credit card legislation, so many are instituting new fees for every little thing, I can't really be sure of that either.





I can tell you for sure what you need to do. Stop the automatic payment via credit card if you can. If you cannot, get the gym paid asap, including any declined payment charge they may assess.





Then, pay down that card. You are hurting your credit rating by being so close to a max out. Pay it off if possible. If not, pay it down to under 30% of your total credit line as soon as you can and don't use it again until you do.





Absolutely do not fall into the payday loan trap. You'll only dig yourself in deeper.|||You don't explain what your credit limit is. If you have charged up all but $28 of your credit limit, then you are in trouble. Don't charge more than you can pay IN FULL as soon as the bill arrives.





You *WANT* to try to max out your card?!?!?! Makes no sense at all.





If you are making less money at work then you need to SPEND LESS, not simply charge everything. You do understand "personal responsibility" right?





I would suggest you cut your expenses and find another job or a second job. If you are so broke that you are maxing out your credit card, then you should not be paying for a gym membership. That is not a NEED, that is a WANT.





Once you get through all of this, you need to store up 3 to 6 months worth of expenses in a cash emergency fund. If you are responsible for yourself, then you need to step up and take control.|||1. Being within $30 of the limit on your card will affect your credit. Having less than 70% available (in other words, using more than 30% of the card) hurts your credit.


2. The gym will sue you. When they win, the judgment will hurt your credit more.


3. Even if you spend nothing, you will max out your card. The interest, finance charges, various other fees, etc., will exceed $30 and they cannot be declined. This will put you beyond the point of having $0 left, so you will be charged an over-the-limit fee.


4. Declining is not guaranteed. Even if you do not have enough on the card, the charge may go through, in which case you will owe the money to the bank, and will be charged an addition fee for going over the limit.