It happens in a blink. One forgotten due date, one autopay glitch, one chaotic week where life just steamrolls your calendar—and suddenly your credit card balance becomes a financial monster. If you have a Discover card, that single late payment can trigger a penalty APR of 29.99%, a number so high it practically deserves its own warning label.
The scariest part? Many people think it’s permanent. While that’s not technically true, the impact can feel permanent in your wallet if you don’t know how the system works.
