Advanta's help website

That's my understanding. I'm in the same boat. Sent a few payments in a couple of days late (on more than one card but at various times) and interest rates soared. Now it's hard to make payments. Called some companies myself but I "don't qualify" for assistance. Sounds like you have to default in order to be granted any help. Seems insane but that's how it works. Guess we'll see how it plays out since I'm not paying two cards this month. I do have a dmp possibilty to be set up in two weeks but I'm still debating that. Even if I do the DMP, my payments on these two cards will be one month late. Oh well.

For me dmp's are not going to help me. I have tried a couple of different ones and the payments just are too high for me. This particular card is really not a priority for me right now and I am putting it on the pay last stack. I am so angry with them.

Most credit card companies are not really willing to offer you a hardship program as long as you are still making your payments. I guess they figure they are getting their money out of you, so why should they change anything?

Once you stop making payments and the collection department starts calling, tell them that you have a hardship and they will ask you to describe it. Once you do, if it really is a hardship (such as loss of income, etc.), most will offer you a hardship program.

Good luck!

Yes, you will have to get far enough past due - and even then, what they will offer is going to depend on a lot of things. I know, I worked there. You are probably better off calling a Consumer credit counseling Service or doing anything possible to transfer the balance to a different company. 24.99% is nothing for Advanta. They have MANY accounts with APRs at 39%

So does Advanta ever let you settle, but make payments on the settled amount or is an all or nothing thing?

Advanta does settle. After nine months of not paying my business account due to my business having closed, they offered me a 10% settlement on a $22,600 bill, but it had to be made in two installments. If I did not agree to these terms, they would sue. The first one had to be made by the end of the particular week the settlement offer was received, and the second half only three weeks later. I begged and begged to stretch this out into four or five payments, and they would not budge. A couple of days after I had accepted the agreement, I received a summons in the mail (which I have since received a dismissal for, since I took the offer.) It was a super offer, but if I hadn't had someone to borrow the money from I would've been in real trouble. So yes, they do settle. Great offer, which I am grateful for, but the alternative was very bad.

Well the only thing that may help me, and it really won't help me right now this minute, is that my balance is around $6700 and if they will settle for 10% then I can maybe come up with that. But I am a little over 60 days late, maybe 67, so I have a ways to go.

I think the 10% offer was because my amount of debt was so large; because I had been with them for years & years without ever falling behind in the past; and because I had a business that closed due to circumstances beyond my control (this was a business account). I don't know the circumstances for how they choose what settlements to offer, but I think mine was exceptionally low and I wouldn't think that they offer that to everyone. I think sometimes, they do take your entire situation into account.