45% of new credit cards go to under-30s. Here is the trap nobody explains.

What happened. RBI data shows credit card dues in India grew from about ₹340 crore in 2015 to ₹2.88 lakh crore by 2025. Nearly 45% of new cardholders are under 30.

Why it matters to you. Paying only the minimum due is the trap. The rest stays on the card at very high interest, often around 3% to 3.5% every month.

The concept. Good debt buys something that grows, like a skill. Bad debt pays for things that lose value, at high interest.

A rupee example. You spend ₹30,000 on a card and pay only the small minimum due. The unpaid amount can cost roughly 3% to 3.5% a month, close to ₹900 to ₹1,050 in the first month alone. Next month the interest is charged again, on a bigger balance. This is how a ₹30,000 bill quietly becomes much more.

You are not alone in this. Unpaid credit card dues in India rose about 28% in a single year. The habit that protects you is simple: treat a credit card like a debit card. Spend only what you can fully repay by the due date, and always pay the full amount, not the minimum.

This is general education, not financial advice. Interest rates vary by card and bank, check your own card’s terms.