If you're trying to get rid of your high-rate credit card debt, knowing how to negotiate could be key. Getty Images

Credit card debt has been climbing steadily over the last several months, with Americans adding another $27 billion to their credit card balances in the second quarter of 2025 alone. In total, cardholders now owe a staggering $1.21 trillion in credit card debt — a new record-high. That represents an uptick of 2.3% from the first quarter of 2025 and a rise of nearly 6% compared to the second quarter of 2024.

So what's behind the latest surge? While numerous factors are at play, this increase was driven, in large part, by a mix of persistent inflation , high interest rates and continued reliance on credit. With credit card APRs still hovering close to 22% on avera

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