How long does it take before a charge-off goes to collections?

If you're dealing with unpaid debt, the charge-off phase is just the beginning of the debt collection efforts. Jordan Lye/Getty Images

When you fall behind on credit card payments , the consequences tend to unfold in stages, each one more serious than the last. First come the late fees and penalty interest rates , which increase the cost of your debt, and then come the increasingly urgent phone calls and letters from your creditor. But if months go by without payment, your account enters more severe phases that many borrowers don't fully understand until they're facing them: The charge-off and collections phases .

These two phases often get lumped together in conversations about debt, but they represent distinct milestones in a creditor's attempt to recover what you owe.