My credit card collector is harassing me — what are my rights?
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
RA 10870 §19 prohibits credit-card collectors from acts that harass, abuse, or oppress any person, and requires them to observe good faith, reasonable conduct, and proper decorum when collecting. Threats of arrest or imprisonment over an unpaid balance are false — the Constitution bars jail for debt (see /answer/can-i-be-jailed-for-unpaid-credit-card-debt) — and contacting or shaming your family, employer, or contacts can breach both RA 10870 §19 and the Data Privacy Act. Document each contact and complain to the BSP under RA 11765.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
Can they threaten me with arrest?
No. Threatening arrest or jail over an unpaid balance is a false representation of the law — the Constitution bars imprisonment for debt (Art. III §20) and RA 10870 §19 prohibits abusive collection. Document the threat and complain.
Can they call my family, boss, or contacts?
Contacting third parties to shame or pressure you can breach RA 10870 §19's good-faith-and-decorum standard and the Data Privacy Act (RA 10173). See the debt-collection cluster: /answers/debt-collection-harassment.
How do I make the harassment stop?
Keep dated records (screenshots, call logs, recordings where lawful), send a written demand to cease abusive contact, and file with the BSP Consumer Assistance Mechanism under RA 11765 — see /answer/how-do-i-file-a-complaint-against-my-credit-card-issuer.
Take action
Got a similar problem?
File a complaint and we'll pre-fill BSP, SEC, DTI, and small-claims letters for you.
Your rights as a credit-card holder — the BSP interest-rate cap, how interest and fees are computed, the minimum-payment trap, raising rates, cancelling a card, collection harassment, credit reporting (CIC), and why unpaid card debt is civil, not criminal (you cannot be jailed for it).