Forty million Americans expect to miss a credit card payment this year, according to a recent Wallethub study that found 16 percent of respondents expect to miss at least one credit card due date in 2019. The average household credit card balance in America is now more than $8,200.

Missing a credit card payment can start a chain reaction of negative events, with late fees of up to $28 for a first offense and $39 for another within six months. In addition, cardholders not already carrying a balance between months will lose their grace period, and interest will start accruing immediately on both new purchases and the unpaid balance.

There might also be a high penalty APR on new purchases, depending on the issuer, and this rate can be applied to all balances after the cardholder is 60 days past-due on payment. If the credit card issuer reports a late payment to the credit bureaus after it’s 30 days late, it will cause damage to the cardholder’s credit score. This can lead to higher costs and fewer borrowing opportunities in the future.

The survey found that 15 percent of male respondents and 16 percent of women respondents expected to miss a payment; 20 percent of Millennial respondents and 8 percent of Baby Boomer respondents expected to miss a payment and 10 percent of high income respondents and 26 percent of low income respondents expect to miss a payment.

The survey also noted that credit card issuers can be forgiving, as nine in 10 people who have tried to get a credit card late fee waived were successful.