More than a quarter of US working-age adults who used credit cards to cover grocery costs last year struggled to repay their bills in full, according to new research from the Urban Institute. The share of adults who paid for groceries with a credit card and then were unable to make a minimum payment rose to 8.7% in 2024, up from 7.1% in 2023. Nearly 1 in 10 relied on buy now, pay later loans, with a third failing to make their payment, and almost 1 in 20 turned to payday loans for food. The increase in missed payments was even more notable among families earning between 200% and 400% of the federal poverty level, where the share unable to make a minimum payment rose from 9.3% in 2023 to 12.3% in 2025. Grocery prices have risen 2.7% in the past year and are up nearly 32% from pre-pandemic levels.