CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSETexas Penal Code (PC) § 32.31
Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse is a state jail felony under Texas Penal Code (PC) § 32.31. It is punishable by 180 days to 2 years in a state jail and a fine up to $10,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSE” mean?
Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse is a state jail felony under Texas PC § 32.31.
Credit card or debit card abuse, Texas Penal Code § 32.31, covers a list of fraudulent acts involving payment cards. The most commonly charged form requires proof that, with intent to obtain a benefit fraudulently, the actor presented or used a credit card or debit card knowing the card was not issued to him and was not used with the effective consent of the cardholder, or knowing the card had expired or had been revoked or cancelled. The statute also reaches stealing a card, or receiving a card known to be stolen, with intent to use, sell, or transfer it; possessing a card that is not the actor's own, without the cardholder's consent and with intent to use it; using a fictitious card or a pretended card number; and buying a card from, or selling a card while not being, the issuer. The baseline offense is a state jail felony.
What usually happens to a CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSE charge?
37% ended without a conviction, 20% in deferred adjudication and 43% in a conviction.
How 2,460 resolved CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSE charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 15 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):
| County | Resolved | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 807 | 58% | 12% | 30% | 327 |
| Collin | 744 | 23% | 28% | 49% | 201 |
| Hays | 208 | 30% | 16% | 54% | 469 |
| Galveston | 146 | 31% | 25% | 44% | 310 |
| Brazoria | 132 | 14% | 24% | 58% | 224 |
| Montgomery | 120 | 30% | 18% | 52% | 186 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (12) covers waived counts, bond forfeitures, transfers and unrecorded outcomes. Bexar County records disposition dates but not outcomes, so it counts toward time-to-disposition only. Tarrant County criminal records are not in this dataset.
How long does a CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSE case take to resolve?
Typically about 9 months: half of resolved cases closed within 277 days of filing.
Across 2,457 resolved CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSE charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 277 days. The middle half took between 130 and 533 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSE cases end?
Individual cases from the public court record, with the disposition and sentence text exactly as the clerk entered it. Every case is decided on its own facts.
Ended without a conviction
Deferred adjudication
Ended in a conviction
What is the punishment for Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse in Texas?
180 days to 2 years in a state jail and a fine up to $10,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| State jail felony | 180 days to 2 years in a state jail | Fine up to $10,000 | Penal Code § 12.35 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
How much is bail for CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSE in Texas?
The median bail is $5,000, and 6% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 26,365 Texas bail settings for this charge (88 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $5,000 (middle half: $2,500 – $10,000). 6% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 2,220 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (3,369 records), the median was $7,500 and 12% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso | 3,920 | $5,000 | $3,500 – $10,000 | 8% | 14% |
| Tarrant | 3,553 | $3,000 | $1,500 – $5,000 | 2% | 3% |
| Travis | 2,967 | $5,000 | $2,500 – $10,000 | 13% | 5% |
| Hays | 1,767 | $2,000 | $2,000 – $5,000 | 14% | 2% |
| Dallas | 1,106 | $10,000 | $3,500 – $20,000 | 1% | 11% |
Showing the 5 counties with the most records; use the selector for any county with at least 30. Per-charge bond settings on original magistrations, from Texas OCA bail reporting under SB 6. Bail is set case by case — these are statistics, not a prediction.
Charged with CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSE?
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Find a Defense AttorneyBail data: Texas Office of Court Administration magistration reports (SB 6), Apr 2022 – Jun 2025. Court outcomes: county district and county clerk records. Statistics describe past cases and are not legal advice; every case is decided on its own facts.