GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Most people with credit cards have learned that it can take years to pay off the balance.

"It's too easy to get in too much debt, and I find that it takes much longer to get away than it did to get in there in the first place," Kim Morgan said.

The lower the interest rate, the quicker you'll pay a card off, which is what can make universal default so scary, reported WYFF-TV.

"If you change your behaviors in any way on any of your pieces of credit, they have the right to increase your rate," said Brian McKay, SC Telco Marketing Manager.

A new study by Consumer Action found 45 percent of all banks have universal default policies on their credit cards.

The policy means that one late payment on just one of your credit cards can result in higher interest rates from everyone to which you owe money.

Other things like going over your credit limit, bouncing a payment check, getting a new credit card or simply having too much debt can trigger the universal default clause.

"If you're accumulating a lot of debt, and obviously your income's not going up, your ability to pay back that debt is decreasing," McKay said.

McKay points out that you're the one who gave them that right.

"It's one of those things that's in the agreement, they do have the right. It's their money, they're loaning you that money. That credit card is a loan," McKay said.

Interest rates on credit can be raised more than just a little through universal default.

In 2004, the average default rate was 29.99 percent.

This year, according to Consumer Action, credit card rates are being raised to as much as 35 percent.