What overdue and DPD mean
A payment is overdue when its due date has passed and it hasn’t been paid in full. The overdue amount is the total of all missed payments still unpaid.
DPD stands for days past due. It counts how many days the oldest unpaid amount has been late. Lenders use the count to label the account, and they report it to the credit bureaus. On your credit report, the payment history shows a DPD figure for each month. Zero means you paid on time.
An example
Anjali, 30, repays a personal loan with an EMI (monthly instalment) of ₹6,500, due on the 10th of each month. In October 2026 a family emergency empties her account.
| Date | What happens | Overdue | Days since the oldest due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct 2026 | October EMI not paid | ₹6,500 | 0 |
| 25 Oct 2026 | Still unpaid | ₹6,500 | 15 |
| 10 Nov 2026 | November EMI not paid either | ₹13,000 | 31 |
| 20 Nov 2026 | Still unpaid | ₹13,000 | 41 |
| 25 Nov 2026 | She pays ₹13,000 | ₹0 | back to 0 |
Fictional example. Days counted by Paisavy as calendar days from 10 Oct 2026. Lenders can differ by a day in how they count.
At 41 days the account sits in the 31–60 day band, which lenders label SMA-1 (special mention account, an early-warning tag). Paying one EMI of ₹6,500 would not have brought it back to normal: the count keeps running from the oldest amount still unpaid. Once she clears all ₹13,000, the account is regular again. October and November will still show as late months in her payment history.
Penal charges (a separate fee for paying late) may also apply. The exact amount is in her KFS, the Key Facts Statement she got before signing.
Why the count matters
The longer an amount stays unpaid, the more serious the label. After more than 90 days, a loan becomes an NPA (non-performing asset). That brings formal recovery and serious harm to your credit report. Our guide Missed an EMI? What happens next explains each stage and the dates.
Credit cards follow a separate rule. A card is reported as past due, and a late fee charged, only when the payment is more than 3 days late.
Where you see it
- Credit report: in the payment history of each account, month by month.
- Lender’s alerts: your lender must send you an SMS or email when it reports a late payment or a default to the bureaus.
- Loan app or statement: usually as “overdue amount” or “total dues”.
What it is not
Being overdue is not a crime. Not paying a loan is a civil matter between you and the lender. Cheque bounces are a separate legal issue. And DPD doesn’t measure the amount you owe; ₹500 overdue for 40 days and ₹50,000 overdue for 40 days both show 40 days late.
What to do now
- Pay what you can as soon as you can. Clearing all arrears (every missed amount) before 30 days limits the damage.
- Call the lender’s official number before the next due date. Ask about a new date or a short-term plan, and note the reference number.
- Check your KFS for the penal charge and any bounce charge.
- Recovery calls are allowed only between 8 am and 7 pm (9 am to 6 pm for microfinance loans), and no one may threaten or shame you.
Our Hard to pay page has practical steps, a script for your lender and your rights. You can use it straight away, without any quiz.