CS-2026-1451 - BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE v. RAUL BAUTISTA

What's This Case About?

Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a murder. There was no kidnapping. No one stole a horse or set fire to a mailbox. But in the grand, dramatic soap opera of American debt collection, Barclays Bank Delaware has decided that Raul Bautista — a man in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who allegedly forgot to pay his Gap credit card bill — must now answer to the court for the crime of… not sending a check.

Yes, folks, we are officially at the point in late-stage capitalism where a multinational bank sues an individual over $4,155 — less than the average American spends on coffee in a year — and files it with the solemn gravity of a federal indictment. This isn’t just a lawsuit. It’s a vibe. A mood. A reminder that somewhere, a spreadsheet noticed you didn’t pay, and now the machines have spoken.

So who are these players in this high-stakes game of financial chicken? On one side, we’ve got Barclays Bank Delaware — not to be confused with your friendly neighborhood British banker sipping tea and muttering about Brexit. No, this is the American credit card arm of a global financial empire, the kind of institution that probably has more lawyers than some small countries have diplomats. They’re represented here by Nelson and Kennard, LLP — a debt collection law firm that, according to their website, specializes in “creditor rights.” That’s corporate-speak for “we show up, file the paperwork, and make sure the judgment gets entered before lunch.”

On the other side: Raul Bautista. That’s it. That’s the whole dossier. We don’t know if he’s a part-time barista, a retired mechanic, or a secret TikTok influencer who just really liked that denim jacket from Gap. All we know is that at some point, he opened a Gap co-branded Mastercard — likely lured in by promises of rewards points and 20% off his first purchase — and then, somewhere along the line, stopped paying it. The last payment? January 5, 2025. The balance? A cool $4,154.96. The charge-off date? May 29, 2025. That’s four months of silence, during which the interest and fees kept piling up like dirty laundry in a college dorm.

And what does that balance look like? Well, according to Exhibit 1 — the haunting final statement sent into the void — Raul’s account was a slow-motion financial car crash. As of May 8, 2025, he owed $4,154.96. That included $100.30 in interest charged during a single billing cycle — thanks to a 29.99% variable APR, which is basically the financial equivalent of a haunted credit card. There was also a $41 late fee, because apparently, not paying your bill on time is still punishable by extra charges, even when you’re already drowning. His available credit? $0.00. His overlimit amount? $854.96. That’s right — he was over his limit, on a card with no available credit, which raises the question: what, exactly, was he still purchasing?

The statement even includes a cheerful little table warning him that if he only made the minimum payments — a mere $1,182.99 due by June 5, 2025 — it would take him 15 years to pay off the balance… and he’d end up shelling out over $10,000 in total. Which, honestly, feels less like a financial advisory and more like a hostage note: “Keep paying, or the interest wins.”

But Raul didn’t pay. He ghosted. He went full radio silence. And in the world of credit cards, that’s not just rude — it’s a breach of contract. That’s the legal claim here: Barclays says Raul agreed to pay, he didn’t, and now they want their money. Simple, right? No conspiracy. No fraud. Just a broken promise, written in fine print and enforced by a law firm in Colorado suing someone in Oklahoma over a Gap card.

Now, let’s talk about what Barclays actually wants. $4,154.96. That’s the number. Is that a lot? In the grand scheme of lawsuits, it’s pocket change. It’s less than the deductible on most car insurance policies. It’s the cost of a mid-tier flat-screen TV or a really good used car down payment. But for a debt collection case, it’s actually on the higher end — most of these suits are for under $2,000. So this isn’t some random $300 Netflix subscription gone wild. This is a real debt. The kind that builds up when you stop paying, and the interest starts eating itself like a financial ouroboros.

And Barclays isn’t just asking for the balance. They want all their costs: court fees, sheriff’s fees, process server fees, and — of course — attorney fees. Which means if Raul loses, he could end up owing even more than $4,155. And let’s be real: in these cases, the bank almost always wins. Default judgments are handed out like participation trophies. If Raul doesn’t show up, doesn’t respond, doesn’t hire a lawyer, the court will likely say, “Yep, you owe it,” and slap a judgment on his credit report for years.

But here’s the thing that makes this case weirdly fascinating: there’s no drama. No accusation of identity theft. No claim that Raul went on a shopping spree he didn’t authorize. No dispute about the amount. Just a quiet, bureaucratic takedown — a financial whack-a-mole where the mole didn’t duck fast enough.

So what’s our take? Is this justice? Is this fair? Look, we’re not here to defend unpaid credit card debt — if you use a card, you should pay the bill. But there’s something deeply absurd about a global bank deploying a law firm to litigate $4,155 in a Tulsa courtroom like it’s a matter of national security. This isn’t a Ponzi scheme. This isn’t corporate espionage. This is a guy who probably forgot to pay his Gap card and now has a legal judgment chasing him like a cursed artifact.

And yet… we can’t help but wonder. Did Raul lose his job? Was there a medical emergency? Did he move, change numbers, and just fall off the grid? Or did he look at that 29.99% APR, do the math, and decide, “You know what? This is a scam. I’m out.” We’ll never know — not from this filing. But the silence speaks volumes.

In the end, this case is less about Raul Bautista and more about the machine — the relentless, impersonal engine of consumer debt that turns a denim jacket from Gap into a $4,155 legal obligation. It’s not evil. It’s not even particularly malicious. It’s just… there. Like a parking ticket. Like a spam call. Like the slow, inevitable creep of late fees in a world that charges interest by the second.

So here’s to Raul Bautista — not a villain, not a hero, just a man caught in the gears. And here’s to Barclays Bank Delaware, who will probably win this case, collect their money, and file the next one before lunch. The system works. It’s just not always clear who it’s working for.

Case Overview

$4,155 Demand Petition

Jurisdiction

DISTRICT COURT, OKLAHOMA

Filing Attorney

ASHTON DEWAYNE SEARS

NELSON AND KENNARD, LLP

Relief Sought

$4,155 Monetary

Plaintiffs

BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE business
Rep: NELSON AND KENNARD, LLP

Defendants

RAUL BAUTISTA individual

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1	Breach of Contract

Petition Text

2,933 words

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF TULSA COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE, Plaintiff, vs. RAUL BAUTISTA Defendant(s). Case No. PETITION COMES NOW the Plaintiff, by and through counsel, Nelson and Kennard, LLP, and herewith alleges the following and seeks redress as hereafter delineated. 1. Plaintiff is a national banking association, which transacts business within the State of Oklahoma. 2. Venue is proper in this County, as the Defendant(s) reside(s) in this County at the commencement of this action. 3. The last four (4) digits of the Defendant’s account number, used by the original creditor as of the date of default are xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx9657. 4. Plaintiff’s claim arises when the Defendant(s) opened a credit account and failed to make the required monthly payments as agreed. The credit account charged off for non-payment on 5/29/25, the balance due at time of default was $4,154.96. A true and accurate copy of the last periodic statement provided to the Defendant(s) prior to charge-off is attached hereto as Exhibit 1. 5. The Defendant(s) breached the Contract by failing to make the required periodic payments. 6. As a direct and proximate result of the Defendant(s) default, the total amount of debt claimed is $4,154.96. 7. The date of the last payment made by the Defendant(s) is January 5, 2025. 8. Plaintiff seeks court costs, and for such further relief as the Court may deem proper in the premises. WHEREFORE, Plaintiff, BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE prays for judgment against the Defendant(s), RAUL BAUTISTA in the amount of $4,154.96, plus all costs herein expended, including but not limited to, court costs, sheriff's fees, and special process server fees, attorney fees; and for such other and further relief as the Court may deem proper in the premises. Dated this January 8, 2026 Nelson and Kennard, LLP By: Ashton Dewayne Sears, OBA # 35737 12596 W. Bayaud Ave., Ste. 120 Lakewood, CO 80228 Phone: 866-920-2295 [email protected] Attorney for the Plaintiff EXHIBIT 1 RAUL BAUTISTA Account Activity Previous Balance as of 04/09/25 $4,013.66 Payments - $0.00 Fees Charged + $41.00 Interest Charged + $100.30 Statement Balance as of 05/08/25 = $4,154.96 Past Due = $1,001.56 APR Details begin on page 3 in the Interest Charge Calculation section. Transaction details begin on page 3. Credit Line Total Credit Line $0.00 Includes $0.00 cash advance line Available Credit Line $0.00 as of 05/08/25 Available for cash advances $0.00 Overlimit Amount $854.96 Stay connected on the go Download the Barclays US App for fast, easy and secure access. • Open your camera • Scan this QR code • Download the app Payment Information Statement Balance: $4,154.96 Minimum Payment Due: $1,182.99 Payment Due Date: 06/05/25 Late Payment Warning: If we do not receive your minimum payment by the date listed above, you may have to pay a late fee of up to $41.00. Minimum Payment Warning: If you make only the minimum payment each period, you will pay more in interest and it will take you longer to pay off your balance. For example: <table> <tr> <th> </th> <th> </th> <th>And you will end up paying ... estimated total of</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Only the minimum payment</td> <td>15 years</td> <td>$10,392.00</td> </tr> </table> If you would like information about credit counseling services, please call 1-800-570-1392. Repayment information based on activity and APRs on your account as of the closing date. Statement Balance as of 05/08/25: (account ending 9657) $4,154.96 Minimum Payment Due: (includes $1,001.56 past due amount) $1,182.99 Payment Due Date: 06/05/25 Amount Enclosed: $ Make check payable to Barclays. Allow 7-10 days for USPS delivery. Barclays PO BOX 60517 CITY OF INDUSTRY CA 91716-0517 Important Information Information About Credit Bureau Reporting: We may report information about your account to credit bureaus. Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account may be reflected in your credit report. Annual Fee. If your account has an annual fee, it will be billed each year. We will give you advance notice on your billing statement prior to the assessment of the annual fee. You may choose to call us at 1-866-584-3923 within 45 days of receiving such notice to discuss alternative products that may be available or to close your account so that the fee will not be billed. If your account is closed, any outstanding reward points or miles on your account may be forfeited at that time. Payment of the annual fee does not affect our ability to close your account and/or to limit your transactions. Lost or Stolen Card: Your credit card is issued by Barclays Bank Delaware. If your card is lost or stolen, please contact us immediately at 1-866-584-3923 at any time. Payment Information: Each billing cycle, you must pay at least the Minimum Payment Due shown on your monthly statement by its Payment Due Date. Both the Minimum Payment Due and Payment Due Date are noted on your statement and on your homepage when you login to gap.barclaysus.com. At any time you may pay more than the Minimum Payment Due up to the full amount you owe us, however you cannot "pay ahead". This means that if you pay more than the required Minimum Payment Due in any billing cycle or if you make more than one payment in a billing cycle, you will still need to pay the next month's required Minimum Payment Due by your next Payment Due Date. Remember to make all checks payable to Barclays. Please allow 7 to 10 days for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver your payment to us. Upon our receipt, your available credit may not be increased by the payment amount for up to 7 days to ensure the funds from the bank on which your payment is drawn are collected and not returned. When you provide a check as payment on this Account, you authorize us to either use the information from your check to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account or to process the payment as a check transaction. When we use information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer, funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day we receive your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution. For inquiries, please call 1-866-584-3923. Mailed Payments: A conforming payment received by us by 5:00 p.m. PT will be credited to your account the day of receipt. A "conforming payment" is a payment that: 1) is mailed with the payment coupon included with this statement or printed from gap.barclaysus.com to Barclays, P.O. Box 60517, City of Industry, CA 91716-0517; and 2) is in the form of a single, non-folded check or money order made payable in U.S. dollars from a U.S. based institution. Any payment that does not meet these requirements, or any payment with multiple checks or money orders, additional correspondence, staples, paperclips, etc. will be considered a “non-conforming payment", which may delay the crediting of the payment for up to 5 days. Other Payment Options: Web: Visit gap.barclaysus.com to set up your payments. Mobile: To download the Barclays US App, text MOBILE to 60956. Phone: Call us at 1-866-584-3923 and we will process your payment. All payments made via web, mobile app or pay by phone by 11:59 p.m. ET will be credited to your account that same day. Overnight Payments: Send overnight courier service or U.S.P.S. Priority Mail payments to REMITCO, Card Services, Lock Box 60517, 2525 Corporate Park, Suite 250, Monterey Park, CA, 91754. A payment received at this address by 5 p.m. PT that otherwise meets the requirements of a conforming payment will be credited to your account that same day. How We Will Calculate Interest. We use a method called "daily balance" (including new purchases). We calculate interest separately for each "Balance Subject to Interest Rate." These include for example, Purchases at the current rate, Balance Transfers at the current rate, Cash Advances at the current rate, and different promotional balances. Your monthly billing statement shows each "Balance Subject to Interest Rate." To calculate interest, we first calculate a daily balance for each Balance Subject to Interest Rate. We start with the balance, for that Balance Subject to Interest Rate, as of the end of the previous day. We add any interest calculated on the previous day's balance. (This means interest is compounded daily). We add any new Purchases, Balance Transfers or Cash Advances to the appropriate balance, subtract any new payments or credits from the appropriate balance, and make other adjustments. A credit balance is treated as a balance of zero. We then multiply each daily balance by the applicable daily periodic rate. We do this for each day in the billing period. That gives us the daily interest. We add up all the daily interest for all of the daily balances to get the total interest for the billing period. Accrual of interest and How to Avoid Paying Interest on Purchases. Your due date is at least 23 days after the close of each billing cycle. On Purchases, interest begins to accrue as of the transaction date. However, you can avoid paying interest if you pay your Purchases subject to interest (excluding Easy Pay Offers) plus any monthly Easy Pay Payment Amount in full by the Payment Due Date every month. If you do not pay your Purchases subject to interest (excluding Easy Pay Offers) plus any monthly Easy Pay Payment Amount by the due date each month, you will pay interest on those purchases from the date they are posted to your account until the date you pay those Purchases in full. When those Purchases (excluding Easy Pay Offers) are paid in full, your next statement will include interest accrued from the first day of that statement period until the date your payment in full was received. Purchases that are enrolled in an Easy Pay Offer will be charged interest in accordance with the plan as disclosed at enrollment. If you have Purchase balances with a 0% promotional APR, you can avoid paying interest on those Purchase balances during the promotional period. (However, to avoid a late fee, pay at least your Minimum Payment Due.) Continued on Page 4 Change of address, name, phone, or email? – Update this information by visiting our website on the back of your card. – Telephone us by calling the number on the back of your card. Please do not include any written communication in this space. Gap Good Rewards Mastercard® Statement RAUL BAUTISTA |Account Ending 9657 | Statement Period 04/09/25 - 05/08/25 Page 3 of 5 Transactions Payments No Payment Received $0.00 Total payments for this period $0.00 Purchase Activity for RAUL BAUTISTA card ending 9657 No Transaction Activity at This Time $0.00 Total purchase activity for this period $0.00 To see activity after this statement period, visit gap.barclaysus.com Fees and Interest Fees Charged May 05 May 05 Late Payment Fee $41.00 Total fees for this period $41.00 Interest Charged May 08 May 08 Interest Charge On Purchases $100.30 Total interest for this period $100.30 2025 Year-to-date Totals Total fees charged in 2025 $205.00 Total interest charged in 2025 $471.33 This Year-to-date summary reflects the Fees and Interest charged on billing statements with closing dates in 2025, and does not reflect any subsequent fee and/or interest adjustments. Interest Charge Calculation Days in Billing Cycle: 30 Type of Balance Product Rate (APR) Days in Billing Cycle Interest Charge Purchases Standard Purchases - $4,067.34 29.99%(v) $100.30 Balance Transfers Standard Balance Transfers/Checks - $0.00 29.99%(v) $0.00 Cash Advances Standard Cash Advance - $0.00 29.99%(v) $0.00 Total $100.30 (1) Your Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the annual interest rate on your account. (v) = Variable Rate that varies with the market based on the Prime Rate. See the "Important Information" section of this statement for more information about how we calculate interest. If you have a 0% promotional APR offer(s) on your Account, you can avoid paying interest on Purchases subject to interest without paying your Statement Balance in full. If this applies to your Account, you will see a Paragraph entitled "Avoiding Interest on Purchases (Grace Period) (Excluding Easy Pay Promotional Balances") appearing directly below the Interest Charge Calculation section on the front of this Statement. This will show the amount you can pay by the Payment Due Date and still avoid interest charges on your Purchases subject to interest balance. This amount may differ from your Statement Balance. It may differ if you have certain promotional APR balances, and the nonpayment of these balances will not affect your grace period on Purchases, provided you pay all other balances on your account. (However, to avoid a late fee, pay at least your Minimum Payment Due.) For Balance Transfers, interest will accrue from the transaction date which generally will be the day the payee accepts the Check. For Cash Advances, interest will accrue from the transaction date which generally will be the day you take the Cash Advance. Please note that purchases of Cash Equivalents, which include money orders, travelers checks, foreign currency, lottery tickets, gambling chips and wire transfers, are treated as Cash Advances and do not have a grace period. See your Cardmember Agreement for more information. Minimum Interest Charge: This fee, if imposed, appears in the Summary of Fees as a "Minimum Interest Charge" or "Minimum Charge." Credit Bureau Disputes: If you believe that an entry we have made on your credit bureau report is inaccurate or incomplete, please contact the reporting agency directly or contact us at Card Services, P.O. Box 8803 Wilmington, DE 19899-8801. Please include your name; your account number; the credit reporting agency where you received the bureau report; a description of the error; and why you believe it is an error. We will promptly investigate, notify you of our findings, and send an update to the credit bureaus if warranted within 30 days. What To Do If You Think You Find A Mistake On Your Statement If you think there is an error on your statement, write to us at: Card Services P.O. Box 8802 Wilmington, DE 19899-8802. In your letter, give us the following information: • Account information: Your name and account number. • Dollar amount: The dollar amount of the suspected error. • Description of problem: If you think there is an error on your bill, describe what you believe is wrong and why you believe it is a mistake. You must contact us within 60 days after the error appeared on your statement. You must notify us of any potential errors in writing. You may call us, but if you do we are not required to investigate any potential errors and you may have to pay the amount in question. While we investigate whether or not there has been an error, the following are true: • We cannot try to collect the amount in question, or report you as delinquent on that amount. • The charge in question may remain on your statement, and we may continue to charge you interest on that amount. But, if we determine that we made a mistake, you will not have to pay the amount in question or any interest or other fees related to that amount. • While you do not have to pay the amount in question, you are responsible for the remainder of your balance. • We can apply any unpaid amount against your credit limit. Your Rights If You Are Dissatisfied With Your Credit Card Purchases If you are dissatisfied with the goods or services that you have purchased with your credit card, and you have tried in good faith to correct the problem with the merchant, you may have the right not to pay the remaining amount due on the purchase. To use this right, all of the following must be true: 1. The purchase must have been made in your home state or within 100 miles of your current mailing address, and the purchase price must have been more than $50. (Note: Neither of these are necessary if your purchase was based on an advertisement we mailed to you, or if we own the company that sold you the goods or services.) 2. You must have used your credit card for the purchase. Purchases made with cash advances from an ATM or with a check that accesses your credit card account do not qualify. 3. You must not yet have fully paid for the purchase. If all of the criteria above are met and you are still dissatisfied with the purchase, contact us in writing at: Card Services P.O. Box 8802 Wilmington, DE 19899-8802. While we investigate, the same rules apply to the disputed amount as discussed above. After we finish our investigation, we will tell you our decision. At that point, if we think you owe an amount and you do not pay, we may report you as delinquent. Please refer to your Cardmember Agreement for additional information about the terms of your Account. ©2025 Barclays Bank Delaware, member FDIC Gap Good Rewards Mastercard® Statement RAUL BAUTISTA | Account Ending 9657 | Statement Period 04/09/25 - 05/08/25 Page 5 of 5 Avoiding Interest on Purchases (Grace Period) (Excluding Easy Pay Promotional Balances): If you have a 0% promotional APR on any of your Purchase balances (excluding Easy Pay), you can avoid paying interest on those balances during the applicable promotional period. However, pay at least your Minimum Payment Due to avoid a late fee. If you do not carry a Purchase balance subject to interest (excluding Easy Pay) from month to month, you can avoid paying interest on your Purchases (excluding Easy Pay) by paying $4,154.96. To avoid interest, you must pay the amount indicated above in full. If you carry a Purchase balance subject to interest (excluding Easy Pay) from month to month, interest will accrue from the date the purchase is made until the date it is paid in full. The amount shown above does not include any interest that may have accrued since your statement period end date. Barclays may choose not to assess interest that accrued since your last statement period end date if it is below a certain amount.