Sample Pay for Delete Letter, Sample Pay for Removal Letter

 

Pay for delete is a negotiation strategy you can use to have negative information removed from your credit report. The pay for delete letter is ideal for debts that can’t be disputed because you actually owe them. If you have already paid a company or a collection agency, you can request a previously paid account be removed from your credit report by useing a goodwill deletion request letter instead. 

Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State Zip

Collector’s Name
Collector’s Address
Collector’s City, State Zip

Date

Re: Account Number XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Dear Collection Manager:

This letter is in response to your [letter / call / credit report entry] on [date] related to the debt referenced above. I wish to save us both some time and effort by settling this debt.

Please be aware that this is not an acknowledgment or acceptance of the debt, as I have not received any verification of the debt. Nor is this a promise to pay and is not a payment agreement unless you provide a response as detailed below.

I am aware that your company has the ability to report this debt to the credit bureaus as you deem necessary.

Furthermore, you have the ability to change the listing since you are the information furnisher.

I am willing to pay [this debt in full / $XXX as settlement for this debt] in return for your agreement to remove all information regarding this debt from the credit reporting agencies within ten calendar days of payment.

If you agree to the terms, I will send certified payment in the amount of $XXX payable to [Collection Agency] in exchange to have all information related to this debt removed from all of my credit files.

If you accept this offer, you also agree not to discuss the offer with any third-party, excluding the original creditor. If you accept the offer, please prepare a letter on your company letterhead agreeing to the terms. This letter should be signed by an authorized agent of [Collection Agency]. The letter will be treated as a contract and subject to the laws of my state.

As granted by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, I have the right to dispute this alleged debt. If I do not receive your postmarked response within 15 days, I will withdraw the offer and request full verification of this debt.

Please forward your agreement to the address listed above.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Tips for Sending Your Pay for Delete Letter

  • Before you make a pay for delete offer on a debt collection, you can first send a debt validation letter. You have the right to have debt collectors send proof of your debt. A debt collector who cannot verify your debt with sufficient proof cannot collect from you and cannot list the debt on your credit report. However, if the debt collector does have and provides you with proof, collection activity can resume.
  • It may not be worth it to send a pay for delete letter for an old debt that’s either no longer listed on your credit report or one that will fall off your credit report in a couple of years or has passed the statute of limitations for your state. In this instance, it may be better to simply wait until the credit reporting time limit has expired and the item automatically falls off your credit report. At that point, the debt no longer impacts your credit score.
  • Send the pay for delete letter only if you can pay the amount you are offering as soon as the creditor or collector agrees to your offer. If accepted, the creditor or collector may request your payment within a certain time frame, often within a few business days of acceptance. Acceptance of your offer may be rescinded and collection actions will resume if you fail to make timely payment.
  • Send the letter and your followup payment via certified mail with return receipt requested. That way you have proof that the letter and your payment were mailed and received.
  • Make sure you keep a copy of the letter for your records or in case you want to try the strategy with a different creditor or collector.

What If the Pay for Delete Offer is Rejected

Wait and try again in three to four weeks.  If you already have a high enough credit score not to worry about the payment dropping your score, you could also pay the collection to zero it out.  It is not recommended that you do this unless you have talked to a very experience loan officer or credit repair company to ask them how paying the collection might lower your score.  You can email the person listed above and see if he can help you.

What if I have already damaged my credit.  How do I fix my credit?

Remember, if you get into trouble with your credit, you can Negotiate with your Creditors.  It just takes some time and patience and you can be on your way to having great credit again.

Sample Credit Dispute Letters

 

Sample Credit Dispute Letter sent to Credit Bureaus

Sample Credit Dispute Letter to send to Collectors and Individual Companies

Sample Debt Validation Letter

Sample Paid Account Dispute Letter

Examples of Dispute Letters

Make Sure Your Disputes Are Legitimate

Be sure you don’t do anything to make the credit bureaus think your credit report disputes are frivolous. Don’t dispute everything on your credit report and absolutely do not send all your disputes at once. If you dispute the same item more than once, you should give a different reason for each dispute, so the credit bureau doesn’t think you’re sending duplicates. The credit bureau has the right to deem your disputes frivolous and if that happens, the bureau also has the right to reject your dispute.