“Pay for delete” is when you pay a debt collector and they erase a collection account from your credit reports.
Credit reports provide the information that goes into credit scores. So having negative information, such as a debt collection with an unpaid balance, could affect your ability to get new credit.
» Need to back up a bit? Credit score vs. credit report: What’s the difference?
How pay for delete works
Pay for delete starts with a call or a letter to the debt collector. You propose a deal: You’ll settle the debt, and the collector will wipe the account from your credit reports.
You might not need to pay the full amount. Debt collectors often buy debt for pennies on the dollar, so they might accept a smaller amount if it covers their costs.
That said, pay-for-delete agreements are rare. Creditors are required by law to provide accurate and complete information if they report to credit bureaus.
But a creditor — the collector in this case — can choose not to report information to the bureaus.
» MORE: How to deal with debt collectors
Is this even legal?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act doesn’t offer specific guidance on pay for delete. But, the practice isn’t totally aboveboard because the law is in place to ensure accurate reporting of consumer credit history.
If debt collectors choose to report information to credit reporting agencies, they have to provide accurate and complete information.
Not reporting info in exchange for payment is a gray area that undermines the principles behind the credit reporting system.
How long do collection accounts stay on your credit reports?
Most collection accounts stay on credit reports for up to seven years. If you pay off an account in collections, it will still appear on your credit reports as a paid collection.
A pay-for-delete deal applies only to the collection account. It won’t remove any negative information reported by the original creditor, such as late payments, which also linger for seven years.
“I have never seen the original creditor change their reporting as part of the negotiations,” Micheal McAuliffe, president and founder of Family Credit Management, a nonprofit credit counseling company, told NerdWallet in an email interview.
For third party collection agencies, you can always ask the question, he said. "But the most important thing is getting that account paid off anyway."
Why it's becoming outdated
Collections that are “settled” (meaning they show a zero balance) are not considered in your credit score. The latest FICO and VantageScore models now exclude paid collections from credit scores once the debt is closed out — whether paid in full or settled for less.
There’s a catch, though: When you apply for credit, the creditor might not use one of the newer scoring models. If a lender uses an older scoring model that doesn’t exclude paid collections, the collection account could still affect your score.
How to write a pay-for-delete letter
If you decide to try a pay-for-delete agreement, you’ll need to draft a letter that asks the collection agency to remove the debt from your account in exchange for payment.
Before writing the letter, it’s important to be sure the debt is yours.
Under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, debt collectors must provide you proof, often in the form of a debt validation letter. Make sure you receive one before paying anything.
Sample pay-for-delete letter
We used AI to draft a template letter. If you decide to try pay for delete, you can use this to get started:
Your name
Your address
Your contact information
Date
Collection agency name
Collection agency address
Re: Settlement Offer for Account [Your account number]
To whom it may concern:
I am writing about the collection account listed above, which currently shows a balance owed of [amount owed].
I am writing to propose a settlement. I am willing to pay [proposed settlement amount] to fully resolve this account.
In exchange for this payment, I require your agreement to remove all references to this account from my credit reports at all credit reporting agencies, and to cease reporting this account to them entirely.
If you accept these conditions, please provide written confirmation of this agreement. Once I receive your written commitment to these terms, I will immediately send the agreed-upon payment.
Please respond to this offer by [deadline for a response, e.g., 14 days from date].
Thank you for your time,
Your printed name
Keep a copy of the letter, and ask for written confirmation of the agreed-upon plan.
Other options for paying a debt in collections
Because of the legal gray area, there is a good chance that a pay-for-delete deal will not change your credit report or score.
However, you have other options for paying off a debt in collections, including creating a payment plan, paying it off in a lump sum, or settling the debt for less than you owe.
You could also simply wait for the account to fall off your credit reports after seven years.
» Learn more: How to read a credit report
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