Pay for delete letter: get the deal before you pay
You want a collection off your credit report, and you are willing to pay to get it removed. No law makes a collector agree. Without a written deal, the collection can stay on your report up to seven years. Look up your collector, build the letter, and call to have the deal checked before you send any money.
Have the deal checked
You are about to pay a collector in your state to remove a collection from your credit report. Without a written deal, that collection can stay on your report for up to seven years, even after you pay. Call our debt help line to have the deal checked before you send money.
Talk to a consumer lawyer about this debt
Call (844) 393-5856- You call during business hours and say which debt it is.
- You answer a few questions about the debt and any court date.
- You decide whether a consumer lawyer sees your details.
Calls go to our debt help line during business hours. The call costs you nothing, and you give up nothing by calling. Debt Collector Lookup matches people with consumer lawyers; we are not a law firm or a debt collector.
seven years
How long collections can stay.
So paying without a written deal can leave the entry on your report for years.
Get the deletion promise in writing before you pay anything.
45 days
Midland asks the bureaus to delete within 45 days of full payment.
So a paid Midland account can still show on your report for up to 45 days after you pay.
Check your reports again 45 days after you pay and save your payment record.
July 11, 2025
Medical debt rule voided.
So medical collections can still show on your credit report.
Ask for deletion in writing on a medical debt, just like any other collection.
Will paying remove the collection?
A collector reports the account to the credit bureaus. Most negative items can be reported for seven years, even after you pay. A pay for delete letter asks for removal in exchange for payment.
No law makes the collector say yes. Confirm the debt and the written terms first. Deletion does not remove the original creditor's own entry.
Which collectors say they will delete after you pay?
| Collector | Published policy |
|---|---|
| Midland Credit Management | Asks the bureaus to delete after paid or settled in full; up to 45 days (Midland's credit reporting policy page) |
| Portfolio Recovery Associates | No published policy found; ask for its terms in writing |
| LVNV Funding | No published policy found; ask for its terms in writing |
| Resurgent Capital Services | No published policy found; ask for its terms in writing |
| Jefferson Capital Systems | No published policy found; ask for its terms in writing |
| Credit Collection Services | No published policy found; ask for its terms in writing |
| Enhanced Recovery Company | No published policy found; ask for its terms in writing |
| Transworld Systems | No published policy found; ask for its terms in writing |
What should my letter say?
The 30 days in the letter is a term you propose, not a legal deadline. A payment can restart the time limit in some states, even with a line saying you do not admit the debt.
- Example: Ximena owes Midland $2,000 and offers $1,200, the letter above.
- Example: Cornelius owes $450 on a phone bill. He offers the full $450 for deletion.
- Example: Lorna got a yes by phone only. She asks for it in writing before she pays.
What do I check after I pay?
Check the written deal's reporting terms. Midland's policy gives up to 45 days. Keep the deal and your payment record in case you need to dispute the report later.
Not sure the debt is yours? Send a validation letter first. To pick an amount, use the settlement calculator.
What changed most recently?
On July 11, 2025, a federal court in Texas voided the CFPB rule that banned medical debt on credit reports. Medical collections can still be reported. Read the official notice.
Sources
- CFPB: how long items stay on a report (consumerfinance.gov).
- CFPB: how to settle with a collector (consumerfinance.gov).
- Berkeley Law: court voids the medical debt rule (consumerlaw.berkeley.edu).
- Midland credit reporting policy (midlandcredit.com), read on the company's own site.
Last checked October 2026.
What to do now
Your letter is a request, and a collector in your state can say no or change the terms. If you cannot call now, send the form with the collector's name and the amount. Keep a copy of your letter. Send the form and keep your letter with the collector's name.
Sending this costs nothing and commits you to nothing. We keep your answers with the collector's name, and you decide whether a consumer lawyer sees them. Debt Collector Lookup is not a law firm or a debt collector. The form does not schedule a call; to talk, call our debt help line during business hours.