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A lot of people are using “goodwill letters” to try to get bad things taken off of their credit reports. You write to a creditor or collection agency and ask them to remove a legitimate but negative mark as an act of goodwill. These letters are also called goodwill deletion letters or goodwill adjustment letters.
But do these letters actually work in 2021? Let’s take a closer look.
What is a Goodwill Letter?
You can send a creditor or collection agency a “goodwill letter” if you want them to remove a negative item from your credit report as a sign of goodwill. This letter could look like this:
- A late payment
- A charge-off
- An account sent to collections
You acknowledge the mark is legitimate but explain your circumstances and politely ask for it to be removed anyway The hope is that the creditor will contact the three major credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion – and ask for the negative mark to be deleted This could help boost your credit scores.
Disputes, in which you say something on your credit report is false, are not the same as goodwill letters. With goodwill letters, you’re not claiming an error occurred.
When Are Goodwill Letters Effective?
Goodwill letter success varies widely. Creditors are under no obligation to honor these requests or even respond to them. However, goodwill adjustments do sometimes happen.
According to credit experts, you may have better luck if:
- It’s your first late payment or negative mark with that creditor
- You have an otherwise strong credit history
- You missed the payment due to an unusual hardship like medical bills or job loss
- You promptly bring the account current after the missed payment
But if you’ve missed payments or maxed out your credit cards in the past, lenders are less likely to make a goodwill adjustment.
How to Write a Goodwill Letter
Here are some tips for writing an effective goodwill letter:
- Be polite and gracious. Don’t make demands or accuse the creditor of wrongdoing.
- Take responsibility. Own up to the late payment and explain how you plan to avoid this in the future.
- Provide context. Briefly explain the circumstances that led to the late payment, like a job loss or family emergency.
- Limit to one page. Get straight to the point.
- Include key details. Provide your name, account number, contact info, and specifics of the negative mark.
- Make a specific request. Ask for a “goodwill adjustment” to remove the negative item.
- Follow up. If you don’t receive a response within 30 days, follow up with a phone call or another letter.
What About Pay for Delete?
Some creditors may agree to remove negative marks in exchange for payment, known as pay for delete. However, this isn’t too common and creditors are not obligated to do this. Proceed with caution if offered pay for delete, as paying collections accounts can reset the 7-year reporting period.
Recent Goodwill Letter Success Stories
While goodwill adjustments are never guaranteed, some recent online forums detail success stories of getting late payments removed with a goodwill letter, including:
- A Discover card user had a 90-day late payment deleted after explaining financial hardship.
- An American Express customer had a 60-day late payment removed after writing a letter taking full responsibility.
- A Citibank client had a 30-day late mark deleted after bringing their account current and sending a polite letter.
Alternatives If Goodwill Letters Don’t Work
If a goodwill letter doesn’t result in removal of a negative mark, here are some other options:
- Dispute errors. Submit disputes to the credit bureaus if you notice any factual inaccuracies on your reports.
- Negotiate with creditors. Try to negotiate pay for delete or other resolution directly with the creditor.
- Enlist help. Hire a credit repair company or contact a non-profit credit counseling agency for assistance.
- Improve credit. Pay all current debts on time and lower credit utilization to offset negative marks.
- Wait it out. Most negative marks fall off your credit reports after 7 years.
The Bottom Line
While goodwill letters are never guaranteed to work, they can be worth trying if you have a legitimate explanation for the negative mark. Be polite, take responsibility, provide context, and follow up. Recent anecdotes show some success stories, but results vary widely. If the goodwill request fails, either wait out the 7-year reporting period or take other steps to strengthen your credit.
7 Tips for writing an effective goodwill letter
A goodwill letter should provide the details of what occurred and accept responsibility for the mistake. Emphasizing the value you place on managing credit responsibly and the relationship with the lender will help strengthen your case, along with the following tips:
- Be polite: Since you’re basically pleading with the lender to help you out, your letter should be formal and polite.
- Don’t give too much information; the lender doesn’t need or want very personal details about all the events that led to the problem. Just list the facts and dates, and back them up with any proof that makes sense.
- Accept responsibility: If you admit you made a mistake, the lender may be more likely to consider your request than if you complain or try to explain how someone else might have caused the problem.
- Lenders want to know that this will only happen once, so explain why it won’t happen again. Maybe showing off a new raise, bonus, or tax refund can help show that your money is better now. If it was because of carelessness, show the lender a history of on-time payments.
- Make your request clear: Tell the lender what you want them to do, whether it’s to erase a late payment from your credit report, not charge you a late fee, or be more forgiving in some other way.
- Include proof: If you have it, include proof of your situation and how it’s better with the letter.
- Tell the lender how much you value doing business with them. For example, if you’ve been a customer for years, always paid on time, and have other accounts with them, let them know. Lenders are generally happy to accommodate a loyal customer.
Reasons lenders may be willing to consider
- Changes to your bank account payments: If you switched banks or had to close an account because of fraud, be ready to show proof of the account change or fraud correspondence.
- Unexpected financial trouble, like a big bill for auto repairs or a medical deductible that temporarily drained your savings
- A family medical emergency: If you or a family member had to stay in the hospital for a long time because of an emergency,
- Getting your address wrong: This is only likely to be true if you only get paper bills in the mail.
- Proof you never paid late: If it’s clear that you paid on time, the lender may be able to erase the late payment. For example, canceled checks or a bank statement can help.
Goodwill Letters: Do They Work? // Delta Credit Tip
FAQ
Do goodwill letters work?
In fact, the FTC says that real negative marks will only go away with time. Numerous anecdotes in online forums indicate that goodwill letters sometimes work — but since it’s not an official or legal complaint process like a dispute, creditors aren’t required to consider your request or respond to you.
Can a goodwill letter save you money?
The creditor or collection agency may ask the credit bureaus to remove the negative mark. If the bureaus agree to do so, it could save you years of credit difficulties. Take note: A goodwill letter is different from a dispute.
When should you write a goodwill letter?
If you have a good track record of on-time payments and an overall strong credit history, here are some situations when it makes sense to try a goodwill letter. You missed a payment because of a financial hardship, like the loss of a job or a divorce.
Does Capital One accept a goodwill letter?
Banks tend to ignore form letters these days Capital One approved my goodwill letter last month. Go for it. I know this is late, but some companies need a letter to make goodwill adjustments, while others will take a request over the phone.
Can a goodwill letter get a late payment removed?
Sometimes, polite persistence wins the day. Tags: credit cards, credit scores, credit reports If you have otherwise stellar credit, a goodwill letter might get a late payment removed from your credit report.
Should you write a goodwill letter to a creditor?
One strategy to get back on track with your credit is to write a goodwill letter to a creditor. Let’s take a close look at goodwill letters and when it’s appropriate to try it. Up ahead: What is a goodwill letter? How to write a goodwill letter. Goodwill letter template. Do goodwill letters work? What Is a Goodwill Letter?.
Do goodwill adjustments work?
There’s no guarantee that a goodwill letter will work, and there’s no officially approved formula to follow in order to give yourself the best chance of success. Remember that creditors aren’t required to look at your request, so you might not hear back from them at all.
How successful are goodwill letters?
If a creditor accepts your goodwill letter, it can help you improve your credit score. But the majority of goodwill letters are unsuccessful. This is especially true if you have a payment history with late or missed payments.
Does writing a goodwill letter work?
But some consumers have reported success when they’ve sent a goodwill letter. It should be noted that goodwill letters are most successful when the financial mistake is rare. In other words, the lender is more likely to forgive and erase one missed payment out of hundreds rather than many missed payments.
Do creditors respond to goodwill letters?
Lenders aren’t required to reply to a goodwill letter or may have policies against doing so.Apr 21, 2025