What is a good reason for late payments on credit report?

Asked by: Dr. Arvid Leffler I  |  Last update: February 18, 2025
Score: 4.3/5 (71 votes)

A “good” excuse is one that's genuine and communicates your need effectively. This could be an unexpected financial hardship like medical bills, car repairs, or sudden unemployment.

What are acceptable reasons for late payments on a credit report?

Financial Hardship

Job loss or medical emergencies can make it difficult to stay on top of your payments. If you find yourself in one of these situations, reach out to your creditors as soon as possible.

How can I get late payments removed from my credit report?

There are several steps you can take to try to identify and remove inaccurate late payments from your credit reports.
  1. Review Your Credit Reports. ...
  2. See if the Late Payments Are Reported Accurately. ...
  3. Contact Your Creditor to File a Dispute. ...
  4. Dispute Inaccurate Information With the Credit Bureaus.

How to ask for late payment forgiveness?

Missed a Payment? Try Writing a Goodwill Letter to Remove It From Credit Reports. A goodwill letter explains why you had a late payment and asks the creditor to take it off your credit reports.

How do I apologize for a late payment?

Firstly, apologies for the delay and assure them that the payment will be or had been made. Make sure you put in your reasons and explain them well. Whether it is because of delayed payments from customers or due to a delay in the payment process, just put it out there and request some time to get it across.

Acceptable reason for late payments (on Credit Report)

25 related questions found

What is a good explanation for late payments?

When explaining a delay in payment, honesty and transparency are key. Begin by acknowledging the missed deadline and express your commitment to resolving the situation. Clearly state the reason for the delay, whether it's a financial discrepancy, processing error, or unforeseen circumstances.

How do you professionally explain a delay?

How to write an email to explain a delay
  1. Start by explaining there's a delay. ...
  2. Apologize for the delay and any inconvenience the delay may cause.
  3. Take ownership of the situation. ...
  4. Be transparent about problems. ...
  5. Set out timelines for solutions and ensure you can stick to them.

How do I write a letter of explanation for late payments?

5 tips for a good letter of explanation
  1. Keep it short and to the point. The mortgage underwriter is looking for clarification on a specific issue, so stick to that topic. ...
  2. Emphasize the circumstances that led to the issue. ...
  3. Explain how your finances have improved. ...
  4. Proofread your letter. ...
  5. Be nice.

How do you convince a creditor to remove late payments?

Ask the lender to remove it with a goodwill letter

In some cases, creditors are willing to make a goodwill adjustment if your payment history has been good or if you have a good relationship with them. The process is easy: simply write a letter to your creditor explaining why you paid late.

How do I professionally ask for a late payment?

Further to my previous correspondence, I am contacting you regarding late payment for invoice [Invoice Number]. The invoice was due on [Due Date], and payment is now overdue by [Number of Days Overdue]. Be advised that late payment interest may be applied if we do not receive payment within 30 days.

What is a goodwill letter for late payments?

A goodwill letter is a formal request to a creditor asking them to remove a negative mark, like a late payment, from your credit report. Goodwill letters are most effective when the late payment was an isolated incident caused by unforeseen circumstances, such as a financial hardship or medical emergency.

Can your credit recover from late payments?

Although late payments may remain on your credit reports for seven years, they generally have less influence on your credit scores as time passes, especially if it's a one-time mistake.

Is credit karma accurate?

Overall, Credit Karma may produce a different result than one or more of the three major credit bureaus directly. The slight differences in calculations between FICO and VantageScore can lead to significant variances in credit scores, making Credit Karma less accurate than most may appreciate.

How do you justify late payments?

Common Late Payment Excuses: What They Mean & How To Solve Them
  1. "We Haven't Received the Invoice" ...
  2. "The Company Information Isn't Correct" ...
  3. "Our System is Down" ...
  4. "The Person Authorizing Payments is OOO" ...
  5. "We Already Paid the Invoice" ...
  6. "The Goods or Services Weren't Delivered" ...
  7. "We've Been Having Issues With Your System"

How do I remove late payments from my credit report?

If you find an incorrect or old late-payment one of your credit reports, you can file a dispute with the credit bureau that issues the report. You can also dispute the mistake with the creditor that sent the information to the bureau, such as the lender, credit card issuer or collections agency.

Can you have a 700 credit score with late payments?

It may also characterize a longer credit history with a few mistakes along the way, such as occasional late or missed payments, or a tendency toward relatively high credit usage rates. Late payments (past due 30 days) appear in the credit reports of 33% of people with FICO® Scores of 700.

What is a 609 letter to remove late payments?

What is a 609 letter? A 609 letter is a way to request ​​is a way to verify the accuracy of the accounts listed on your credit report. While they're sometimes called 609 dispute letters or credit dispute letters, a 609 letter isn't actually a dispute. It's a request for a copy of the information in your credit file.

What is a good faith letter?

This letter is often called a good faith letter. And it is needed under many courts' rules before you can file a motion to compel discovery if the other party ignores your requests or provides evasive responses or move for sanctions if your opponent refuses to comply with the court's discovery order.

How to ask for late payment forgiveness template?

I'm writing because I noticed your company reported a late payment in [Date of late payment] on my credit reports. I am requesting a goodwill adjustment to remove this late payment from my TransUnion, Experian and Equifax credit reports. Upon review of my records, I realize that I did indeed miss the payment deadline.

How do I ask for late payment forgiveness?

Here are two of your most viable options to remove late payments from your credit report:
  1. Call Your Credit Card Issuer and Ask Them to Take the Late Payments Off Your Credit Report. ...
  2. Write a Goodwill Letter to the Creditor Explaining Why You Haven't Made Timely Payments.

How do you politely apologize for late payments?

I understand that my late payment has already attracted some penalties and charges, and I would wish to request you to waive these charges on account of the above issues. Kindly forgive me for this, and I promise that it shall never happen again.

How to write a letter to credit bureau to remove late payments?

How to write a goodwill letter
  1. Offer an apology and be as sincere as possible.
  2. Express your gratitude to the creditor for the services they have provided you.
  3. Make sure that you include the reason why you missed the payment.
  4. State your case as eloquently as possible.

What is a good sentence for delay?

Verb The doctor wants to delay surgery for a few weeks. She's planning to delay her retirement. He delayed too long, and now it's too late. “Don't delay!

How to justify delay?

I apologize for the delay. Due to [reason for the project delay], this project has been delayed by [length of the delay]. To address these unforeseen circumstances, I have [action taken to move the project forward]. The new estimated project completion date is [date].

What are the top two reasons people miss credit card payments?

We're going to debunk the 5 most common excuses for missing payments and tell you how to overcome them.
  • Excuse #1: I don't have enough money to pay all my bills. ...
  • Excuse #2: I'm too busy to remember when they're due. ...
  • Excuse #3: I can't find the bill. ...
  • Excuse #4: I have so many bills, I can't keep track.