How do I pay something that is in collections?
William Jenkins
Updated on February 19, 2026
Once you and the debt collector have reached a written agreement for paying off the debt, you’ll make your payment. The most secure way to make a payment to a debt collection agency is by sending a check through the mail with a return receipt. This will prove that the check was accepted by the collection agency.
How do I get paid collections off my credit report?
If the collection or debt on your credit report isn’t yours, don’t pay it. Ask the credit bureau to remove it from your credit report using a dispute letter. If a collector keeps a debt on your credit report longer than seven years, you can dispute the debt and request it be removed.
When do you have collections on your credit report?
Collections on Your Credit Report. When an account becomes seriously past due, the creditor may decide to turn the account over to an internal collection department or to sell the debt to a collection agency. Once an account is sold to a collection agency, the collection account can then be reported as a separate account on your credit report.
What happens when a collection agency deletes your credit report?
When one collection agency can’t get a payment on a debt, they may choose to sell the debt to another collection agency to try and collect. At this point the creditor listed on your credit report no longer has your account information so you can dispute it and may have luck having it deleted.
How does a collection account affect your credit?
Once an account is sold to a collection agency, the collection account can then be reported as a separate account on your credit report. Collection accounts have a significant negative impact on your credit scores.
Can a collector call about debt that is not on my credit report?
Some accounts go to “pre-collections” when they’re only one or two months past due. During this period, you may get calls or letters about the debt even though it’s not on your credit report yet. The debt is on another credit report. You have credit reports with three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
