How many points does a late payment affect your credit score?
Andrew Campbell
Updated on January 26, 2026
According to FICO’s credit damage data, one recent late payment can cause as much as a 180-point drop on a FICO FICO, -2.21% score, depending on your credit history and the severity of the late payment.
Can I get a 30 day late payment removed from my credit report?
If you dispute the incorrect late payment with your creditor, they typically have 30 days to investigate. If the creditor stands by the reported late payment, it won’t remove or update the information. But if it agrees that the information is incorrect, the creditor has to tell the credit bureau to update or remove it.
What happens to your credit score after a 30 day late payment?
People with an average credit score of 670 could see their score drop down to around 520 or 530 after a 30-day late payment. That could be a possible drop of 150 points. Consumers with a score of 720 could see that score drop down to 580 or 590 after a 30-day late payment. That’s a possible drop of 140 points.
How does past due debt affect your credit score?
However, how past due payments may affect your credit score generally depends on how late the payment is, how recent the debt is, and your payment history for the individual loan and more generally. For example, a payment that is 60 days late has a greater negative impact on your score than a debt that is 30 days late.
What happens to my credit score if I miss a payment?
It’s important to keep in mind that past due payments remain on your credit report for up to seven years. If you missed a payment recently, meaning within the last one or two years, the effect on your score will be greater. It will continue to affect your score to a lesser and lesser degree as time goes on.
How to increase your credit score in 30 days?
Finally, we walk you through the steps to rapidly boost your credit score, virtually overnight! Keep in mind the steps you take will be instant, but the credit rating agencies may not officially update your credit score for at least 30 days. What is Your Credit Score? How do you Interpret your Credit Score?
