How to Dispute a Late Payment on a Credit Report

Your credit report contains information about your financial history and how you've paid your bills. Credit bureaus use your credit report to calculate your credit score, which is then used by lenders to determine whether or not to issue you a loan or line of credit. If you find something on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate, you can dispute that information with both the credit bureau reporting the information and the creditor reporting the late payment.

Instructions

1

Gather any evidence you have to prove that the payment was made on time such as bank statements, payment confirmation emails or receipts.

2

Make copies of the evidence to send to the credit bureau (or bureaus) reporting the error and the creditor claiming the late payment. The three major credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If the error appears on more than one credit report, you should dispute the error on all three reports. Never send original copies, according to the Fair Trade Commission.

3

Write a letter clearly stating what you are disputing and why you dispute the information. Specifically state that you are disputing "the late payment on my Chase Visa from February 2008, account number 1234567890123456," rather than "the late payment on my credit report." You should also include a copy of your credit report with the disputed information highlighted or circled. See resources for a sample letter.

4

Mail your dispute to the credit bureaus reporting the late payment. All three major credit bureaus also allow you to dispute information online. To find the address for your creditor, use the number on the back of your card to contact customer service to request the address. Bureaus must look into your claim within a month and report their findings to you. If your claim is found to be correct, the information will be removed from your credit report.