How do I remove paid collections from my credit report?

You cannot remove paid collections from your credit report. Collection accounts, whether paid or unpaid, will remain on your credit report for seven years, starting from the date your delinquency is reported to the credit bureaus. After seven years have passed, the collection will fall off your credit report automatically.

Some companies will try to convince you to pay extra for the removal of paid collections from your credit report. But this practice (known as pay-for-delete) is usually unsuccessful and can cost you a lot of money, so it’s best to simply wait for the collection account to be removed from your credit report normally. You could also ask the collection agency for a goodwill adjustment (where they would remove the paid collection from your credit report), but the collection agency has no obligation to accept such a request.

While seven years may seem like a long time to wait for something to fall off your credit report, you don’t have to wait until then to start working on your credit score. In fact, you can start right away. Log into your fee WalletHub account and check out the Credit Analysis page for customized advice to improve your credit standing.