When do collection agencies report to credit bureaus?

This usually depends on the collection agency, but they can report you anywhere from 30 days to 6 months after you become delinquent. It's best not to give them the opportunity to report you. It’s best to keep a close eye on your credit report over the next two or three months. You can do this for free, right here on WalletHub! To start, go to /free-credit-score.  

Collection agencies begin reporting to the credit bureaus once they have taken the required steps to confirm the debt with the borrower, then continue to report monthly. Confirming the debt with the borrower can occur instantly or take up to several weeks.

Collection Agency Reporting Practices

• An account is usually sent to collections once it’s 90-120 days delinquent.
• The collection agency will attempt to confirm the debt. This can be done by speaking with you directly or by successfully delivering a written notice electronically or by mail. Once the agency has satisfied its obligation to contact you, it may report the account to the credit bureaus.
• You can dispute the debt by sending the collection agency a written notice within 30 days of their initial attempt to contact you. If the debt is in fact yours, the agency will respond with a validation letter within an additional 30 days.
• Collection agency debt can remain on your credit report for up to 7 years plus 180 days from the date the debt became delinquent. After that, the account falls off your credit report.
• As of July 2022, medical debt under $500 in collections will no longer be reported by the credit bureaus. Medical debt over $500 will be reported after one year. Once it’s paid, medical debt will be removed from your credit report entirely.

If your collection is old (over 1yr) - paying off your collection has unintended consequences. The scoring system will only see paid collection the day you pay it and this will dramatically reduce your credit score.. due to the DLA (date of last activity) changed to today and paid collection.. ouch .. you need negotiate b/4 you pay for the creditor to remove the line item completely from your credit or to not change the DLA when they report the paid collection..

this glitch is so bad ... FHA financing doesnt request you to pay off collection or charge offs (due to this issue with score dropping..)

hope this helps