A goodwill letter is a polite written request asking a creditor to remove a late payment from your credit report as a courtesy. It works more often than people think — here's how to write one that actually gets results.
A goodwill letter is a written appeal to a creditor asking them to remove a late payment notation from your credit report as an act of goodwill — not because they're legally required to, but because you're asking them nicely and they have the power to do it.
Unlike a dispute (which challenges inaccurate information), a goodwill letter acknowledges that the late payment was real and asks the creditor to remove it anyway as a courtesy. This approach works because creditors are allowed to remove accurate late payments if they choose — there's no law preventing them from doing so.
Goodwill letters work best when: the late payment was a one-time event, you have an otherwise strong payment history with that creditor, the account is now current and in good standing, and you have a genuine reason for the late payment (medical emergency, job loss, etc.). The more of these factors apply, the higher your success rate.
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP]
[Date]
Customer Relations Department
[Creditor Name]
[Creditor Address]
RE: Goodwill Request — Account # [Account Number]
Dear Customer Relations Team,
I am writing to respectfully request that you consider removing a late payment notation from my credit report as a gesture of goodwill. I have been a customer of [Creditor Name] since [Year] and have valued our relationship throughout that time.
On [Date of late payment], my payment was late due to [brief, honest explanation — e.g., "an unexpected medical emergency that required hospitalization," "a temporary job loss," "a serious family emergency"]. This was an isolated incident and not representative of how I manage my financial obligations. Before and after this event, I have consistently made all payments on time.
I have since [describe corrective action — "brought the account fully current," "paid off the balance," "set up automatic payments to prevent any future issues"] and am committed to maintaining a strong payment record going forward.
I understand that you are not legally obligated to honor this request, and I genuinely appreciate your time in considering it. Removing this late notation would be enormously helpful to my credit profile and would mean a great deal to me as I work to improve my financial standing.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to reach me at [Your Phone Number] or [Your Email Address].
Thank you sincerely for your consideration.
With appreciation,
[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]
Account Number: [Account Number]
| Creditor Type | Goodwill Success Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Credit unions | High | Member-owned, often more flexible and human |
| Small community banks | High | Local relationships matter more |
| Store credit cards (smaller issuers) | Medium | Varies by issuer policy |
| Capital One | Medium | Has removed lates for long-standing customers |
| Discover | Medium | Known for good customer service consideration |
| Large national banks (Chase, BofA, Wells) | Low-Medium | Strict policies but not impossible |
| Collection agencies | Very Low | Use pay-for-delete instead for collections |
| Student loan servicers | Low | Federal servicers have strict rules |
If you have multiple late payments on the same account, start by requesting removal of just one — the oldest or least severe one. If that works, follow up for the others. Asking for one at a time is less intimidating to creditors than asking for a complete history wipe and is more likely to succeed.