How to dispute a late payment on your credit file

Spotted a late payment on your credit file that shouldn’t be there? That’s frustrating — especially when you know you paid on time. A single late payment marker can drag your score down for six years.

But here’s the good news: if the data is wrong, you have every right to challenge it. Under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (Section 159) and UK GDPR Article 16, credit reference agencies must investigate within 28 days and fix anything that’s inaccurate.

Straightforward processSuccess rate: Generally successful with strong evidence such as bank statements

Important

This guide is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Wollit does not provide credit repair or dispute services. If you’re struggling with debt, contact StepChange (0800 138 1111) or Citizens Advice for free help.

Key takeaways

Got a bank statement showing you paid on time? That’s your strongest weapon.
Contact the lender first — it’s often quicker than going through the CRA.
Each CRA must respond within 28 days, or explain the delay if they need more time.
If they reject your dispute, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman for free.
You cannot dispute a late payment just because it’s hurting your score — the data has to be wrong.

Can you actually get this removed?

You can dispute a late payment marker when the payment was genuinely made on time but the lender reported it incorrectly. Common causes include direct debit processing delays over weekends or bank holidays, lender system errors, or payments that crossed in the post.

There is no universal definition of “late” — each lender sets their own grace period before reporting to CRAs. Some report the day after the due date; others allow 14–30 days. What matters is whether the lender has reported a payment status of 1 or higher (1 = one month late) to the CRA.

You cannot dispute a late payment simply because it’s hurting your score. The data must be factually inaccurate.

What you’ll need to prove it

The strongest evidence is a bank statement showing the payment cleared on or before the due date. You should also gather the payment confirmation or receipt from the lender, the direct debit mandate showing the payment was set up correctly, and any correspondence from the lender showing the due date.

If the lender’s system was at fault, any communication from them acknowledging the error is particularly valuable.

Where to send your dispute

You need to check all three CRAs — the error may appear on one but not others.

Experian: Log in to your free Experian account and submit a dispute through the contact form. Postal address: Consumer Help Service, PO Box 9000, Nottingham, NG80 7WP. Phone: 0344 481 8000.

Equifax: Use the Online Help portal at help.equifax.co.uk/EquifaxOnlineHelp. Select “Errors on my Credit Report” then “Financial Account information”. Or dispute through ClearScore, which feeds into Equifax. Phone: 0800 014 2955.

TransUnion: Use the statutory report site at transunionstatreport.co.uk. Click “Something not right?” on the disputed item. Or dispute through Credit Karma. Phone: 0330 024 7574.

Here’s exactly what to do

Check all three CRAs (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) for the late payment marker.

Gather your evidence: bank statements showing payment dates, payment confirmations, direct debit mandates.

Contact the lender directly first — often quicker than the CRA route. Explain the error and provide your evidence.

If the lender won’t correct it, raise a formal dispute with each affected CRA.

The CRA contacts the lender, who has 21–28 days to respond.

If the lender agrees the data is wrong, they update it. If they disagree, you can add a Notice of Correction (up to 200 words) to your file.

Still not resolved? File a formal complaint with the lender. After 8 weeks (or if deadlocked), escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

How long will this take?

CRAs must respond within 28 days under the Consumer Credit Act. In practice, many disputes are resolved within 2–3 weeks.

Success rates are high when you have clear evidence such as bank statements showing on-time payment. Lenders do make errors, particularly with direct debit timing or payment processing delays.

Disputes are unlikely to succeed if you’re arguing “it was only a few days late” (even one day can be reported), if you simply forgot to pay, or if the payment was sent on the due date but didn’t clear until after.

What if they say no?

Don’t give up. You’ve got options:

Add a Notice of Correction

a 200-word statement explaining your side, visible to every lender who checks your file. All three CRAs must accept this (it’s a statutory right under Section 159).

Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)

completely free to use. The FOS can order the lender to correct the data and award you compensation (up to £445,000 from April 2025).

Complain to the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office)

if you believe the CRA isn’t following data protection law.

Evidence checklist

Bank statement showing payment cleared on or before the due date
Payment confirmation or receipt from the lender
Direct debit mandate showing correct setup
Correspondence from the lender showing the due date
Any lender communication acknowledging a system error

Sample dispute letter: late payment

[Your name] [Your address] [Date] Credit Dispute Department [CRA name and address] Dear Sir/Madam, RE: Dispute of inaccurate late payment marker Date of birth: [Your DOB] I am writing to formally dispute inaccurate information on my credit file under my right to rectification pursuant to Article 16 of the UK GDPR and Section 159 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. DISPUTED ENTRY: Account: [Lender name] Account number: [Last 4 digits] Disputed information: Late payment recorded for [month/year] REASON FOR DISPUTE: The payment was made on [date] before the due date of [date]. I have enclosed a bank statement confirming this. REQUESTED ACTION: Please remove the late payment marker for [month/year] from my credit file. Under the Consumer Credit Act, you are required to respond within 28 days. Yours faithfully, [Your name] Enclosures: – Bank statement showing payment cleared [date]

Dispute this with your CRA

Each agency has a different process. Pick yours for a step-by-step guide:

Experian

Experian-specific dispute process and evidence requirements

Equifax

Equifax-specific dispute process and evidence requirements

TransUnion

TransUnion-specific dispute process and evidence requirements

FAQs

How long does a late payment stay on your file?

Six years from the date it was recorded. The impact on your score lessens over time — the biggest effect is in the first two years.

I was only a few days late — can I get it removed?

Not through a dispute, no — if the payment was genuinely late, even by one day, the lender can report it. But here’s a tip: contact the lender and ask for a goodwill removal, especially if your payment history is otherwise clean. Some lenders will remove a one-off late marker as a gesture of goodwill.

Do I have to dispute with all three CRAs?

Check all three (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) — the error might appear on one, two, or all three depending on where the lender reports. You only need to dispute with the CRAs where the error actually shows up.

The lender says the late payment is accurate. Now what?

If you’ve got evidence they’re wrong, don’t stop. File a formal complaint with the lender (they have 8 weeks to respond). Then take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service — it’s free and they can order the lender to correct the data.

Does a late payment affect all three credit scores?

Only if the lender reports to all three CRAs. Some only report to one or two. That’s why it’s worth checking each report separately.

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