What should a pay-for-delete letter say?
Short answer
It should identify the account number and current holder, state a specific settlement amount, require deletion of the tradeline from all three bureaus rather than a 'paid' update, set a response deadline, and state clearly that no payment is sent until the collector accepts in writing.
Say 'delete the tradeline from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion' explicitly. A collector who only agrees to 'update the account' has promised you a paid collection, which is what would have happened anyway.
Never include payment with the offer letter and never give bank details up front. Pay only after a signed acceptance arrives, and pay by a traceable method — money order or cashier's check — so you keep proof.
Add a line stating the offer is not an acknowledgment of the debt and is made without prejudice to your rights under the FCRA and FDCPA. It does not remove the statute-of-limitations risk of payment, but it keeps your dispute rights intact.
The full practice area behind this answer
This question is one piece of pay-for-delete letters: do they still work? — the complete process, statute by statute, is in the guide.
Your next step · Step 3 of 3
Step 3 — Generate and mail the letter
Vindex drafts the statute-cited letter with your return address, then tracks the clock.