CHECKDISPUTE | FREE PRACTICE CHECKLIST
Settled vs. Paid vs. Charged Off on a Credit Report

1. Record the account as printed: name, account number, report page and report date.
2. Write down the balance field and the status field separately — they answer different questions.
3. Pull the settlement letter or payoff correspondence; record what was agreed, the figure and the date.
4. Match the balance field against your payment record: copies of checks or statements, not originals.
5. Match the status field against the letter: does it reflect a settled-and-satisfied account?
6. Record the report's date of first delinquency and compare it with your records.
7. If the balance is not zero or the status was not updated, write one sentence naming the field, the reported value and your document's value.
8. Note what the letter proves — what was agreed and paid — and what it does not prove.

Practice: https://checkdispute.com/learn/practice/article-14/
Full guide: https://checkdispute-guides.blogspot.com/2026/09/settled-vs-paid-vs-charged-off-on.html
Sources checked: 2026-09-20

General education, not personalized legal advice. No credit or dispute outcome is promised. Disputing errors directly is free.