Borrowology

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Hardship letter to a credit card company

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This is a courtesy request for a hardship program, a reduced payment, or a pause. Send it to the creditor on your statement, not to a credit bureau. They can refuse. It is not a dispute, and it does not delete an accurate late. The longer note is what a hardship letter is. 


November 3, 2026



Re: Hardship request — this account

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to ask whether you will consider a hardship arrangement on this account, such as a reduced payment, a pause, or another program you offer. This is a request. You are not required to agree.

I am asking for a temporary hardship arrangement because my income has dropped.

This letter is not a Fair Credit Reporting Act dispute, and it is not a request to delete accurate information from a credit report.

Sincerely,

Before you send it

  • Send via USPS Certified Mail, Return Receipt.
  • Keep a copy of the letter. Do not send original account documents unless a lawyer told you to.
  • Use the collector’s current mailing address from the notice you received. Addresses move.
  • This letter is United States collection law. It is not a letter to Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion.
  • This is a courtesy request for a hardship program, a reduced payment, or a pause. The creditor can refuse.
  • It is not a Fair Credit Reporting Act dispute and not a promise that a late payment will be removed.
  • Send it to the creditor or servicer on your statement, not to Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion.
  • If a payment is already late and accurate, a goodwill letter is the courtesy for that reporting, not this letter.