How long do missed payments stay on a credit report?

Learn how long missed payments stay on a credit report, how to remove errors from your credit report, and how to improve your credit score after late payments

Written by Hayley Bevan and Victoria Smith

Published on May 13th, 2025

Last reviewed on May 13th, 2025

5 mins read

Understanding credit cards

Whether you’re applying for credit now or in the future, making payments on time and in full is a smart way to avoid the cost of bad credit.

But as simple as that may seem, it’s easier than you might think to miss a payment – especially when life gets in the way, or you’ve been hit with an unexpected bill.

If that sounds all too familiar, don’t worry. Here’s our guidance about missed payments, how long they stay on your credit score, and how to potentially remove them

What is a missed/late payment or 'delinquency'?

A missed payment is when you fail to make a payment during a billing cycle, which is typically 30 days. Alternatively, a late payment is when payment is made after your account’s official payment due date.

Should you carry a past-due balance which exceeds 30 days, lenders may inform credit reference agencies (CRAs) (such as Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) who might update your account to a delinquent status.

With each case, the delinquency is classified by the number of days a payment is past due (e.g. 30 days, 60 days, 90 days), and comes with a range of consequences such as penalties, an impacted credit score, and difficulty securing future credit.

Depending on your lender, you may be given a grace period of several days or weeks before it goes to a CRA. But even if that’s the case, you can still expect to incur a late fee for missing the payment deadline.

How long do missed or late payments stay on your credit report?

Missed or late payments can stay on your credit report for up to six years.

The reporting duration is also impacted by the severity of each unique case. Where one person might quickly settle a missed payment, others might have missed multiple deadlines, leading to a County Court Judgement.

But even with one-off cases, it’s important to note the smallest drop in your credit score could be the difference between getting credit or falling short of your lender’s cut-off point for approval.

That said, if your missed or late payment is a genuine mistake (and you keep up with all other future payments), you could see your credit score improve over time – making it easier to secure credit.

What’s also important to consider is that a credit score is calculated using multiple data points. So, if everything else on your report is above board, you might find it possible to get approved despite having a missed or late payment on your file.

In some cases, a missed payment can be removed from your credit report provided there’s a good reason for the delayed payment, or it’s an administrative mistake by the lender. In such scenarios, a CRA can investigate the matter on your behalf.

Even if a missed or late payment can’t be removed, it’s likely to have a reduced impact on your credit score as the report ages. While it may cause a drop in the first instance, scores can gradually improve over time provided you manage your account sensibly.

How long it takes to improve your credit score can range from a few months to several years, depending on your credit history, individual circumstances, and how well you manage your money.

If you want to check what’s impacting your credit score, it might be worth getting a copy of your credit report by contacting a CRA such as Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion.

How to avoid late payments & delinquencies

There are a few simple actions you can take to avoid late payments and delinquencies. In the first instance, you should put a budget in place to comfortably cover what you owe each month.

To know what to set aside, total up your committed monthly expenses from car payments and household bills to loan and credit card repayments.

Once you have a figure, you could keep the funds in a separate pot ready to pay off what you owe. That way, you’ll know what you have left at the end of each month to save, spend, or reach your financial goals.

If you want to avoid the possibility of a late payment, you could set up payment reminders, track bills using financial apps, set up a direct debit, or pay bills using your credit card. Whatever works best for you and your financial situation.

Individually, these tips may seem small. But you’d be surprised how small changes can become a big help with money worries, avoiding late payments, and staying on top of your finances.

How to fix bad credit to offset a late payment

Even if you make a late payment, it’s not too late to improve your credit score. A good starting point is to make regular payments on time and in full each month to show lenders you’re capable of managing your finances.

You could also aim to keep your credit utilisation low, preferably below 30%. The lower the percentage, the better the chance of improving your credit score and increasing your credit limit.

For more tips and guidance on how to offset a late payment, read our guide on how to fix bad credit.

Late payments can lower your credit score and stay on your credit report for up to six years, but that doesn’t mean things can’t improve.

With an Aqua credit card, you have the power to get your finances back on track – all with the support of Aqua Coach, our free credit-building tool designed to help Aqua customers get better at credit management.

Powered by TransUnion, Aqua Coach provides you with detailed information on your credit score, what factors have the biggest impact, and what areas you can improve on.

Representative 34.9% APR (variable) on Aqua Classic.

Failure to make payments on time or to stay within your credit limit means that you will pay additional charges and may make obtaining credit in the future more expensive and difficult.

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