The date of last payment is the most recent date a payment was made on an account. It is not the date that controls how long negative items stay on your credit report; that is the date of first delinquency. Mixing up the two is a common reporting error.
Also called: last payment date, DLP, last payment, date last paid, recent payment date
What it means
Many credit reports show when you last paid on an account. On an account in good standing, that is simply your latest payment. On a delinquent account or a collection, it may be months or years after you first fell behind, because people often make partial payments while behind.
Why it is not the “seven-year” date
The time limit for collections and charge-offs runs from the date of first delinquency, not your last payment. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(c), the seven-year period starts 180 days after the delinquency that led to the collection or charge-off began.
The FTC’s 2011 staff report is clear on this. A later payment that does not bring the account current does not change the start of the delinquency. Furnishers may not swap in a later date, such as the due date of the last installment paid, for the real delinquency date. Experian likewise says the date of first delinquency stays the same even after a payment.
Statute of limitations is a separate clock
A debt collector’s right to sue is governed by state statutes of limitations, which are different from credit reporting time limits. The CFPB notes that in some states the lawsuit clock runs from the most recent payment, and that a partial payment or acknowledging an old debt may restart it. A payment can affect whether you can be sued, but it should not extend how long the debt appears on your credit report.
Common errors
- A payment date that is wrong or missing, making it look like you stopped paying earlier or later than you did.
- A collector using the last payment date, or the date it bought the debt, as the delinquency date. That is a form of re-aging.
- A payment you made that never shows up, while the past-due amount stays the same.
How to dispute it
Pull bank records or receipts that show the payment and its date. Dispute the wrong date with each bureau in writing, and point out if the delinquency date appears to be based on a later payment.
When it can be an FCRA violation
Furnishers must correct information they learn is inaccurate and investigate disputes (§ 1681s-2), and bureaus must use reasonable procedures for maximum possible accuracy (§ 1681e(b)). A wrong payment date that makes a debt look newer, or that hides payments you made, can support a claim if it survives a dispute.
If a payment or delinquency date error isn’t fixed after you dispute it, FCRA Attorneys offers a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.
Related
- Date of first delinquency
- Re-aging
- Collection account
- Debt buyer
- Past-due amount
- Date reported / date of account information
- Credit report time limit calculator
- How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
- How to Write a Credit Report Dispute Letter That Gets Investigated
Sources
- FTC staff report, 40 Years of Experience with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (2011)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, requirements relating to information in consumer reports (Cornell LII)
- CFPB, Can debt collectors collect a debt that's several years old?
- Experian, What Is Account Re-Aging?
Updated November 2026. This glossary is written by FCRA Attorneys from public sources. It is general information, not legal advice, and is not affiliated with any credit bureau or industry association.