The payment history grid is the month-by-month record on each account showing whether you paid on time or were 30, 60, 90 or more days late. The payment rating is a related furnisher code describing how delinquent the account is.
Also called: payment history profile, payment grid, 24-month payment history, payment pattern, payment rating
What it means
Most credit reports show a grid of months for each account, with a mark for each month: on time, 30 days late, 60 days late and so on. That grid is the payment history. The Third Circuit in Seamans v. Temple University described it as the record that “documents the debtor’s month-by-month payment record.”
The payment rating is a related field that also describes how far behind an account is. The CFPB’s list of dispute reasons used by the bureaus names it alongside the account status and the payment history profile, and all three should tell the same story.
Where it comes from
According to the CFPB, the main record a furnisher sends for each account “contains up to 24 months of the consumer’s payment history on the account.” Each month, the furnisher reports the newest month and the bureaus build a longer history over time. Lenders look closely at this history, so a single wrong late mark can hurt.
Common errors
- Late marks for months you paid on time, often after a payment was misapplied or not posted, which the CFPB lists among common furnisher errors.
- Late marks during a forbearance, deferment or loan modification that should have kept the account current.
- Retroactive late marks. In Seamans, after a borrower paid off a student loan that had been in default since 1992, the school reported him as more than 180 days late for at least 24 months. He disputed it as retroactive reporting.
- History that doesn’t match the status, such as a “paid as agreed” status next to months of late payments.
- Late marks on an account that isn’t yours.
How to dispute it
List each month you believe is wrong and attach proof: bank statements, payment confirmations, the forbearance or modification agreement, or letters from the creditor. Send the dispute to each bureau showing the error. The CFPB’s list of e-OSCAR dispute codes includes one for the “payment history profile” and “payment rating.”
When it can be an FCRA violation
A furnisher may not report information it knows or has reasonable cause to believe is inaccurate, and must investigate disputes it receives through a bureau (15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2). A late payment that was not actually late, or that is reported in a misleading way, is the kind of error the law covers. A payment that really was late can generally be reported.
If a late payment you didn’t make is still on your report after you dispute it, request a free case review; there is no fee unless we win.
Related
- Account status code
- Late payment (30, 60, 90 days)
- Date of first delinquency
- Re-aging
- Metro 2 format
- Charge-off
- How to Remove a Late Payment From Your Credit Report, and When You Can't
- How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
- Dispute letter builder
Sources
- CFPB, Key Dimensions and Processes in the U.S. Credit Reporting System (Dec. 2012)
- Seamans v. Temple University, No. 12-4298 (3d Cir. Feb. 21, 2014)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2 (duties of furnishers), Cornell LII
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.