What if I don't know the Account Number or Reference Number?

Creditors identify accounts by the Original Creditor’s account number, their in house reference number or both.  You cannot send an offer letter with just your name and address as it is unlikely the creditor will be able to identify your account.  If you do not have either number and you want to submit an offer for settlement through Paydoff, you have a few options. 

Review old Statements/Collection Letters:  Before using any other options suggested here, you should review any old statements or collection letters you might have to see if you can find an account or reference number.  This is your best option. 

Use your Social Security Number:  Most creditors can identify your account with your Social Security number.  While using the account number or reference number is safer, you can use your Social Security number when sending a creditor an offer by mail.  In the account number field in Paydoff, you should type in your Social Security number like this:  ‘Soc Sec. #: xxx-xx-xxxx’ or ‘SS# xxx-xx-xxxx’  It’s important to identity that the number is your Social Security Number and not an account or reference number so the creditor can easily search for your account.

The only time when a Social Security number may not work is if you have more than one account with the same creditor.  When using just the Social Security number, the creditor will not be able to tell which account the offer is for.  You should use another option if you have more than one account with the same creditor. 

Call the Creditor: If you do not want to use your Social Security Number, your other option is to call the creditor to get the account and/or reference number.  It is likely that the collector you speak with will try to engage in your conversation about your account to get you to pay.  Keep the call simple , polite and to the point – you need your reference and/or account number and that is all you can speak about today. 

If none of these options work for you, you will have to wait until your receive correspondence from your creditor showing the account number and/or reference number before sending an offer letter.