How Long Does a Delinquent Phone Bill Remain on a Credit Report?

How Long Does a Delinquent Phone Bill Remain on a Credit Report?
Written By
Mark Kennan
Mark Kennan
Dec 12, 2019
1 minute read

Though you might not think of it a debt, a delinquent phone bill can harm your credit score. However, like most other debt, it won't stay on your credit report forever. Instead, your ate payment says on your credit report for seven years. After that, it falls off your report and no longer affects your credit score.

Decreasing Significance

Though the delinquent bill stays on your credit report for seven years, the impact it has on your credit score goes down over time. For example, if you missed your payment last month, that will have a bigger negative impact on your credit score than if you missed the payment six years ago.

Sponsored
PocketSense Logo

PocketSense is the ultimate guide to managing your money, with expert information on how to decode your taxes, keep track of spending and stay financially responsible.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.