Accredited Debt Relief Review

Our take on Accredited Debt Relief

Accredited Debt Relief (ADR) is a debt relief/debt settlement company with a strong reputation for customer service. The company claims it can reduce your monthly payments on eligible debts by 40% or more. However, fees can be high and debt settlement can seriously damage your credit. It's also important to remember that results aren't guaranteed.

ADR also offers debt consolidation loans through its partners, although the company positions debt settlement as the more affordable option. While that may be true for some, we think it’s important to be transparent about debt settlement’s risks so that enrollees aren’t surprised or disappointed by the process.

How does Accredited Debt Relief work?

Accredited Debt Relief offers debt relief options, which include debt settlement (its core product) and debt consolidation loans through its affiliates. Here’s how the process works:

1. Free consultation

Speak with an IAPDA-certified debt specialist to get an explanation of your options and an estimate of potential savings. Take this opportunity to clarify the recommended program’s cost, when payment is due, how long you’ll need to be enrolled, and what’s required of you to participate.

2. Choose your debt option

The company may recommend debt settlement, a debt consolidation loan, or both. 

1. Debt settlement (a.k.a. “debt relief”): Best for people with bad credit and overwhelming debt balances, the debt settlement program is designed to reduce what you owe. You make monthly payments into a dedicated account, which Accredited Debt Relief uses to negotiate your debts. The company claims its customers typically get out of debt in 2 to 4 years, but it charges high fees. Importantly, debt settlement can severely damage your credit or result in legal action against you.
2. Debt consolidation loan: Best for people with good or fair credit who can qualify for a personal loan. A debt consolidation loan is a personal loan that you use to pay off existing high-interest debts. Ideally, the interest rate and monthly payment are lower than what you pay now. 

3. Make payments

Whether you choose to settle your debt or can qualify for a debt settlement loan, you’ll start making monthly payments. However, they’re structured a little differently:

• Debt settlement: You’ll open a dedicated account with a third-party provider, into which you’ll deposit a monthly payment that Accredited Debt Relief will use to settle your debt. You’ll also stop making payments to the creditors whose debt you’ve enrolled.
• Debt consolidation: Once you’ve accepted the loan and used it to pay off your debts, you’ll start making payments on the new loan for the duration of its term.

4. Wait for settlement offers (debt settlement only)

It could take Accredited Debt Relief 24 to 48 months, or longer, to successfully settle your debts — but settlement is not guaranteed. During that time you’ll continue to make monthly deposits. If you receive and accept a settlement offer, Accredited Debt Relief will pay out the settlement from your deposit account along with its fee (15% to 25% of the settled amount). There’s no charge if you choose not to accept a settlement offer. 

Who and what is Accredited Debt Relief best for?

• You’re receiving collection calls: If you’ve missed multiple payments and are being hounded by collectors, you could be a prime candidate for debt settlement. Your credit is already suffering and your creditors know they’re less likely to receive full payment from you — which makes debt settlement more likely to succeed. In this case, however, a debt consolidation loan is probably off the table.
• Best for customer service: Accredited Debt Relief is one of the most highly regarded debt settlement companies when it comes to customer service should you decide to go that route. The company has a 4.8 out of 5-star rating on Trustpilot, with customers praising the knowledgeable support staff and low-stress process. 

Who is Accredited Debt Relief not best for?

• You have less than $5,000 in debt: Accredited Debt Relief is best for people with at least $5,000 in unsecured debt. If you have less, try to negotiate a payment plan directly with your creditors. 
• You have good or excellent credit: If you have good, very good, or excellent credit, you are not a good candidate for debt settlement. You may qualify for a low rate on a personal loan or a balance transfer credit card. Consider these options first, since they’re less likely to damage your credit. 
• You have mostly medical debt and a low income: If you have mostly medical debt, don’t rush into a debt relief program, especially if you have a low income. You have a year to repay medical debt before it appears on your credit report, and balances under $500 don't appear on your credit report (even after a year). Ask your hospital or healthcare provider about charity care or interest-free payment plans, check if you qualify for Medicaid, or negotiate your bills directly or through a service like Goodbill before turning to debt relief. 
• You have mostly secured debt: Secured debt doesn’t typically qualify for debt settlement or an unsecured debt consolidation loan. 
• You can’t afford monthly payments: If your financial hardship is severe enough that you can’t afford any debt repayment, you won’t be successful in a debt settlement program. Debt settlement companies require regular monthly payments into a dedicated account, plus payment of monthly account maintenance fees to remain enrolled. 

Pros and cons

Details on the pros

• IAPDA-certified debt specialists: When you call Accredited Debt Relief, you’ll speak with someone certified by the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA), a nonprofit debt relief education organization. 
• Excellent customer service reviews: Accredited Debt Relief receives high marks on Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and Google. 
• They offer an alternative to debt settlement: If you’re not a good candidate for debt settlement, Accredited Debt Relief offers debt consolidation loan options through its partner lenders. 
• Free financial wellness resources: Accredited Debt Relief offers free financial wellness resources and tools to help you stay on track with debt repayment, including workshops led by experts. 

Details on the cons

• High fees: Accredited Debt Relief takes a 15-25% cut of your enrolled debt when a successful settlement is reached. You’ll also pay account setup and maintenance fees. This is not atypical for debt settlement companies. 
• May cause your credit score to drop: Your credit score will likely decline during the program as your accounts become delinquent. This is a feature of all debt settlement programs and companies. 
• May result in collections calls or lawsuits: Your creditors may step up collection attempts or take legal action against you while you wait for Accredited Debt Relief to negotiate on your behalf. This is a feature of all debt settlement programs and companies.
• Some debt types are ineligible: Secured debts, including home equity loans, auto loans, and high-interest title loans, aren’t eligible for enrollment in the debt relief program. The company also doesn’t work with student loans, tax debt, child support, or alimony. This is a feature of all debt settlement programs and companies.
• May not settle all your debts: Some or all of your creditors may not agree to settle with Accredited Debt Relief, and those accounts may accrue additional interest and fees while negotiations are ongoing, increasing your debt balance. This is a feature of all debt settlement programs and companies.
• Evaluation may result in spam: Accredited Debt Relief offers free consultations, but if you decide it’s not right for you, the company may still refer you to third-party advertisers. If you want to explore your options without this downside, talk to a credit counselor first. 

How to qualify with Accredited Debt Relief

Qualification requirements depend on whether you choose debt settlement or debt consolidation:

Debt settlement ('debt relief program')

To qualify for the debt relief program, you’ll typically need:

• $5,000 or more in unsecured debt
• Eligible debt (credit cards, personal loans, private student loans, medical debt, etc.)
• No minimum credit score requirement

Debt consolidation loan

Requirements vary depending on the third-party lender you’re connected with, but you’ll generally need:

• Good credit
• Stable income
• Sufficient income to support your debt payments
• A minimum loan amount of $1,000

Accredited Debt Relief fees

Accredited Debt Relief charges two types of fees:

• Percentage-based fees: You’ll pay 15% to 25% of your enrolled debts that the company successfully settles (the exact percentage may vary by state). 
• Third-party account fees: While enrolled in the program, you’ll make monthly payments into a third-party account. You’ll pay a one-time fee of $9 to set up the account and a monthly maintenance fee of $9.75 while you’re enrolled in the program. 

You may also incur indirect fees from your creditors as a result of enrolling in a debt settlement program. Since you’ll make payments to Accredited Debt Relief instead of your creditors during the negotiation process, you might have to pay:

• Late fees
• Penalty interest charges
• Court fines or legal fees if your creditors take legal action against you

If you choose to apply for a debt consolidation loan instead, fees vary depending on the partner lender you’re matched with, but you’ll pay an origination fee ranging from 1% to 6% of the loan amount. 

Alternatives to Accredited Debt Relief

In most situations, debt relief programs (also known as debt settlement programs) aren’t the best way to get out of debt. Consider the following alternatives before enrolling in a debt settlement program. 

Debt consolidation loans

If your outstanding debt balance is still manageable and you’re not behind on payments, consider debt consolidation loans for fair credit instead of debt settlement. With a debt consolidation loan, you can avoid collections attempts and lawsuits, and your credit score may improve as you make on-time payments. Options may include:

Debt management plan

A debt management plan (DMP) is administered by a certified credit counselor who negotiates with your creditors to reduce fees, interest rates, or monthly payments. This approach isn’t designed to drastically reduce the debt you owe, but it can make monthly payments more manageable (and your overall balance less) without an extreme hit to your credit score. 

Bankruptcy

If you’re overwhelmed by high debt balances or already behind on payments, bankruptcy may be a more favorable alternative to debt settlement. 

• Less credit damage: A 2026 analysis from TransUnion found that borrowers who enroll in debt settlement programs saw steeper declines in their credit scores than people who filed for bankruptcy. And the American Bankruptcy Institute reports that consumers with credit scores below 620 generally saw score improvements after filing. Those with the lowest scores saw the greatest improvements. 
• Protection from collections and lawsuits: Filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy provides an automatic stay, which prevents most creditors from continuing collection attempts or filing lawsuits against you. During debt settlement, these actions continue. 
• More debt discharged: If you qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, most unsecured debts are discharged within a few months. If you file Chapter 13, eligible debts are discharged after you complete a 3- to 5-year repayment plan. Most unsecured debts are dischargeable, including student loan debt (if you can prove that repayment would cause undue hardship). Accredited Debt Relief only reduces enrolled debt by 45% on average before fees, and some creditors may not agree to settle. You’ll still need to pay most of your debt, in addition to late fees and penalties. 
• Access to credit: That you can’t access credit after bankruptcy is a common misconception. According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, most people can get approved for new credit cards within a few months after filing. Debt settlement, however, will leave a record of delinquencies and takes longer to complete — both could have a greater negative impact on your credit score, making it more difficult to get new credit. 
• Potentially lower-cost: Filing can cost a few hundred to a few thousand dollars or more, if your case is complex. In any case, it could be less expensive than debt settlement. For example, if you have $20,000 of enrolled debt that was successfully settled, Accredited Debt Relief would charge $3,000 to $5,000 in settlement fees. Accredited Debt Relief states on its website that Chapter 7 bankruptcy attorney fees typically range from $1,500 to $2,000. 

Other debt relief companies

If you decide that debt settlement is the best option, compare multiple companies before choosing one.

Company details and history

Accredited Debt Relief was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston. Its debt relief services are available nationwide, and the company has over 800 IAPDA-certified debt specialists, with more than 1.3 million clients served. Debt consolidation loans are offered through its affiliates.

Accredited Debt Relief has also received multiple acknowledgments for excellent customer service. It’s accredited by the Association for Consumer Debt Relief (ACDR), The International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators, and the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE). 

Contact information

If you’re interested in discussing your options with Accredited Debt Relief, you can contact the company by:

• Filling out this online form for a free consultation
• Calling the customer support team at 800-497-1965
• Emailing [email protected] 

Customer support hours are weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. EST and weekends from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST. 

For general inquiries, call 800-282-7186 or contact the company by mail at the address below. 

P.O. Box 660442

Dallas, TX 75266