Terms & Conditions

You can use Settle if you’re at least 18, live in the United States, and can enter into a binding agreement. Settle is available in all 50 states. You don’t need a Social Security number to create an account, but some features, such as pulling your credit reports, may require one to verify your identity.

Settle is a software platform that helps you review, prepare, request, and settle your own unsecured debts, and manage your financial journey. Settle is not a lender, creditor, debt collector, debt-settlement or debt-relief company, law firm, money transmitter, or tax advisor. We do not act as your agent, negotiate on your behalf, or make decisions for you. You authorize every communication and make every accept, counter, or reject decision yourself.

• You're 18+ and provide accurate information about yourself and your accounts.
• You review every request and offer before authorizing it.
• You understand that settling a debt is your decision and may have tax and credit consequences.
• You keep your login credentials secure.

You decide which creditors to contact and what to offer. Every settlement request, counter, acceptance, and payment happens only after you approve it in the app. Settle doesn’t contact creditors on its own, speak for you, or agree to anything in your name.

Automate it handles the steps between your approvals. Instead of clicking through each step yourself, Settle completes the process you’ve approved, then stops and asks you again whenever a new decision is needed. You can pause or stop it at any time.

Settle stamps and certifies every offer you send, so a creditor can rely on its authenticity and on funds being available, and knows the offer is binding once accepted. Certification reflects the information available to Settle at the time. It isn’t a guarantee that a creditor will accept an offer or that any particular outcome will result.

Money you set aside for settlements is held by an independent, licensed escrow and money-transmission partner. You open your escrow account and agree to its terms directly with that partner. Settle’s software connects you and the partner and passes along the instructions you approve, but Settle never holds, receives, or moves your money and isn’t a party to your escrow agreement. Payments to creditors are released only when you authorize them.

Settle may certify or "stamp" the offers you generate so creditors can rely on their authenticity and funding status. Certification reflects information available to Settle at the time; it is not a guarantee that a creditor will accept an offer or that any particular outcome will occur.

Self-service is free. Automate it is a flat monthly fee (currently $49.95/month), billed in advance and cancelable anytime. Settle+ is an optional paid membership that adds three-bureau credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, and access to fraud specialists; its price is shown before you subscribe. We never take a percentage of your debt or your settlement. Fees are described at our pricing page and may change with notice.

Settle+ insurance. Identity theft insurance included with Settle+ is provided by an independent insurance company, not by Settle. Coverage, limits, and exclusions are set by the policy, which is available in the app. Claims are decided by the insurer.

You can cancel Automate it, Settle+, or any other paid service at any time in your account settings. Your access continues until the end of the billing period you’ve already paid for, and you won’t be charged again after that. Fees already paid aren’t refunded for partial periods.

“Free forever” means Settle never charges a fee for its core self-service features. Core self-service features are finding your debts, building and sending settlement requests you authorize, responding to offers, scheduling payments, and tracking your progress. There’s no subscription and no percentage of your debt or your savings. “Free forever” describes price only. It doesn’t guarantee that any feature, your account, or the service will be available indefinitely; Settle may change, suspend, or discontinue features or the service, or close accounts, as described in these Terms.

Optional paid services, such as Automate it and Settle+, are never required to use the core self-service features. You’ll see and approve any price before you’re charged. Fees charged by third-party providers are set by them and are separate from Settle.

When you ask Settle to find your debts, you authorize Settle and its data providers to get your credit reports and related account information from the credit bureaus. This counts as your written instruction under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It’s a soft inquiry, so it doesn’t affect your credit score. We use this information only to show your accounts and run the features you choose.

• Taxes. Forgiven debt may count as taxable income. If a creditor forgives $600 or more, they may send you a Form 1099-C. Settle doesn’t give tax advice or file anything for you.
• Your credit report. A settled account may be reported as “settled for less than the full balance,” which can affect your score.
• Your accounts. A creditor may close a settled account or limit your future credit with them.
• Your agreement. Once you accept a settlement, its terms are between you and your creditor. If you miss a payment, the creditor may cancel the agreement.

Savings figures, suggested offers, and debt-free dates in Settle are estimates based on your information and historical data. Your creditors decide whether to accept an offer and on what terms.

Using Settle does not guarantee that any debt will be settled, settled for a particular amount, or settled within any timeframe. Results depend on your creditors, your accounts, and your decisions.

Settle provides tools and information, not advice. Optional guidance is informational only and is never a decision made for you. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.

Defend lets you know when Settle sees a pending action on one of your accounts, such as a collection lawsuit or a deadline, so you’re aware of it and can decide what to do. Defend may also point you to publicly available form letters and to consumer resources from your state. Settle doesn’t prepare court filings, represent you, or tell you what action to take. Settle isn’t a law firm, and nothing in Defend is legal advice. Where possible, talk to a licensed attorney or a legal aid organization in your state.

Concierge connects you with independent, vetted providers for full-service help. If you choose one, you sign a separate agreement directly with that provider, and their fees and terms are set by them. Settle doesn’t charge a fee for Concierge and doesn’t receive any payment from providers for connecting you.

If you call a creditor through Settle, you can choose to record the call. Recording is always your choice and is off unless you turn it on. Some states require everyone on a call to agree to being recorded, and you’re responsible for getting that consent. Recordings are stored in your account and you can delete them.

By creating an account, you agree to receive account alerts, such as payment reminders and offer updates, by email, text, or push notification. We’ll ask for your separate consent before sending marketing messages. You can opt out of texts by replying STOP, and turn off push notifications in your device settings. Message and data rates may apply.

Don't misuse the platform — no unlawful use, no attempting to access others' accounts, no interfering with the service or its security.

Settle owns the software, design, and content of the platform. You may use them for your own personal, non-commercial purposes under these Terms, but not copy, resell, or reverse engineer them. If you send us suggestions, we may use them without owing you anything.

Some features rely on third parties, such as the licensed escrow and money-transmission partner, credit-data providers, and the bank-connection provider. You work with these providers directly, under their own terms. Settle’s software only passes information and instructions between you and them, as you approve. Links to other websites are provided for convenience, and we aren’t responsible for their content.

You can close your account at any time. Any settlement you’ve already accepted stays in place, and you remain responsible for paying it. You can ask us to delete your data; we’ll delete what we can and keep only the records we’re legally required to keep, for as long as the law requires. Download any agreements or records you want before closing your account.

The service is provided "as is." To the fullest extent permitted by law, Settle disclaims implied warranties and is not liable for indirect or consequential damages. Nothing here limits liability that can't be limited by law.

Limit on liability. To the fullest extent the law allows, Settle’s total liability to you for any claim related to Settle or these Terms is limited to the greater of (a) the fees you paid directly to Settle in the 12 months before the claim arose, or (b) $100. Amounts you pay to anyone else, such as creditors, the escrow partner, insurers, or Concierge providers, don’t count toward this limit, and Settle isn’t responsible for the services those parties provide. This limit doesn’t apply to liability that can’t be limited by law, such as liability for fraud or gross negligence.

If someone makes a claim against Settle because you broke these Terms, broke the law, or misused the platform, you agree to cover Settle’s reasonable costs from that claim.

If you have a problem, email us first at [email protected] and give us 30 days to try to fix it.

If we can’t resolve it, you and Settle agree to settle any dispute through binding individual arbitration run by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, instead of in court. The hearing can take place by phone or video, or in the county where you live. Settle will pay the AAA filing, administration, and arbitrator fees. Either of us may instead bring an eligible claim in small claims court.

No class actions. Disputes are handled individually. Neither you nor Settle may bring or join a class action, class arbitration, or representative action.

Many similar claims. If 25 or more similar claims are filed against Settle by or with the help of the same lawyers or organization, they’ll be handled in batches of up to 25, with one arbitrator for each batch, under the AAA’s Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules. Claims waiting for a later batch won’t be filed or charged fees until their batch begins, and the time limits for bringing them are paused while they wait.

Opting out. You can reject this arbitration agreement by emailing [email protected] within 30 days of creating your account, with your name, the email on your account, and a statement that you’re opting out of arbitration. Opting out doesn’t affect the rest of these Terms.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New Mexico, except where federal law or the consumer protection laws of your state apply. Any court case that isn’t handled through arbitration or small claims court will be heard in the state or federal courts located in New Mexico.

We may update these Terms; material changes will be communicated to you. You can stop using Settle anytime.

Settle may refuse, suspend, or close any account, or discontinue any part of the service, at any time and for any lawful reason, including if we believe an account poses a risk of fraud, misuse, security, legal or regulatory exposure, or harm to Settle, our partners, or other users. Where practical, we’ll give you notice. If we close your account without cause, we’ll refund any prepaid fees for the unused part of your billing period. Settlements you’ve already accepted stay in place.

If Settle merges with or is acquired by another company, or sells its business, these Terms transfer to the new owner. You may not transfer your account to someone else.

These Terms, our Privacy Policy, and any terms you accept in the app for a specific feature make up the full agreement between you and Settle. You agree to receive agreements and notices electronically and to sign them electronically, as described in our E-Sign Consent. If any part of these Terms can’t be enforced, the rest still applies. If we don’t enforce a term right away, we haven’t given up the right to enforce it later.

Questions about these Terms? Email [email protected] or visit our contact page.

Settling a debt may have tax and credit consequences.