Accredited Debt Relief Review: Better Than Bankruptcy, High Fees
- Minimum debt
- $10,000
- Typical turnaround
- 24 to 48 months
- Fees
- Up to 25%
Our verdict
Highly rated debt settlement provider, but not without risks.
Accredited Debt Relief (ADR), a division of Beyond Finance, is one of the top debt relief companies in the country and is highly rated on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot. It could save you up to 45% of your debt before fees, and it promises to lower your monthly payment, freeing up room in your budget for other expenses. But you’ll need at least $10,000 in eligible debt to qualify, rates are typically 25% and as with any debt relief program, there’s no guarantee your creditors will agree to settle for less than you owe.
Best for: People who have more than $10,000 in unsecured debt and are looking for an alternative to bankruptcy.
Pros
-
Could save up to 45% off your debt
-
Lower monthly payment
-
Positive customer reviews
Cons
-
Average fees are on the high end
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No guarantee all creditors will settle
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Requires at least $10,000 in enrolled debt
Is Accredited Debt Relief legit?
Yes. Accredited Debt Relief is an arm of Beyond Finance and offers debt relief services. It also offers access to consolidation loans and credit counseling through its partners. ADR is accredited with the Association for Consumer Debt Relief (ACDR) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Since 2011, it’s helped more than 700,000 clients resolve over $2 billion in debt.
What makes Accredited Debt Relief shine?
Enrolling in ADR could reduce your monthly payments by 40% or more, leaving more cash in your household budget. You may also be able to settle your debts for 45% less than you owe and in a shorter time frame than if you only made the minimum payments.
Accredited Debt Relief has thousands of positive reviews on trusted sites like the BBB and Trustpilot, with the majority of customers awarding it five out of five stars.
Where Accredited Debt Relief falls short
ADR states that fees are “usually 25%,” which is on the high side in an industry where rates typically range from 15% to 25%. It could be worth comparing a few debt relief programs to see where you can find the best deal.
You’ll also need at least $10,000 in eligible debt to qualify for Accredited, although that’s fairly common in the debt relief space. Still, it leaves out people with smaller debts that could potentially benefit from a service like this.
How much can I save?
On average, customers who complete the program save around 45% before fees, according to ADR. It also says fees are “usually 25%,” meaning you’ll actually save more like 20%.
But keep in mind that the money you save from settling may be taxed as income, further reducing your overall savings.
How much does it cost?
Accredited Debt Relief says it typically charges 25% of your enrolled debt, but that may vary depending on the amount you owe and where you live. In general, rates for debt relief run from 15% to 25%. That means if you have $20,000 in enrolled debt, your fee is between $3,000 and $5,000.
The company doesn’t mention any other costs for the program, but some debt relief firms charge setup fees or monthly maintenance fees. Be sure to ask about any extra charges before you sign up.
Will Accredited Debt Relief hurt my credit?
Yes, but the severity of the impact depends on where your credit is when you start the program. For example, if you already have poor credit, the effect of stopping your debt payments won’t be that significant. But if you go into it with good-to-excellent credit and a perfect payment history, you’ll see a much more drastic drop in your score.
Accredited Debt Relief details
| Free quote or consultation | Yes |
| Services | Debt settlement |
| Minimum Debt | $10,000 |
| Average turnaround | 24 to 48 months |
| Types of debt | Credit cards, personal loans, store cards, medical debt |
| Fees | Up to 25% |
| Accreditations | ACDR, BBB |
| Direct or third-party negotiations | Direct |
| State availability | Available in: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia |
Before you sign up with a debt relief company
Debt relief companies typically charge a percentage of a customer’s debt or a monthly program fee for their services. And not all companies are transparent about these costs or drawbacks that can negatively affect your credit score. Depending on the company you work with, you might pay other fees for third-party settlement services or setting up new accounts, which can leave you in a worse situation than when you signed up.
Consider alternatives before signing up with a debt relief company:
- Payment extensions. Companies you owe may be willing to extend your payment due date or put you on a longer payment plan if you ask.
- Nonprofit credit counseling. Look for free debt-management help from nonprofit organizations like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
- Debt settlement. If you can manage to pay a portion of the bill, offer the collection agency a one-time payment as a settlement. Collection agencies are often willing to accept a lower payment on your debt to close the account.
Accredited Debt Relief contact info
| Phone number | 888-285-4283 |
| Customer service hours | Weekdays: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET Weekends: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET |
| customerservice@acrelief.com | |
| X, formerly Twitter | @Accredited_Debt |
| Accredited Debt Relief |
How to qualify for Accredited Debt Relief
Here’s what you need to qualify for ADR’s debt settlement program:
- At least $10,000 in debt
- Have unsecured debts
- Live in a state where Accredited Debt Relief operates
How the debt settlement process works
Follow these steps to enroll with Accredited Debt Relief:
- Get started online or call to set up a free, no-obligation consultation.
- Review your options with an ADR team member.
- Make regular monthly payments to a dedicated savings account if you decide to enroll.
- Let ADR negotiate with creditors on your behalf and pay settlements out of your account, minus its fees.
How Accredited Debt Relief compares to other providers
What is the Finder Score?
The Finder Score crunches 6+ types of personal loans across 50+ lenders. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees and features, as well as the type of loan eg investor, variable, fixed rate - this gives you a simple score out of 10.
Accredited Debt Relief reviews and complaints
| BBB accredited | No |
|---|---|
| BBB rating | A+ |
| BBB customer reviews | 4.89 out of 5 stars, based on 3286 customer reviews |
| Trustpilot Score | 4.8 out of 5 stars, based on 8,894 customer reviews. |
| Customer reviews verified as of | 17 September 2025 |
Accredited Debt Relief has high ratings on Trustpilot and the BBB. Most positive reviews state compassionate and knowledgeable customer service representatives who helped customers throughout the process.
But others complain of high fees, pushy salespeople and misleading sales tactics. Some customers also said communication was poor, and their monthly payment kept increasing. Potential customers report excessive sales calls despite asking to be removed from its list.
What do people on Reddit say?
Consider these key risks of debt relief before signing up.
- Additional debt. Interest and late fees added to your unpaid balances increase your debt.
- Damage to credit. It will hurt your credit when you stop making debt payments, but the severity depends on how good your credit was before you started the program.
- Income taxes. The money you save by settling may be taxed as income.
- No guarantees. No debt relief company can assure that your creditors will settle.
- Potential lawsuits. Creditors could opt to sue you rather than settle for less.
Consider these key risks of debt relief before signing up.
- Additional debt. Interest and late fees added to your unpaid balances increase your debt.
- Damage to credit. It will hurt your credit when you stop making debt payments, but the severity depends on how good your credit was before you started the program.
- Income taxes. The money you save by settling may be taxed as income.
- No guarantees. No debt relief company can assure that your creditors will settle.
- Potential lawsuits. Creditors could opt to sue you rather than settle for less.
Frequently asked questions
Your reviews
Lacey Finder
Writer
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Anndy Finder
July 04, 2017
Hi Winnet,
Thanks for your question.
Your monthly repayment depends on the loan term. Fo example, using the loan calculator on the lender’s page, you will have an estimated monthly repayment of $59 if you get the maximum loan term of 4.5 years. But this is just an estimate and may also vary depending on your state.
You may want to directly get in touch with Accredited Debt Relief to get a free quote.
Cheers,
Anndy
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Winnet
July 03, 2017
I earn $400 per month so how much can be deducted from my salary ,if I borrow a loan of $5000