How we make money.

Complete transparency about our economics and what that means for consumers.

The short version

Consumers pay us nothing. Licensed debt relief providers in our network compensate us when a qualified consumer we refer enrolls with them. This is a referral compensation model used widely across consumer financial services, operating under federal consumer protection regulations including the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule (16 C.F.R. § 310) and CFPB consumer protection authorities.

The long version

Friendly Debt Relief is a marketing service. We do not enroll consumers into debt relief programs, we do not collect monthly payments, and we do not settle debts. All of those activities are performed by the licensed debt relief providers we match consumers with.

When we introduce a qualified consumer to a provider in our network and that consumer enrolls in the provider's program, the provider pays us a referral fee. The fee is paid by the provider, not the consumer. The fee does not change the price the consumer pays for the provider's services.

Referral fees vary by provider and by program type. We do not disclose specific provider-by-provider fee arrangements, as those are confidential commercial terms.

Does this affect who we recommend?

Our matching process is driven by consumer fit, not by compensation. We match each consumer to the provider in our network that best serves their state, debt profile, and financial situation. If a consumer does not qualify for any provider in our network, we say so upfront rather than attempt a forced match.

We also decline to work with providers who charge upfront fees, operate without required state licensing, or otherwise fail our vetting process. Our long-term operation depends on consumers being matched well, not on maximizing any single referral.

How we present provider options

Friendly Debt Relief receives compensation from the debt relief providers we match consumers to. Compensation differences between providers do not influence the order or selection of provider options presented to you. Our matching is based on factors unrelated to provider payment, including:

  • State licensing where required, and licensing status verification
  • Debt profile fit (debt type, balance range, hardship circumstances)
  • Our internal vetting (BBB rating, customer reviews, operating history, complaint record)
  • Consumer-stated needs (debt amount, state of residence, debt type)

The options presented may be a subset of all available providers in the market rather than every provider. If you would like to research alternatives outside our network, the CFPB maintains consumer financial protection resources at consumerfinance.gov, and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling lists nonprofit credit counseling agencies at nfcc.org.

What consumers pay

Zero dollars. To Friendly Debt Relief, consumers pay nothing before, during, or after the match. We do not collect credit card information, we do not charge monthly fees, and we do not take a cut of debt settlements.

If a consumer enrolls with a matched provider, the provider's fees are paid to the provider under federal rules. Under the FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, debt settlement providers cannot charge any fee before they have negotiated a settlement, the consumer has approved it, and at least one payment toward the settlement has been made.