<prompt> Human: Im currently working on a bill that went to collections. after talkin to the debt collectors they said they would settle for 80 percent of the bill. Fine. However when I asked for a bill stating this new amount I was told they would send a new bill to me in email form. Does this email bill represent the same legal agreements as a physical piece of paper? Also she said I only have 5 days to get the money in or I would have to pay more. Now heres the little snag. I had to sell off some assets to get enough money together for the debt but I am still waiting on that money. By the time I get it and put it into my account it will be too late. SHe said if I wanted a faster payment method I could give them my debit card numbers but everyone says not to give debt collectors access to your bank accounts. She said the other option is giving her my routing number and checking account number on the cheque. Is that a safer option than giving them my card info???Thanks for any advice guys.  <response>: No, a debit card is safer than literally giving them your bank account info. A credit card is probably the safest method.That said, theoretically, neither can have money debited without your explicit permission. If they withdraw without your permission, or any amount other than exactly what you specify, dispute the payment with your bank. 