How To Report Credit And Become A Data Furnisher

Step-by-Step Guide

Complete instructions for establishing a data furnisher agreement and reporting consumer or commercial tradelines to Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, Innovis, and Dun & Bradstreet using the Metro 2 format.

Lease Credit Manager Now Request Free 30 Day Demo

Establishing a Data Furnisher Agreement for Credit Reporting

Companies reporting positive tradelines (good credit) or negative tradelines (bad debt) to the credit bureaus must first establish a Data Furnisher or Service Agreement with each bureau they plan to report to, such as Equifax, Experian, Innovis, TransUnion, and Dun & Bradstreet. This agreement is required whether reporting directly (in-house) or through a third-party processor/stacking service, such as The Service Bureau. It is separate from agreements for pulling credit reports.

Credit bureaus also require a minimum number of active accounts (tradelines/customers/debtors) and monthly reporting, even if using a processor or stacking service.

To comply with industry standards, companies must use software that aligns with the Credit Reporting Resource Guide, meets all credit reporting laws and regulations, and accurately generates the Metro 2 format—such as Credit Manager.

Our software supports secure uploads to all bureaus that accept the Metro 2 format via SFTP or HTTPS.

Credit Bureau Contacts

Equifax

U.S.A.

(888) 407-0359

Canada

(800) 278-0278

Contact Equifax for reporting requirements and account minimums.

Experian

U.S.A.

(800) 831-5614 (Consumer Credit Reporting)

U.S.A.

(800) 478-0650 (Commercial Credit Reporting)

Each request is reviewed individually and Experian determines eligibility based on their independent merit.

TransUnion

U.S.A.

(866) 922-2100

Canada

(800) 565-2280

Contact TransUnion for reporting requirements and account minimums.

Innovis

U.S.A.

(614) 538-2123

Contact Innovis for reporting requirements and account minimums.

Dun & Bradstreet

U.S.A.

(800) 526-9018 (Commercial Credit Reporting)

Canada

(403) 689-3943 (Commercial Credit Reporting)

Dun & Bradstreet reviews each request individually and determines eligibility based on proprietary requirements. Participants have access to several incentives for contributing their data.

Notice: Before reporting, please contact each credit bureau to confirm their minimum account requirements for direct (in-house) reporting or reporting through The Service Bureau’s processing service. Each credit repository has its own policies regarding the minimum number of accounts accepted.

Procedures for reporting your accounts to the Credit Bureaus

Step 1: Establish a Data Furnisher or Service Agreement with each credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, Innovis) you plan to report to.

Step 2: Once your agreement is in place and you meet the bureau’s minimum account requirements, lease Credit Manager to accurately report customer, debtor or commercial accounts using the Metro 2 format.

Step 3: Install Credit Manager on your local computer.

Step 4: Enter or update accounts using the user-friendly edit screen or electronically import them via the Import function.

Step 5: Use the built-in "Send" interface to export accounts securely to the credit bureaus or to our third-party processing service via SFTP (secure FTP), HTTPS (secure web browser). Repeat Steps 4-5 for monthly bureau updates.

It's that easy!