Getting Started

TransUnion makes it easy for you to get the credentialing and reporting requirements you need to successfully report data to TransUnion and acquire the Metro 2^® Format. The links below provide valuable information about our transmission requirements and testing process, as well as helpful recommendations for locating software providers for this process.

Credentialing Requirements

Learn about the requirements necessary to report data to TransUnion

The credentialing process is intended to ensure compliance with TransUnion business practices and policies as well as applicable laws, rules, regulations, and standards that apply to TransUnion’s businesses. Depending on the particular TransUnion product or service, the legal regulations may include but are not necessarily limited to, Section 604 (Permissible purposes of Consumer Reports) and Section 607 (a) (Compliance Procedures; Identity and Purposes of Credit Users) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Section 6802(e) of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Title V, Subtitle A (Financial Privacy), related rules promulgated by Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the standards established by Civil Case No. 1 06-CV00198 (United States of America v. Choicepoint Inc.)

Credentialing Requirements Overview

Generally, items required for credentialing the prospective customer include:

• Application
• Letter of Intent
• Third party verification of business credentials (bank and trade references, proof of lender sponsorship,
  for example)
• Business or other license
• On-site inspection

The credentialing process may include, but is not limited to:

• Verifying the business identity of the applicant (via business and/or personal credit reports, lease verification, for example);
• Obtaining certifications regarding the applicant’s nature of business and purposes for obtaining TransUnion products and services (via applicable service agreement);
• Verifying that the applicant is a legitimate business engaged in the business certified by the applicant (via reputable listings, website review, for example);
• Determining if the applicant has a permissible purpose in cases where the applicant wishes to obtain consumer reports; and
• Performing an on-site inspection of the applicant’s business premises is generally required if personally identifiable consumer information is being sought

Reporting Requirements

At a high level, the requirements are:

• Metro 2^® software
• A minimum of 100 accounts
• WinZip 11.1 or higher
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Reporting via Electronic Data Transfer (EDT)
• A valid TransUnion Program Identifier
• A valid Identification Number

TransUnion requires a minimum of 100 records in order to begin reporting. Data Providers should report consumer account updates once per month at the end of a billing cycle for their complete file (accounts in good standing and delinquent accounts). Notify TransUnion prior to making any changes to your reporting frequency.

Format Requirements

Metro 2^® Format

The Metro 2^® format is the industry standard file format for reporting consumer credit information. Reporting in the Metro 2^® format greatly benefits the credit grantor, the consumer reporting agencies and your customer by:

• Allowing credit information to be added and mapped to the consumer’s file with greater consistency.
• Accommodating cycle reporting of data, which allows timelier updating of the credit file.
• Allowing complete identification information to be reported for each consumer (including cosigner, etc.) each month which improves the ability of the consumer reporting systems to match to the correct consumer.

The Credit Reporting Resource Guide^® (CRRG^®)

The Credit Reporting Resource Guide^® (CRRG^®) was created by the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) to assist Data Providers with reporting credit information to the credit bureaus. The CRRG^® contains detailed information regarding the Metro 2^® format, such as: required fields, account type codes, account status codes, bankruptcy indicators, account number changes, payment history, and delinquency reporting. To obtain a copy of the CRRG^®, visit the CDIA’s website.

Transmission Requirements
 

Electronic transmissions are a secure and safe method of reporting. TransUnion requires all data to be transmitted in the most secure method possible, which is Electronic Data Transmission.

Software Providers
 

TransUnion cannot recommend a specific software provider; however, several can be located via internet searches.

• Popular search terms: Metro 2^® credit reporting software, credit bureau reporting, collection agency software
• Common theme: Metro 2^® Credit Reporting Software

Testing and Approval
 

Once credentialing has been completed and a file has been successfully submitted via EDT, testing will begin. All new customers must submit their credit file to TransUnion for testing and approval. Samples of the test data will be emailed to you for review prior to the actual loading of any data. Included will be an approval letter that will need to be signed and returned to move your program to production.

Testing time can vary if issues need to be corrected and multiple test files need to be submitted. Files submitted by first-time data providers are tested and reviewed to ensure they're formatted correctly according to the Metro 2^® guidelines and adhere to FCRA regulations. Any issues identified during the testing process will be discussed with the data provider prior to loading the data into production. This may result in the need for the data provider to make corrections and submit a new file for review.

For assistance with understanding the results of an approval package or accessing the approval package, please contact your Data Reporting Representative. If you do not know who your Data Reporting Representative is, please contact Data Operations at dasworkpool@transunion.com or 1-800-303-9664.