How to File a Credit Report

Creditors can file credit information with credit reporting agencies and credit bureaus regarding their customers. This information goes into the customer's credit report and is circulated among other creditors and credit agencies. Filing credit report information is useful in preventing other creditors from suffering payment delinquencies and bad debt. This also penalizes the customer or consumer by not being approved for new credit.

Instructions

1

Gather credit information. Prior to contacting a credit agency or credit bureau, you will need to have details available regarding the credit information you would like to report. This includes the customer's full name and address. You may also need credit account information that includes the credit limit, balance and payment history.

2

Call the credit bureau or credit agency. The three major consumer credit bureaus are Experian, Equifax and Trans Union (see Resources). You may contact them via telephone to notify them you would like to report credit information to include in a customer's credit file. You can also contact credit agencies like Dun & Bradstreet, which specialize in business credit reporting, to include information in their credit files. A credit bureau or credit agency may request that you mail them a letter with the credit information details you would like to report.

3

Receive confirmation. After reporting the credit information to a credit bureau or agency, request written confirmation. This will provide assurance that the information has been filed in the customer's credit report. If a customer should challenge the information you have reported, an investigation will be conducted and you will be contacted by the major credit bureaus to provide verification of the debt and what you reported.