The credit bureau Chase uses for credit cards, new bank accounts, and other purposes varies depending on your location and the card you’re applying for. Nevertheless, user responses and online studies suggest that Chase uses Experian the most, but they may still pull from Equifax or Transunion to get a better picture of your finances.
When it comes to making financial decisions, especially those that involve credit, knowing which credit bureau your potential lender uses can make a significant difference. In the case of Chase, the largest banking institution in the U.S., this information is particularly valuable for current and prospective customers aiming to understand or improve their credit score before applying for various financial products like credit cards or loans.
What Credit Bureau Does Chase Use?
If you want to find out what bureau Chase pulls credit reports from, it is usually Experian. Banks usually rely on information from a single credit bureau to reduce costs and expedite the decision-making process. However, depending on your state of residence and the financial product you are applying for, Chase may choose to examine your credit reports from Equifax or TransUnion instead.
Depends on Location
Chase tends to vary which credit bureau it uses based on your geographical location. While there is a preference for Experian in many instances, Chase might pull a credit report from Equifax or TransUnion, particularly in certain states. This variability means that for someone living in California, Chase may check Experian, while for someone in Kansas, it might be Equifax.
To provide an overview, here’s a table with data from Doctor of Credit displaying which credit bureau Chase customers from the different states received pulls from.
| State | Experian | Equifax | TransUnion |
| Alabama | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alaska | – | – | – |
| Arizona | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arkansas | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| California | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Colorado | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Connecticut | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Delaware | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Florida | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Georgia | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hawaii | – | – | – |
| Idaho | – | – | – |
| Illinois | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Indiana | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Iowa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kansas | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kentucky | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Louisiana | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maine | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Maryland | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Massachusetts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Michigan | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Minnesota | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mississippi | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Missouri | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Montana | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Nebraska | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Nevada | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| New Hampshire | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| New Jersey | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| New Mexico | – | – | – |
| New York | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| North Carolina | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| North Dakota | – | – | – |
| Ohio | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Oklahoma | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Oregon | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pennsylvania | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rhode Island | – | – | – |
| South Carolina | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| South Dakota | – | – | – |
| Tennessee | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Texas | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Utah | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Vermont | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virginia | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Washington | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| West Virginia | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Wisconsin | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Wyoming | – | – | – |
| Washington DC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Most states depend on the three major credit bureaus, while fewer rely on just one, often Experian. States that mainly use two bureaus typically employ Equifax and TransUnion, although different combinations are present across various states and for different reasons specific to individual cases.
Additionally, some states, such as Alaska, Hawaii, and New Mexico, do not have a specified preferred credit bureau.
Depends on the Card or Loan Type
Apart from your location, Chase’s choice of credit bureau can also depend on the type of credit or financial product for which you are applying. In general, Experian is often the first credit bureau Chase will use for credit card applications. However, here is how it breaks down for various products:
Chase Freedom
For this popular credit card, Chase primarily pulls reports from Experian. However, it is not uncommon for Chase to consult Equifax or TransUnion, especially if the applicant’s Experian report is thin or frozen. To find out what credit bureau Chase Freedom uses, Doctor of Credit compiled data from all over the states, and here are their findings:
| Experian | Equifax | TransUnion |
|
|
|
As you can see, the credit bureau that the Chase Freedom credit card uses most among the states is Experian.
Chase Sapphire
Chase Sapphire usually relies on Experian to pull credit reports of its applicants. However, if an applicant’s Experian report has limited information or is frozen, Chase may also refer to Equifax or TransUnion. Below is a table reflecting Doctor of Credit’s findings upon gathering data from various states to know what credit bureau Chase Sapphire uses:
| Experian | Equifax | TransUnion |
|
|
|
Although the data from Doctor of Credit is limited to a few states, Chase Sapphire primarily pulls credit reports from Experian more than any other credit bureau.
Chase Ink
This line of business credit cards also sees a predominance of Experian checks, but as with personal cards, the other two bureaus may also be used based on specific circumstances or in different states. Check out the table below, which shows data from Doctor of Credit that indicates what credit bureaus Chase Ink uses the most in various states:
| Experian | Equifax | TransUnion |
|
|
|
In the states where Doctor of Credit gathered data, Experian is the predominant credit bureau Chase uses for Ink business credit cards.
Why It Matters
Learning what credit bureau Chase uses is crucial because it helps you know which credit report you should check and clean up before applying. Each of the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—might have slightly different data on you.
If you know which bureau Chase will check, you can review your credit report from that bureau to ensure all information is correct and up-to-date, thus enhancing your chances of approval. Additionally, since each hard inquiry can impact your credit score, being informed can help you strategize your applications.
Note: Chase has an unwritten 5/24 rule that restricts new applicants from being approved for a Chase credit card if they have opened five or more cards from any issuer within the last 24 months. It’s advisable to space out new account requests every three to six months. Keep this in mind if you intend to apply for a new credit card.
Steps to Take Moving Forward
If you’re planning to apply for a Chase credit card or other financial product, it’s wise to take proactive steps. Ensure you prepare your financial profile and avoid delays in getting approved by taking these steps:
Contact Chase Directly
Before applying, consider contacting Chase directly. By telling them your state of residence and specifying the type of card or loan you are applying for, you can ask which credit bureau they will pull your report from. While they may not always provide this information due to varying policies, getting direct confirmation from the lender can sometimes give you the exact details you need to prepare effectively.
Work on Building Your Credit
Improving your credit report and score is essential not just for Chase applications but for any financial endeavor involving credit. Here’s how you can boost your credit score effectively:
- Review your credit reports: Start by obtaining your credit reports from all three major bureaus. You can get a free report weekly from annualcreditreport.com. Look for any inaccuracies or outdated information that could negatively affect your score.
- Dispute errors: If you find any discrepancies, dispute them immediately with the respective credit bureau. Removing errors can improve your credit score relatively quickly.
- Pay bills on time: Your payment history is the single most significant factor affecting your credit score. Ensure that you pay all your bills on time. Setting up automatic payments can help manage this without missing a deadline.
- Reduce your credit utilization: Try to keep your credit utilization ratio—the percentage of your credit limit you use—below 30%. This shows lenders that you’re not overly reliant on credit.
- Avoid new credit applications: Each time you apply for credit, it can cause a small dip in your credit score due to the hard inquiry made by lenders. Avoid other new credit applications if you’re applying for a significant credit card or loan.
- Keep old accounts open: The length of your credit history matters, so keep older accounts open even if you’re not using them frequently unless there’s a compelling reason to close them, such as high fees.
Use Cushion to enhance your credit history effortlessly. This app allows you to build credit through the bills and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payments you’re already making by reporting them monthly to credit bureaus such as Experian. By consistently using Cushion to manage these payments, you can see a steady improvement in your credit history, positioning you better for future financial opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What credit bureau does Chase use for auto loans?
When financing vehicles, Chase may look into either Experian or Equifax more frequently, depending on the state of the dealership.
What credit bureau does Chase Credit Journey use?
The Chase Credit Journey is a free credit monitoring tool provided by Chase that uses Experian data exclusively. Therefore, users of this service will only see their credit score and report as it appears through Experian.
What credit bureau does Chase Bank use for new bank accounts?
For new bank account openings, Chase might use any of the three major bureaus but tends to focus on Experian and Equifax.
Summary
Whether you’re applying for a Chase Freedom card or setting up a new checking account, knowing what credit bureau Chase uses can help you better prepare and potentially secure more favorable terms on your credit application. To enhance your chances of success, regularly review your credit reports from all three bureaus, focusing on the bureau Chase will most likely consult based on your location and the product you are applying for.
