Credit Scores

Within an Array credit report, the borrower's credit scores are brought back in the CREDIT_RESPONSE.CREDIT_SCORE entity. A report can contain more than one score:

  • If the report contains a single credit score, CREDIT_SCORE is a single credit score object.

  • If there are multiple scores, CREDIT_SCORE is an array of credit score objects. The object with a @CreditScoreID value of SCORE001 is considered to hold the most accurate assessment. If your application displays a single score to the customer, this is the score that you should display.

{
  "CREDIT_RESPONSE": {
    "CREDIT_SCORE": {
      "@BorrowerID": "Borrower01",
      "@CreditFileID": "TA01",
      "@CreditReportIdentifier": "2-thomas-friedman-1975",
      "@CreditRepositorySourceType": "TransUnion",
      "@CreditScoreID": "SCORE001",
      "<snip>": ""
    }
  }
}
{
  "CREDIT_RESPONSE": {
    "CREDIT_SCORE": [
      {
        "@BorrowerID": "Borrower01",
        "@CreditFileID": "TA01",
        "@CreditReportIdentifier": "2-james-holloway-1962-",
        "@CreditRepositorySourceType": "TransUnion",
        "@CreditScoreID": "SCORE001",
        "<snip>": ""
      },
      {
        "@BorrowerID": "Borrower01",
        "@CreditFileID": "TA01",
        "@CreditReportIdentifier": "2-james-holloway-1962-",
        "@CreditRepositorySourceType": "TransUnion",
        "@CreditScoreID": "SCORE002",
        "<snip>": ""
      }
    ]
  }
}

An example of a credit score object is given at the end of this document. Many of the object's properties are of limited use; the more important and useful properties are described in the following sections.

Credit Score, Date, and Bureau

The @_Value property contains the credit score. Like all values in the credit report, the credit score value is given as a string.

Credit score values range from 300 to 850. The following table maps numeric credit score ranges to user-friendly ratings.

Min ScoreMax ScoreRating
300499Very Poor
500559Poor
560669Fair
670749Good
750809Great
810850Excellent

Some other basic credit score properties are:

  • @_Date is the YYYY-MM-DD date upon which the score was generated.

  • @CreditRepositorySourceType names the credit bureau that generated the score.

{
  "CREDIT_RESPONSE": {
    "CREDIT_SCORE": {
      "@_Value": "622",
      "@_Date": "2023-02-09",
      "@CreditRepositorySourceType": "TransUnion"
    }
  }
}

Credit Score Factors

The @_FACTAInquiriesIndicator boolean and the objects in the _FACTOR array describe the factors that had a negative impact on the credit score.

{
  "CREDIT_RESPONSE": {
    "CREDIT_SCORE": {
      "@_FACTAInquiriesIndicator": "Y",
      "_FACTOR": [
        {
          "@_Text": "The number of inquiries was also a factor, but effect was not significant",
          "@_Code": "84"
        },
        {
          "@_Text": "Available credit on your open bankcard or revolving accounts is too low",
          "@_Code": "39"
        },
        {
          "@_Text": "Lack of sufficient relevant real estate account information",
          "@_Code": "63"
        },
        {
          "@_Text": "The date that you opened your oldest account is too recent",
          "@_Code": "12"
        },
        {
          "@_Text": "Total of all balances on bankcard or revolving accounts is too high",
          "@_Code": "34"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
  • @_FACTAInquiriesIndicator indicates whether or not (as the value is Y or N) the score was affected by credit inquiries. The "FACTA" portion of the name is misleading: The inquiries have nothing to do with FACTA; the term is there as a reminder that inquiries could have FACTA consequences.

  • _FACTOR[][email protected]_Text contains user-friendly text that explains the factor.

  • You should ignore _FACTOR[][email protected]_Code: The value it takes depends on the scoring system (VantageScore or FICO).

Scoring Model

A borrower's credit score is calculated based on one of two broad scoring systems: VantageScore and FICO. Within these systems, there are a number of specific versions, or scoring models. A scoring model's name depends on the bureau, but all names include either "FICO" or "VantageScore"; as examples

  • ExperianVantageScore3.0
  • FICORiskScoreClassic04
  • TransUnionFICOAutoScore9

The name of the model that's used for a specific CREDIT_SCORE entry is brought back in the @_ModelNameType or the @_ModelNameTypeOtherDescription property:

  • You should check @_ModelNameType first: It will either contain the model name or Other.

  • If @_ModelNameType is Other, the model name is given in @_ModelNameTypeOtherDescription.

{
  "CREDIT_RESPONSE": {
    "CREDIT_SCORE": {
      "@_ModelNameType": "FICORiskScoreClassic04"
    }
  }
}
{
  "CREDIT_RESPONSE": {
    "CREDIT_SCORE": {
      "@_ModelNameType": "Other",
      "@_ModelNameTypeOtherDescription": "ExperianVantageScore3.0"
    }
  }
}

Credit Score Object Example

The CREDIT_SCORE example shown below lists the properties that the object contains without further explanation. Many of the properties are of limited use.

As mentioned in the introduction, the CREDIT_SCORE entity can appear as a single object or as an array of objects. The example depicts the single-object variation.

{
  "CREDIT_RESPONSE": {
    "CREDIT_SCORE": {
      "@BorrowerID": "Borrower01",
      "@CreditFileID": "TA01",
      "@CreditReportIdentifier": "2-dalton-lot-1955-01-0",
      "@CreditRepositorySourceType": "TransUnion",
      "@CreditScoreID": "SCORE001",
      "@RiskBasedPricingMax": "623",
      "@RiskBasedPricingMin": "619",
      "@RiskBasedPricingPercent": "23",
      "@_Date": "2015-06-09",
      "@_FACTAInquiriesIndicator": "Y",
      "@_ModelNameType": "Other",
      "@_ModelNameTypeOtherDescription": "TransUnionVantageScore3.0",
      "@_Value": "622",
      "_FACTOR": [
        {
          "@_Code": "34",
          "@_Text": "Total of all balances on bankcard or revolving accounts is too high"
        },
        {
          "@_Code": "4",
          "@_Text": "The balances on your accounts are too high compared to loan amounts"
        },
        {
          "@_Code": "32",
          "@_Text": "Balances on bankcard or revolving accounts too high compared to credit limits"
        },
        {
          "@_Code": "12",
          "@_Text": "The date that you opened your oldest account is too recent"
        },
        {
          "@_Code": "I",
          "@_Text": "Inquiries did impact the credit score"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}