Writer: Brittney Mayer
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Reviewer: Ashley Fricker
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In a world where consumer data is a legitimate commodity, nearly every company seems to track and trade in your personal information. But few companies have been in the information business quite as long as the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
These three companies have massive databases full of details about the credit and payment history of millions of Americans — most of it voluntarily reported by the creditors and lenders with which we do business every day.
Given that each credit agency is an independent entity, they’re not obligated to share most types of information, and each may possess a unique dataset for any given consumer. Since creditors can pull information from any one (or all three) of the bureaus, the specific bureau could impact whether your application is approved. Perhaps your credit score is slightly higher through Experian than it is through Equifax and you’re wondering if there are any credit cards that use Experian exclusively. Unfortunately, issuers don’t rely on any single bureau for all their information. Read on for more information.
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No Issuer Pulls Exclusively From Experian
When you apply for a new credit card, the issuer will likely check your credit profile to determine whether to approve your credit application and, if so, what type of credit line and APR to offer. Basically, everything about your new card hinges on what’s in the specific credit report(s) that the issuer evaluates.
Since each report can show different things, being able to pick and choose which report an issuer uses would be ideal — but, unfortunately, it’s effectively impossible.
To start, while some issuers will only request a report from a single bureau, others may request two or even all three bureau reports. Moreover, credit card issuers are notoriously unpredictable when it comes to which bureau(s) they query for a particular application, and no single issuer exclusively uses any particular bureau, including Experian.
Some data suggests that your state of residence may be a factor in which bureau is used, but even that can vary by issuer and even by the specific card. And though some consumers have found success freezing a particular credit report to prevent it from being queried, some issuers may reject you out of hand if they can’t get the report they want.
Credit Card Issuers that Commonly Use Experian for Approval
Although it’s not possible to accurately predict which credit bureaus will be queried as the result of a particular credit card application, we do have a few tools for making fairly educated guesses. Primarily, we have data points.
As with many industries, the credit card world has its share of dedicated fans who like to dive deep into the ins and outs. In this case, credit card forum participants and consistent commenters have given us a variety of data points on which reports were pulled for their personal credit card applications.
From the data points, it’s quickly apparent that, while no issuers are exclusive to any one bureau, many pull reports more heavily from one bureau over the others. We found five issuers that seem to predominantly rely on Experian credit reports for credit card applications.
Chase
A powerhouse in the credit card world, Chase issues many of the most popular rewards cards on the market today. Unfortunately, Chase also has some of the highest credit standards and some of the most rigid limitations on who can be approved.
The issuer is also all over the board when it comes to which bureau it queries for a credit report. Although the data indicates that Experian is more frequently used than the other two bureaus, a number of reports suggest multiple reports were pulled.
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Regardless of which bureau Chase checks, your application could be denied simply because you have too many new cards. Chase’s infamous 5/24 Rule means you will be automatically denied most Chase cards if you’ve opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) within the last 24 months.
Bank of America
Bank of America is often credited with the first mass-market consumer credit card, and the bank has maintained a foothold in the industry since those early experiments made history. While today’s Bank of America credit card lineup doesn’t have the same flash as some of its competitors, the bank still offers a little something for almost anyone.
Well, almost anyone with a decent Experian profile, that is. As the data shows, Bank of America pulls an Experian credit report more than 80% of the time, with the occasional double-up with a pull from one of the other two bureaus.
Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser. Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser. Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.4.9
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As with most issuers, Bank of America has a few application rules in place to limit the number of cards you can obtain. Specifically, the bank will only approve two cards per rolling two months, three cards per 12 months, and up to four cards in any given 24-month period.
Citi
Citi’s banking roots go back more than a century, and the issuer has held a major role in the credit card market for decades. Although Citi doesn’t have quite as many top-tier rewards cards as some of its competitors, the bank has a number of popular picks, including several of the top rewards cards.
Looking at the data points, reports show that Citi can pull from any of the three bureaus — and frequently pulls from more than one. That said, more than 52% of reported pulls were from Experian. Many reports also indicated Equifax pulls, though many of these were in conjunction with an Experian credit report inquiry.
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- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.24% – 28.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
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0% 18 months on Balance Transfers
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18.24% – 28.24% (Variable)
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$0
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Excellent/Good/Fair
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Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
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- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
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N/A
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20.24% – 28.24% (Variable)
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$95
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Good/Excellent
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Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
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- Discover one of Citi’s best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members
- Earn 5% cash back rewards on gas at Costco and earn 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year, and then 1% thereafter.
- 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases and eligible travel, including Costco Travel.
- 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
- Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
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N/A
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19.49% – 27.49% (Variable)
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$0
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Excellent
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Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
While Citi doesn’t have any official limits on how many Citi cards you can have, the issuer does limit applications to once per week and two every 60 days. If you apply more frequently, you will likely be denied automatically.
American Express
One of the very first consumer credit card companies, American Express still reigns as a top card issuer, both in terms of the number of cardholders and its high marks for customer satisfaction. Amex has a number of extremely popular rewards cards, though the issuer is known for its high standards.
According to Nasdaq, it seems that Amex almost exclusively pulls Experian credit reports — almost, but not quite. Approximately 95% of reports include an Experian pull, though some reports indicated the issuer also pulled Equifax or TransUnion reports (and, sometimes, all three).
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- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new card to make $8,000 in purchases in your first 6 months of Card Membership
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points for flights booked directly through airlines or American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. Also earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.
- $200 annual hotel credit, $200 annual airline fee credit, $15 monthly Uber cash credit, $50 bi-annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit, and more.
- Platinum Card Members have unlimited complimentary access to all locations of The Global Lounge Collection®, including 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries.
- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status and Hilton Honors Gold Status. Enrollment required.
- Choose among three card designs
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
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N/A
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20.24% – 29.24% Pay Over Time
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$695
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Excellent
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- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.
- Earn 4X Points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases. Also earn 4X Points at restaurants on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, including takeout and delivery, 3X points on flights when booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, and 2X points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel purchases, booked through AmexTravel.com. All other eligible purchases earn 1X point.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at participating partners. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges.
- $325 Annual Fee
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
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N/A
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20.24% – 29.24% Pay Over Time
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$325
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Excellent
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- Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of card membership
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, 1.5X points on business categories and purchases of $5,000 or more on up to $2 million per calendar year, and 1X point for each dollar you spend on other purchases.
- Get up to $400 back per year toward U.S. purchases with Dell Technologies, up to $360 back per year for purchases with Indeed, and $120 back per year for wireless telephone service purchases on the Business Platinum Card, plus additional credits. Enrollment is required for all.
- Access to more than 1,400 lounges across 140 countries and counting with the American Express Global Lounge Collection®
- Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Business Platinum Card® Account.
- $695 Annual Fee
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Intro (Purchases)
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Intro (Transfers)
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Regular APR
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Annual Fee
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Credit Needed
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|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
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N/A
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18.49% – 27.49% Pay Over Time
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$695
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Excellent
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ewards pure earnings.
In addition to checking your credit reports, American Express will also evaluate your history with them and your current Amex cards. In some cases, you may be automatically turned down for a new Amex card based on your existing Amex relationship.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo’s history goes back to the days of the stagecoach so famously part of the bank’s logo. Modern-day Wells Fargo is one of the largest banks in the U.S., and the issuer has a number of popular credit card offerings designed to appeal to a variety of cardholders.
Although the data shows that Wells Fargo has a slight preference for pulling credit reports from Experian — approximately 47% of reported credit pulls — the bank also seems to pull from TransUnion fairly regularly, nor is it uncommon for Equifax to be queried for a report.
While Wells Fargo is one of the few issuers without known restrictions on how many cards you can have or how frequently you can apply for a new card, the bank is reported to restrict approval for some of its top cards to consumers who already have a Wells Fargo banking relationship
All Three of Your Credit Reports Are Equally Important
The information on your credit reports can be a vital part of your personal finances. Good credit can make it possible not only to obtain new credit, but also to obtain affordable credit.
But, not all credit reports are the same. The information on each of your credit reports can vary based on which bureaus receive reports from your creditors, as well as which bureaus previous lenders have queried in the last two years.
Since you can’t always accurately predict which credit report — or, in many cases, reports, plural — will be used to evaluate your credit risk, it’s best to ensure you maintain all three of your credit reports to the best of your ability.
You should also endeavor to check all three of your credit reports on a regular basis to look for mistakes, outdated information, or potentially fraudulent accounts. While you can purchase your credit reports at any time, you are also entitled to one free credit report from each bureau as often as weekly through AnnualCreditReport.com.
Advertiser Disclosure
CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.
Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
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