How Do I Remove a Credit Card from TransUnion?

If the card's entry is wrong, incomplete, or unverifiable, you can have TransUnion delete it through a dispute.

1. Confirm the error - compare the account number, balance, status and dates on your report with your own records. Accurate, on‑time accounts cannot be removed; proceed only if you spot a mistake.
2. Gather proof - pull the billing statements, any correction letters from the issuer, and a copy of your ID. (See 'gather billing statements, ID, and creditor correspondence.')
3. Start an online dispute - log into your TransUnion account, locate the card, select 'inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot verify,' and upload the documents you collected.
4. Or mail a certified dispute - write a brief letter naming the tradeline, explain why it's wrong, attach copies of your proof, and send it via certified mail to TransUnion's dispute address. (See 'mail a certified dispute to TransUnion with documents.')
5. Wait for the investigation - TransUnion must investigate and issue a result within 30 days of receiving your dispute. They will either correct/remove the entry or close the case.
6. Track the outcome - use the online 'track dispute' tool or check your next credit report to verify that the tradeline has been removed. (See 'track your dispute status and verify removal timeline.')

Accurate credit‑card tradelines remain on your report for up to seven years; they can be deleted only when an error exists.

Collect your recent billing statements, a government‑issued photo ID, and any creditor communications before starting the dispute. These items prove ownership, verify the account, and show why the tradeline may be inaccurate.

• Billing statements for the past 12 months (or the period you're disputing) showing balance, payment dates, and the account number.
• A clear copy of a driver's license, passport, or state ID that matches the name on the credit card account.
• All creditor letters, email threads, or portal screenshots confirming the account's status, closure, or error.
• Bank statements or canceled checks that verify payments if you're challenging a reported balance.
• Written confirmation from the creditor that the tradeline will be corrected or removed (e.g., settlement agreement).
• Digital copies ready for upload in the TransUnion online dispute step described later.

File the dispute online at TransUnion's TransUnion online dispute portal to request removal of the credit card account or tradeline.

Log in or create a free account, select 'Dispute an item,' locate the card you want to delete, mark it as inaccurate, and upload the billing statements, ID, and creditor correspondence you gathered earlier. Submit the request and keep the confirmation number.

TransUnion's dispute process must investigate within 30‑day and will notify you of the result; if they verify the error, the tradeline disappears from your report. Should they deny the claim, you can move on to the certified dispute method described in the next section. Only information that is inaccurate or unverifiable can be removed; valid but unwanted accounts remain.

Mailing a certified dispute to TransUnion with supporting documents forces a paper‑based review and triggers the 30‑day investigation window.

1. Draft a brief dispute letter.
   State the credit card account number, describe why the information is inaccurate, and request removal or correction.
2. Include clear copies of every proof item: recent billing statement, a government‑issued ID, and any creditor letters that show the error.
3. Place the letter and copies in an envelope addressed to TransUnion dispute mailing address.
   Send it via Certified Mail with Return Receipt (or USPS Tracking) so you have delivery proof.
4. File the receipt, tracking number, and a complete copy of the packet in a safe place.
   You'll need these when you verify the dispute outcome.
5. Await TransUnion's written response, which must arrive within 30 days.
   If the tradeline is corrected or removed, proceed to the 'track your dispute status and verify removal timeline' section.

Creditors must report accurate tradelines; they cannot voluntarily stop reporting a valid credit card account, but you can ask them to correct or delete the entry if it is inaccurate or was closed in error.

• Confirm the account contains an error (wrong balance, status, or dates).
• Collect supporting documents (billing statements, settlement letters, closure notices).
• Contact the creditor's disputes department, explain the inaccuracy, and request that they update TransUnion with the corrected information.
• Ask the creditor to confirm in writing that they have sent the correction; they are required to investigate any dispute within 30 days.
• If the creditor refuses or does not respond, file a formal dispute with TransUnion (as covered in the previous section) and include your documentation; the bureau will then require the creditor to verify the data.
• Only when the creditor acknowledges an error will the tradeline be removed or updated on your TransUnion report.

You can monitor your dispute through TransUnion's online portal, by phone, or via the mailed confirmation, and verify removal once the 30‑day investigation ends.

• Log in to the TransUnion dispute portal with the case number emailed after you submit the dispute; the dashboard shows 'in review,' 'information received,' or 'completed.'
• Call TransUnion's consumer line (1‑800‑916‑8800) and quote your dispute reference; the representative can tell you the current stage and expected completion date.
• If you mailed a certified dispute, keep the tracking receipt; TransUnion must acknowledge receipt within 5 business days, then start the 30‑day review.
• When the status changes to 'completed,' download the updated credit report or request a free 'resolution letter' to see whether the credit‑card tradeline was deleted, corrected, or left unchanged.
• If the tradeline remains, note the reason (e.g., 'information verified') and consider a second dispute with additional proof; otherwise, the account should disappear from your report during the next reporting cycle, typically within 7‑10 days after completion.

If the tradeline is removed, the next section explains when cards automatically fall off TransUnion.

Cards automatically fall off TransUnion only when the reporting period ends: any negative credit‑card tradeline - late payments, charge‑offs, collections - must be removed seven years after the first delinquency date, and bankruptcies may stay up to ten years;

positive (non‑negative) credit‑card accounts have no statutory expiration and remain on the report as long as the issuer continues to submit updates, so they disappear only if the creditor stops reporting the account, at which point TransUnion typically deletes the record within about 30 days.

File an FTC Identity Theft Report by visiting FTC Identity Theft Report, selecting 'Report Identity Theft,' and completing the online questionnaire. Upload any police report, billing statements, or creditor letters, then print the Identity Theft Report and the accompanying Affidavit.

Attach the FTC report to your TransUnion dispute packet; the report proves the credit card account is fraudulent and may result in removal during the 30‑day dispute process. Also forward the report to the card issuer so they can cease reporting the tradeline.

Keep the report reference number and a copy of the Affidavit for the next 7 years, because the tradeline can remain on your file for that period if not corrected. Use this documentation when you later 'track your dispute status' and before you move on to removing an authorized‑user tradeline.

An authorized‑user tradeline disappears from TransUnion when you ask the card issuer to stop reporting it. The issuer must delete the AU from its reporting file, which then removes the entry from your credit report within the standard 30‑day update window.

Typical cases: a spouse was added as an AU and the marriage ended; a fraudulent AU appeared after identity theft; the primary account closed but the AU remained.

Call the issuer's customer‑service line, verify your identity, and request removal of the AU. Ask for written confirmation that the tradeline has been deleted. If the call fails, send a signed letter to the issuer's compliance department stating the AU's name, the account number, and the demand for removal; keep a copy for your records. Most issuers honor the request promptly, and the change reflects on TransUnion after the next reporting cycle. For more details, see the consumer‑finance guide to authorized users.

Unconventional lenders that often rely predominantly on TransUnion for credit decisions include:

• CashNetUSA and other payday‑loan operators - many pull only TransUnion to keep approvals fast payday‑loan credit checks rely on TransUnion
• Accion's micro‑loan program - this CDFI frequently uses TransUnion as its primary bureau Accion and TransUnion‑based underwriting
• SeedFi's credit‑builder loans - the platform commonly pulls TransUnion data to assess new borrowers SeedFi's use of TransUnion for credit evaluation
• Certain peer‑to‑peer lenders - a few niche P2P platforms have historically limited pulls to TransUnion to simplify risk models P2P lenders' TransUnion‑focused policy
• Small community banks offering 'quick‑credit' products - these lenders may default to TransUnion for speed and cost efficiency quick‑credit and TransUnion reliance

Hire a credit repair company only after you've filed a TransUnion dispute, waited the mandatory 30‑day response period, and still see an inaccurate credit card tradeline that remains on your report past the 7‑year removal rule.

Red flags: any firm that promises guaranteed removal, demands payment before work begins, asks for your Social Security number via unsecured email, refuses to provide a written contract, or pressures you to sign a 'quick fix' agreement. For more on these scams, see FTC guidance on credit repair scams.