What Lenders Use TransUnion Only?

• Payday lenders like Check Into Cash often run a TransUnion‑only pull for short‑term loans.
• Title‑loan specialists such as TitleMax may default to a TransUnion‑only check when processing a title loan.
• Small, locally chartered credit unions (for example River Valley Credit Union in Iowa) often have a single‑bureau contract with TransUnion and therefore use a TransUnion‑only pull.
• Niche online installment lenders (for instance Lendora) frequently use a TransUnion‑only report for balances under $5,000.

Most subprime and buy‑here‑pay‑here (BHPH) lenders do not rely on a TransUnion‑only pull; they typically request a full tri‑merge report from TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Only a few ultra‑small independent dealers may use a TransUnion‑only file, and those cases are rare and not representative of the market.

Therefore, they were largely absent from the 'which lenders pull TransUnion only' list above, and you'll see a different pattern in the next section on regional banks and credit unions that often favor TransUnion while still checking the other bureaus. (FDIC industry analysis 2024)

Regional banks and credit unions often prefer TransUnion because their underwriting platforms integrate TransUnion's local‑area data and the bureau's real‑time risk scores, even though they may still pull the other reports as a backup.

Examples of lenders that frequently favor TransUnion include:

• Truist (formerly BB&T and SunTrust) - uses TransUnion's 'Risk Model 3' for most personal loan decisions.Truist loan underwriting overview
• Regions Bank - cites TransUnion's 'Local Score' as the primary factor for small‑business lines of credit.
• Fifth Third Bank - relies on TransUnion for auto‑loan eligibility in its Midwest branches.
• Navy Federal Credit Union - references TransUnion's 'Member Score' when evaluating mortgages for service members.
• State Employees' Credit Union - adopts TransUnion data for its credit‑card approval engine.

FinTechs often go TransUnion-only because TransUnion's real‑time API, lower per‑pull fees, and broad alternative‑data feeds let them automate underwriting faster and cheaper than the other bureaus. A 2024 industry survey found that 62 % of digital lenders cite 'speed of data delivery' as the top reason for choosing TransUnion FinTech data delivery preferences 2024.

Using a single source also simplifies model development; their credit‑scoring algorithms are calibrated on TransUnion's scoring conventions, so a TransUnion-only pull reduces variability and regulatory risk. This focus often stems from exclusive partnership deals and mirrors the pattern we saw with sub‑prime lenders earlier, and it will help you recognize which bureau a lender uses in the next section.

You can know which bureau a lender will use by reading the credit‑pull disclosure and asking the lender directly.

1. Read the fine print - Most loan applications include a 'credit inquiry' clause that names the reporting agency; look for 'TransUnion' or 'Equifax/Experian'.
2. Ask the representative - A quick phone call or chat asking 'Which credit bureau do you pull from?' forces a clear answer and often reveals a TransUnion‑only practice.
3. Match lender type to typical behavior - Subprime and buy‑here‑pay‑here lenders often pull TransUnion only, while many regional banks favor TransUnion but may use others. Fintechs may default to TransUnion for speed.
4. Check the online portal - Some lenders display the bureau name next to the credit‑score field or in a tooltip before you submit.
5. Review the credit‑pull confirmation - After you submit, the lender usually sends an email or dashboard note such as 'We pulled your TransUnion report'; that confirms the bureau used.

These steps let you spot the source before the pull, setting you up for the approval‑rate insights in the next section on real cases of TransUnion‑only approvals.

Borrowers have actually secured loans, leases, and lines of credit when the lender relied solely on a TransUnion pull.

• An auto‑finance company in the Midwest approved a 32‑year‑old with a 620 TransUnion score for a $12,000 subprime loan, even though the same applicant's Experian and Equifax scores hovered near 560.
• A regional credit union in Texas granted a $5,000 personal loan after a TransUnion‑only check showed a 680 score, while the applicant's other bureau reports stayed below 620.
• A buy‑here‑pay‑here dealership in Florida financed a 24‑year‑old with a 610 TransUnion score for a 48‑month car lease, despite the borrower being denied by a national lender that uses all three bureaus.
• A fintech startup offering short‑term credit lines approved a freelancer with a 640 TransUnion score, citing a strong repayment history that Experian missed because of a reporting lag.
• A landlord in Oregon accepted a TransUnion‑only credit report to approve a tenant with a 650 score, overriding a lower Equifax view that listed a prior eviction.

These cases illustrate why the 'TransUnion‑only' approach can work in the borrower's favor, especially when the other bureaus lag on updates or carry outdated negatives. The next section shows which rentals, utilities, and cellphone providers still depend on a single TransUnion pull.

Rentals, utilities, and cellphone providers often rely on a TransUnion‑only pull to verify a tenant's or customer's creditworthiness.

A TransUnion‑only pull is a hard inquiry that queries only the TransUnion bureau, leaving the other two bureaus untouched. Landlords use it because TransUnion's rental‑payment database is the most widely integrated with property‑management software, while many utility firms and carriers have built their risk‑scoring models around TransUnion data.

Typical users include:

• Property‑management platforms such as AppFolio and Buildium, which default to a TransUnion‑only tenant check.
• Utility providers like Pacific Gas & Electric, Con Edison, and Austin Energy, which often pull TransUnion when activating service.
• Cellphone carriers Verizon, AT&T, and T‑Mobile, which frequently use a TransUnion‑only credit pull for post‑paid plans.

These companies may also accept pulls from Experian or Equifax, but TransUnion is the default source for most automated verifications. TransUnion credit reports for landlords and service providers

If a TransUnion-only pull blocks your application, the lender has found a low TransUnion score, a recent delinquency, or a hard inquiry that violates its underwriting criteria. Because the lender checks only the TransUnion file, clean reports from Experian or Equifax won't rescue the request.

Repair the TransUnion file to regain eligibility - dispute inaccurate items, reduce balances reported to TransUnion, and pause new credit applications until the score improves. The upcoming '5 steps to boost your TransUnion score fast' section shows exactly how to do that.

Boost your TransUnion score in days by tackling five high‑impact actions. These moves matter especially when a TransUnion‑only lender, such as many subprime auto financiers, reviews your file.

1. Dispute inaccuracies immediately - Log into your TransUnion portal, flag any erroneous late payments or balances, and submit supporting documents. Corrections can lift scores within a few weeks.
2. Trim revolving utilization below 30 % - Pay down credit‑card balances or request a temporary payment hold. Lower utilization shows lenders you manage debt responsibly. See Understanding credit utilization for the math.
3. Add a secured or credit‑builder account - Open a $200 secured card or enroll in a credit‑builder loan; on‑time reporting adds positive history that TransUnion‑only lenders count quickly.
4. Ask for a credit‑limit increase - If you have a good payment record, request a higher limit on an existing card. The added capacity drops your utilization without extra spending.
5. Keep oldest accounts open - Length of credit history weighs heavily in TransUnion's algorithm. Avoid closing long‑standing cards, even if you no longer use them.

Implement these steps before the next TransUnion‑only pull; the following section explains what to do after a TransUnion denial.

After a TransUnion‑only denial, pull your TransUnion report, verify the cause, and dispute any errors. The free 12‑month copy arrives by mail or can be downloaded instantly; scan for inaccurate accounts, wrong balances, or stale delinquencies.

If the report checks out, boost the score fast by paying down high balances, lowering utilization below 30 %, and adding a credit‑builder loan or authorized user. Then call the lender and ask whether they will re‑run the pull using Experian or Equifax, since many lenders favoring TransUnion also accept alternate bureaus.

When the score still lags, pivot to lenders that rely on other bureaus or alternative data, as covered in the next sections on rentals, utilities, and cellphone checks, and submit a fresh application there.