What Loans Use Only TransUnion?

Buy‑Here‑Pay‑Here auto dealers, title‑loan specialists such as TitleMax, payday lenders like Check Into Cash, rent‑to‑own retailers (Rent‑A‑Center, Aaron's), a handful of community‑bank credit unions (Midwest Credit Union, First Choice Credit Union) and a few peer‑to‑peer platforms that have opted for a single‑bureau model (for example Upstart's TransUnion‑only product) pull TransUnion exclusively.

You find out which bureau a lender uses by checking the lender's disclosures and confirming with a soft pull or direct inquiry. Most lenders list the pulling bureau in the loan estimate or on their website.

1. Read the loan's pre‑approval or estimate document.
   
   Look for a line that says 'Credit bureau: TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax.' This is a legal requirement for most consumer loans.
2. Visit the lender's FAQ or 'How we check credit' page.
   
   Many banks and fintechs explain whether they 'pull TransUnion' or another bureau for each product.
3. Ask a representative.
   
   Call or email and request, 'Which credit bureau will you pull for this loan?' A clear answer avoids guesswork.
4. Run a soft credit check through the lender's portal.
   
   A soft 'pull TransUnion' will appear in your credit report without affecting your score, confirming the bureau used.
5. Check your credit‑monitoring alerts.
   
   Services like Credit Karma flag the source of each inquiry; a new 'inquiry - TransUnion' tells you the lender's preference.
6. Contact the bureau directly if still uncertain.
   
   Call TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax and ask, 'Do you have any recent inquiries from [Lender Name]?' Their response confirms the pulling bureau.

• Use a lender's free soft‑pull pre‑approval or credit‑check tool to confirm they only pull TransUnion before you submit a hard application.
• Find the soft‑check option on the lender's website or mobile app; it will explicitly state 'soft pull TransUnion' in the terms.
• Run a soft inquiry with a third‑party service that shows your TransUnion score, such as what is a soft credit check, and compare the result to the lender's reported bureau.
• Record the bureau used, then proceed to the hard pull only if the soft check matches the lender's TransUnion‑only claim.
• If no soft‑check is listed, call the lender's support line and ask them to perform a soft pull TransUnion to verify before you apply.

Buy‑here‑pay‑here dealers often pull only TransUnion when you apply for a car loan, so the entire credit decision rests on the data in that file. Lenders such as CarHop, DriveTime's in‑store financing arms, and many independent lots in the Midwest and South use a TransUnion‑only pull to keep approvals fast and paperwork minimal.

Because the inquiry touches a single bureau, your FICO or VantageScore may dip by 5‑10 points, the same as a standard hard pull, but no additional 'soft' checks appear on Experian or Equifax. To confirm a dealer's practice, ask the sales manager which bureau they use before you sign any paperwork; the next section explains how to test a lender with a soft check.

Title‑loan and payday‑loan companies frequently pull TransUnion, but most also query Experian or Equifax depending on state and underwriting policy. Below are lenders that often include TransUnion in their credit check routine (they may use additional bureaus as well):

• TitleMax (title loans, often pull TransUnion alongside other bureaus)
• TitleOne (title loans, may pull TransUnion depending on the state)
• ACE Cash Express (payday loans, frequently pull TransUnion)
• Speedy Cash (payday loans, often pull TransUnion)
• Check Into Cash (payday loans, commonly pull TransUnion)
• Moneytree (payday loans, may pull TransUnion)
• Advance America (payday loans, frequently pull TransUnion)

These lenders typically rely on TransUnion as part of a multi‑bureau pull, so a soft check with one bureau does not guarantee a hard pull will be limited to TransUnion alone. For exact bureau usage, consult the lender's pre‑application disclosure or test with a soft inquiry as described in the 'test a lender with a soft check before you apply' section.

Retail and rent‑to‑own financing that may use TransUnion includes many in‑store credit programs and lease‑to‑own firms that run a hard pull through TransUnion before approving a purchase.

• Aaron's rent‑to‑own - often pulls TransUnion for its 'Credit Check' Aaron's financing process.
• Rent‑A‑Center - may use TransUnion when evaluating a lease‑to‑own application Rent‑A‑Center credit options.
• FlexShopper - frequently runs a TransUnion inquiry for its 'Buy‑Now‑Pay‑Later' leases How FlexShopper works.
• Conn's HomePlus - often relies on TransUnion for its store financing approvals Conn's financing details.
• Walmart Credit Card - may pull TransUnion as part of its in‑store credit check Walmart credit card information.
• Sam's Club Mastercard - can use TransUnion when assessing a membership financing request Sam's Club credit card overview.

If you're unsure which bureau a retailer uses, refer back to the 'how you verify which credit bureau a lender uses' section. Remember, a TransUnion hard pull will affect your score the same way any other hard inquiry does, as covered in the upcoming 'how a TransUnion‑only hard pull affects your credit score' part.

Small credit unions and community banks that rely on TransUnion include Northwest Federal Credit Union, MountainWest Credit Union, Community Bank of the Ozarks, and First Heritage Bank. These lenders typically pull TransUnion for personal, auto, and home‑equity loans, especially when the borrower's primary relationship is local and the institution's underwriting platform integrates TransUnion data by default (see the quick answer above for a broader list).

They favor TransUnion because regional credit files often contain richer detail for their member base, the cost per pull is lower, and their core banking software is pre‑configured to request a TransUnion inquiry.

Before you apply, ask the loan officer which bureau they will pull or use a soft‑check tool that mimics their process; this habit will pay off when you move on to the peer‑to‑peer platforms discussed next. Northwest Federal Credit Union loan details

No peer‑to‑peer or marketplace loan platform pulls only TransUnion; they all request credit data from the three major bureaus.

These lenders need a complete risk picture, so they combine Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports. Pulling a single bureau could miss delinquencies or positive histories that affect underwriting decisions.

Examples: LendingClub, Prosper, Upstart, Funding Circle, and StreetShares each pull all three credit reports. None of the major P2P or marketplace platforms limit the hard inquiry to TransUnion alone.

A hard pull TransUnion drops your score roughly 5‑10 points, just like any single hard inquiry. Because FICO and VantageScore treat each bureau equally, the dip shows up in the TransUnion portion of your three‑bureau score and can lower the overall average.

The hit fades after about a year; the inquiry turns soft and stops affecting the score. Multiple recent pull TransUnion inquiries compound the drop, while a lone pull leaves the rest of your credit profile largely intact, so lenders that rely only on TransUnion see the lower number but others using Experian or Equifax may still view a healthy score. See FICO score impact of hard inquiries for details.

If a loan appears only on your TransUnion report, you can clear the error in three quick steps.

1. Pull all three reports - request a free copy from Equifax and Experian, then compare the loan entry. Noticing it only on TransUnion confirms the discrepancy.
2. Dispute the entry with TransUnion - log in to the TransUnion portal or mail a dispute letter. Attach a recent statement, payoff letter, or account‑closure notice. Also contact the lender and ask them to correct the data they sent to TransUnion. For a step‑by‑step guide, see how to dispute a credit report error.
3. Verify the correction - after 30 days, pull a fresh TransUnion report to ensure the loan is removed or updated. If the error persists, repeat the dispute and consider placing a fraud alert if you suspect identity theft.