Which Credit Bureau Does Each Bank Pull From?

Chase typically pulls the applicant's credit file from Experian, and most often uses this bureau for its credit cards and personal loans; for some mortgage or auto loan applications, Chase commonly draws from Equifax, while TransUnion pulls are rare. This pattern mirrors the 2023‑2024 trends discussed earlier in the 'bank of america credit pull' section and aligns with the Equifax pull leaderboard later in the article.

Bank of America most often pulls the applicant's credit file from Experian, especially for its credit‑card and personal‑loan applications in 2023‑2024. This aligns with the pattern we observed for Chase, where Experian serves as the primary source for most consumer products.

For mortgages, auto loans, or when a borrower resides in certain states, Bank of America may rotate to Equifax or TransUnion, or even request a combined report from all three bureaus. The bank's choice can also depend on the specific product line or internal risk models, so a single applicant might see different bureaus used across separate applications.

Wells Fargo most often pulls the applicant's Experian report for its credit‑card and personal‑loan decisions, while it typically relies on Equifax for mortgage and auto‑loan applications.

• Credit cards & personal loans: Experian is the primary bureau used.
• Mortgage loans: Equifax is the bureau most commonly queried.
• Auto loans: Equifax generally provides the credit data.
• New account openings (e.g., online banking): Experian is usually the source.

For a detailed breakdown, see Wells Fargo's credit‑bureau preferences by product.

Citi typically leans on Experian when evaluating credit‑card applications during the 2023‑2024 cycle. In most cases, the bank's initial soft pull comes from this bureau, providing a quick snapshot of the applicant's score and payment history. Occasionally, for mortgage or auto‑loan assessments, Citi switches to Equifax, aiming to capture data points not emphasized by Experian.

Certain premium products, such as the Citi Prestige card, trigger a multi‑bureau inquiry that can include TransUnion alongside the primary pull. This practice mirrors the broader 'banks pulling multiple bureaus' trend discussed later, reflecting Citi's effort to paint a fuller picture of creditworthiness across different lending categories.

These banks most often turn to Experian when you apply for a credit product.

• Chase  -  typically leans on Experian for credit‑card and personal‑loan applications.
• Bank of America  -  commonly favors Experian for its retail‑card and mortgage pulls.
• Wells Fargo  -  most often uses Experian for auto‑loan and credit‑card requests.
• Citi  -  usually relies on Experian for its travel‑card and balance‑transfer offers.
• Capital One  -  frequently pulls Experian for new‑card and installment‑loan approvals.

(See the Equifax pull leaderboard later for banks that swing the other way.)

Typically, the banks that sit at the top of the Equifax Pull Leaderboard are HSBC, PNC, and BBVA, with Truist (formerly SunTrust) and Barclays closely trailing. Recent data from Equifax pull leaderboard 2023 shows these institutions favor Equifax for most of their credit‑card and personal‑loan applications.

These banks often choose Equifax because its reporting emphasizes recent installment activity and utility payments, which match their underwriting algorithms for revolving credit and auto loans. They still may pull a secondary bureau for high‑risk or mortgage products, but Equifax remains the primary source.

Next, the TransUnion bank favorites section will outline the institutions that most often rely on that bureau, letting you compare where your bank falls on each list.

Banks that most often rely on TransUnion for credit checks include:

• Capital One - typically pulls TransUnion for personal credit cards and auto loans.
• Discover - commonly uses TransUnion when evaluating new credit‑card applications.
• US Bank - most often references TransUnion for mortgage and personal loan approvals.
• Ally - generally selects TransUnion for its online banking and auto‑finance products.
• Navy Federal Credit Union - frequently checks TransUnion for member credit‑card and loan requests.

Many major banks rotate among Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion rather than sticking to a single bureau, which explains the variation seen in earlier sections. This multiple‑bureau approach typically appears in the following institutions:

• Chase - typically pulls from all three bureaus, often rotating per application or geography.
• Bank of America - commonly uses Experian, Equifax and TransUnion for both credit cards and mortgages.
• Wells Fargo - usually draws from each bureau, with the choice varying by loan type and region.
• Citi - frequently pulls Experian for cards, Equifax for mortgages, and sometimes TransUnion for auto loans.
• Capital One - often pulls Experian and TransUnion; TransUnion may be used for newer card products.
• Discover - generally queries all three bureaus, especially for balance‑transfer offers.
• US Bank - most often pulls Experian and Equifax, adding TransUnion for select auto or home‑loan applications.

For a detailed look at how banks allocate pulls, see the recent credit‑bureau usage study.

Credit‑card applications typically draw from a single bureau - most often Experian or TransUnion - because issuers want a quick snapshot and the bureaus' scoring models align with card risk criteria. Banks such as Chase and Citi usually stick with their preferred bureau unless a consumer's history is unusually sparse, at which point they may flip to the other bureau for a second look.

Mortgage applications usually pull from multiple bureaus, commonly Experian and Equifax, and often include TransUnion as a third reference. Lenders need the fullest picture of long‑term repayment habits, so they routinely run a 'tri‑pull' to satisfy underwriting guidelines and meet investor requirements. This shift from single‑bureau card pulls to multi‑bureau mortgage pulls explains why you might see a different bureau listed in the 'Spot your bank's last pull' section earlier in the article.

The quickest way to know which credit bureau your bank last pulled from is to match the inquiry date on your credit report with the timing of your recent application.

1. Pull your free 2023‑2024 credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com.
2. Locate the 'hard inquiries' section; note the date, lender name, and listed bureau.
3. Cross‑reference the date with the day you submitted the loan, card, or mortgage application.
4. If the bureau isn't listed, call the bank's credit‑risk line and ask which bureau processed the most recent pull.

Below is the most common bureau each major bank uses for its primary products (variations still occur by state, product line, or over time).
| Bank | Credit‑card pulls | Mortgage pulls | Personal‑loan pulls |
|---------------------|-------------------|----------------|---------------------|
| Chase | Equifax | Experian | Experian |
| Bank of America | Experian | Equifax | TransUnion |
| Wells Fargo | TransUnion | Experian | Experian |
| Citi | Equifax | Equifax | TransUnion |
| Capital One | Experian | TransUnion | Experian |

Check the table first; if the inquiry matches the typical bureau, you've likely identified the pull without a phone call. If it differs, the bank's customer‑service line confirms the exact source.

Pulling from a frozen credit bureau stalls the process; no hard inquiry registers while the freeze remains active.

When a lender requests a report from a bureau that's locked, the request returns a 'frozen' status instead of a credit file. The application then hits a roadblock that looks like a denial, even though the consumer's score stays untouched.

• Approval timelines lengthen because the lender must ask the borrower to lift the freeze temporarily or wait for a manual alternative.
• Interest rates may creep higher if the lender resort‑s to a less‑favorable bureau after the initial freeze blocks the preferred source.
• Certain automated underwriting systems treat a frozen response as incomplete, prompting a manual review that adds paperwork and delays.
• In rare cases, the lender switches to a different product (e.g., from a credit‑card offer to a secured alternative) simply to bypass the freeze.

These hiccups cost time and could mean missing a limited‑time promotion, especially for banks that typically pull from a single bureau - as highlighted in the earlier 'bank‑specific pull' sections.

Expect the next part to explore how state regulations influence which bureau a bank chooses, because local laws sometimes dictate whether a freeze even registers in the first place.

Banks sometimes switch which credit bureau they query depending on the borrower's state, but the decision usually follows product‑specific underwriting needs rather than a fixed state‑by‑state rule. Regulatory nuances, local scoring preferences, and regional partnership agreements can nudge a lender toward Experian in one jurisdiction and Equifax or TransUnion in another, especially for high‑value mortgages or state‑regulated loan programs (see Consumer Financial Protection Bureau overview).

Because the bureau choice can shift without public notice, monitoring recent pulls through your bank's online portal or a credit‑monitoring service is the safest way to confirm which report was used; the next section shows how to spot your bank's last pull and avoid freeze‑related mismatches.