Which Credit Cards Only Pull TransUnion?

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• Cards that tend to pull only TransUnion are typically store‑brand, credit‑union, and fintech‑issued products.
• Target REDcard and Walmart Rewards Card (store cards) usually use a TransUnion hard pull for new applications  -  store cards often rely on TransUnion.
• Navy Federal Platinum Card and PenFed Power Cash Card (credit‑union cards) favor TransUnion as the sole bureau for credit checks  -  credit‑union cards commonly pull TransUnion.
• Petal 2 Visa and Deserve EDU Mastercard (fintech cards) often rely on a TransUnion hard pull, especially for applicants with limited credit history  -  fintech issuers tend to use TransUnion.
• Capital One VentureOne and Chase Freedom Flex (select travel/reward cards) have recent reports of defaulting to a TransUnion hard pull when the applicant's other bureau scores are low  -  travel cards may favor TransUnion.

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The major credit‑card issuers that typically include TransUnion in their hard‑pull underwriting are (they usually pull all three bureaus, not just TransUnion):

Store cards, credit unions, and fintechs that favor TransUnion usually include that bureau in a hard pull, though they may also query Experian or Equifax depending on the applicant's profile.

• Store cards - Amazon Prime Store Card, Walmart Rewards® Card (Capital One), Target REDcard, Best Buy Credit Card, and Costco Anywhere Visa ® Card often list TransUnion as a primary source in their underwriting2024 credit‑card bureau pull analysis.
• Credit unions - Navy Federal Credit Union, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, Alliant Credit Union, and Digital Federal Credit Union typically start with TransUnion before rotating to the other bureausCredit union bureau preferences 2023.
• Fintech issuers - Petal, Deserve, Upgrade, and Stax cards commonly pull TransUnion first, though their algorithms can switch to Experian or Equifax for risk‑based decisionsFintech issuers bureau usage 2024.

Even when these issuers favor TransUnion, expect the possibility of a multi‑bureau hard pull and confirm the specific bureau during the application process.

You can't guarantee a TransUnion hard pull, but you can raise the odds by focusing on issuers that historically favor TransUnion.

1. Pick issuers that tend to use TransUnion - Capital One, Discover, American Express (certain cards), and Citi often pull TransUnion. Store cards like Target REDcard and Walmart Credit Card also lean toward TransUnion. Credit unions and fintechs such as SoFi Money and Upgrade explicitly state they use TransUnion. (See the 2024 Credit Bureau Preference Study for details.)
2. Run a soft‑prequalification - Most soft‑prequal screens do not reveal which bureau will be used for a hard pull, but they give a rough approval chance. Check your TransUnion score on a free monitoring service (e.g., Credit Karma) before you apply; a strong TransUnion score makes the issuer more likely to select that bureau.
3. Match your strongest bureau - Issuers typically choose the bureau that yields the highest score for them. If your TransUnion score is the highest among the three, entering the same personal information for the hard application nudges the system toward a TransUnion pull, though it remains an internal decision.
4. Use a TransUnion‑only lender - Some credit unions and fintech platforms advertise 'single‑bureau' pulls and explicitly use TransUnion. Applying through these channels bypasses the uncertainty of multi‑bureau issuers.

Capital One's 'Pre‑Qualified Offer' tool, Discover's 'Pre‑Qualified Card' page, and U.S. Bank's online pre‑qual check usually pull only TransUnion via a soft inquiry.

These services ask for just your name, address, and the last four of your SSN, then run a single‑bureau soft pull that leaves your credit score untouched. Because they query only TransUnion, the result reflects the data that most issuers in this guide already favor.

Use the soft‑pull prequal to gauge eligibility before you submit a hard application; the next section shows how to time that application to avoid multiple hard pulls.

You can't time an application to turn a multi‑bureau hard pull into a TransUnion‑only check; the only reliable method is to apply with issuers that already pull TransUnion exclusively and then separate any additional hard pulls by roughly 30 days. Earlier sections listed the few cards that tend to use only TransUnion, such as Capital One Quicksilver and Discover it Student, and those remain the safe options.

For all other issuers, space each new hard pull at least 30 days apart to reduce scoring impact, because most models discount inquiries older than a month. Use soft‑pull pre‑qualifications first - they won't affect your score and can hint at approval odds, but they do not guarantee which bureau a subsequent hard pull will use. For up‑to‑date guidance on inquiry timing, see Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's overview of credit inquiries.

Fixing TransUnion errors before you apply means reviewing your TransUnion credit report, identifying inaccurate items, and getting them corrected so the hard pull reflects your true creditworthiness. This step matters because the cards listed in the 'cards that tend to pull only TransUnion' section rely solely on that bureau; any mistake can cost you an approval.

Typical fixes include: request a free TransUnion report online, mark each error, submit a dispute through the TransUnion dispute portal, attach supporting documents, and follow up until the item is updated or removed.

If an error stems from a lender, call their fraud department to verify the dispute and ask for a correction letter. After the bureau confirms the change, re‑check the report to ensure the entry shows as 'removed' or 'corrected' before submitting any TransUnion‑only hard pull.

The only way to know which bureau an issuer will pull is to get that detail directly from the card's pre‑application resources or the issuer's support team before you submit a hard pull.

You can confirm the bureau by:

• Reading the FAQ or terms on the card's landing page - many issuers note 'we use TransUnion for this product' (see NerdWallet's 2024 bureau‑usage guide).
• Running the soft‑pull pre‑qualification tool; the preview often lists the bureau that will be queried if you accept.
• Calling the issuer's customer service and asking 'Which credit bureau will you pull for this application?' and noting the representative's name for reference.
• Checking a recent credit‑pull receipt on your credit‑monitoring app; the pull record includes the bureau name.

Once you have the bureau confirmed, you can plan the next step - understanding what a TransUnion‑only hard pull means for your credit profile.

A TransUnion-only hard pull means the lender will request your full TransUnion credit report, register a hard inquiry that typically knocks 5‑10 points off your TransUnion score for up to two years, and base the approval decision solely on that file; if your Experian or Equifax scores are lower, they won't affect this application, which is why the 'targeting a TransUnion pull when your other bureaus hurt' section recommends this strategy, and because the decision hinges on one bureau, any error on your TransUnion report can be decisive - so the 'fix TransUnion errors before you apply' tip is critical,

while the immediate impact is a temporary dip in your TransUnion score and a faster verification process since only one data source is queried, as recent TransUnion explains hard pull impact confirms, and this sets the stage for the next section on real‑world approvals from TransUnion‑only applications.

Applicants with a strong TransUnion score can secure approvals even when other bureaus lag. In a 2024 TransUnion pull analysis, a borrower with a 770 TransUnion rating and 630 Experian score was approved for the Capital One Quicksilver card on a hard pull that queried only TransUnion; the issuer cited the TransUnion figure as the decisive factor.

Conversely, a 2024 NerdWallet study shows that Chase Sapphire Preferred often rejects applicants when the hard pull accesses only TransUnion, then initiates a secondary verification that stalls the process. Those delays frequently trigger the identity‑verification challenges discussed in the next section.

A TransUnion‑only hard pull can delay identity verification because the issuer's automated match compares the applicant's data against the other two bureaus, and any missing or mismatched record forces a manual review.

• A different name or address on TransUnion versus Experian or Equifax triggers a mismatch flag.
• A recent fraud alert on the TransUnion file adds extra security checks.
• A 'partial match' on the Social Security Number in TransUnion's database prompts a request for additional documents.
• The issuer uses TransUnion's own identity verification service, which may require 24‑48 hours of manual confirmation.
• Disputing outdated info and updating the address on the TransUnion report before applying minimizes delay.