When a Credit Report check is complete, you can view the results from the case’s case details page on CertnCentric. The information is populated as the checks in the case are completed.
Learn more about Credit Report checks in our Credit Report checks Certn Help article.
In this article
- Explanation of results
- Why was the Credit Report check automatically cancelled by Certn?
- Check subscores and additional messages
- Next steps
Explanation of results
A case is Complete when the applicant has successfully submitted their information and Certn has executed all checks in the case and returned the relevant results. A Complete Credit Report check can have 1 of 2 check scores:
- Clear: The applicant’s data returned with a credit score above 650 and without any data which would trigger a review status.
-
Review: The applicant’s data may return with this result if one or more of the following is true:
- The applicant’s data returned with a credit score below 660 (650 for Canadian Credit Reports)
- The report contains any warnings or review flags.
- The information provided by the applicant differs from the information reported by Equifax.
- The applicant’s data did not return any data from Equifax.
- Cancelled: The case has been cancelled by the client, applicant or by Certn.
Why was the Credit Report check automatically cancelled by Certn?
Credit Report checks depend on a successful identity verification being completed before they are run through Certn. Please see the Identity Verification dependencies Certn Help article for more information.
Credit Report checks are cancelled for one of the following reasons:
- Unable to verify ID: Certn was not able to verify the identity document due to document validity, image quality, fraud detection or other related reasons. For more information on troubleshooting common OneID check issues, see the Identity Verification guide for applicants Certn Help article.
- Credit not available in the address' region: The applicant provided an address for a region that did not match the region of the Credit Report ordered by the client. For example the client ordered a US Credit Report check and the applicant provided a Canadian address. Another example would be the client ordered a single region Credit Report check, but the applicant provided an international address.
For more information on check scores, see the Case and check statuses and scores Certn help article.
Check subscores and additional messages
A Credit Report check will be accompanied by one of the following subscores:
- Results found: Applicant provided information returned results.
- No match found: Applicant provided information did not return results. See more information on additional messages below for next steps.
- Discrepancy: Applicant provided address does not match the returned results. In some cases discrepancy also may indicate a non-substantial discrepancy between the applicant provided name and the name returned. For example, the applicant did not provide a middle name but one was located by the credit reporting agency.
Additional messages
A Credit Report check can be accompanied by additional messages once it is complete and is given the Review score. Below is a list of common messages, related regions, their details, and next steps, if any.
| Subscore | Applicable Regions | Description |
| Active Duty Alert | US Only | The applicant has asked Equifax to place an active duty military alert on their credit file to ensure extra steps to verify the applicant’s identity are taken before obtaining access to sensitive information. |
| Address discrepancies | US Only |
The address Equifax has reported does not match the address history provided by the applicant. |
|
Confirmed true name fraud activity |
Canada Only |
Fraudulent activity has been reported on the credit file. This message appears when the applicant has reported to Equifax they were a victim of fraud. |
|
Consumer interview scheduled |
Canada Only | The applicant has scheduled an interview with Equifax regarding their credit file. |
|
Credit file locked by consumer |
Canada Only | The applicant has requested their credit file be locked so that it is inaccessible. |
| Credit score unavailable | All Regions | When an applicant has insufficient credit history Equifax cannot calculate a credit score and will not return information from that credit file. |
| Fraud victim alert | US Only | A fraud victim alert exists on the applicant’s credit file. This alert appears on a credit file when fraud has been reported by the applicant to Equifax. |
| Fraudulent address alert | US Only | The address associated with the credit file has been flagged by Equifax as potentially fraudulent. |
| Identification theft alert | Canada Only | An identification theft alert exists on the applicant’s credit file. This alert appears on a credit file when identity theft has been reported by the applicant to Equifax. |
| Information used to run this check varies from the details of the matched credit file. | US Only | Some of the information provided by the applicant (could include name, address, date of birth, etc.) does not exactly match the details of the credit report. |
| Limited data available | US Only | Equifax does not have enough information in the applicant’s credit file to generate a full credit report. |
|
Lost or stolen wallet or identification |
Canada Only | The applicant has reported a stolen wallet or piece of identification and may be a victim of fraud. |
| Misused address | US Only | The address provided by the applicant has been flagged by Equifax for potential misuse or fraudulent activity. |
| Protected rights | Canada Only |
The applicant’s guardian or attorney is the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT) in Ontario. Contact the OPGT for more information at 1-800-366-0335 for more information. |
| No-hit | All Regions | When information provided by the applicant does not match the information returned by Equifax for the Credit Report check, the check is given a subscore of No-hit. |
| Results withheld | All Regions |
A Results withheld message means credit file information will not be disclosed. This typically indicates one or more of the following are true:
|
| Social Security number mismatch | US Only | The social security number (SSN) Equifax has on file does not match what was provided by the applicant. |
| Social Security number reported as misused | US Only | The social security number (SSN) has been flagged by Equifax for potential misuse or fraudulent activity |
Next steps
If the subscore indicates that the applicant must complete additional steps or have added additional security to their credit report, the applicant must contact Equifax for next steps.
Once a Credit Report check has a check score of either Clear or Review, the check is complete. Review the check results from the Case details page by selecting the case in the My tasks section.
Note: Applications returned with a Protected Rights message follow a different process. Contact the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT) in Ontario at 1-800-366-0335 for more information.
If the applicant believes they have a reportable credit history and the No-hit result was returned in error, please confirm the following:
- The applicant has provided the correct name and it matches the name available through the Credit Reporting agency. For example if the applicant provided a married name through the application but a maiden name is still being used with the Credit Reporting agency.
- The address(es) provided by the applicant match at least one address available through the Credit Reporting agency.
- The applicant provided a SIN or SSN as part of their application. Providing a SIN or SSN can help return results.
Record a decision for the case
Once you’ve reviewed the results of the Credit Report check and any other checks in the case, you can record your decision concerning the case. See the Manage your cases Certn Help article for more information.