What is a credit report?

A credit report is a detailed report of a person's credit history. It contains information like your history of paying loans and the status of your credit accounts. It gives a view of your financial habits, like how often you make payments on time, how much credit you have, and how much credit you're using. There are three major bureaus that compile credit reports: Equifax®, Experian® and TransUnion®. Each credit bureau compiles its own credit report, so your credit reports may be slightly different.

 

Why is my credit score important?

Lenders can use your credit scores and reports to decide whether to do business with you. Your credit score can affect the interest rates you can get, what lending and credit options you're offered, renting property, and if you're eligible for certain jobs. Please note that you have many credit scores. As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explains, “Your score can differ depending on which credit reporting agency provided the information, the scoring model, the type of loan product, and even the day when it was calculated.”

 

Aside from knowing where you stand, monitoring your credit can also help you spot reporting errors and potential fraud attempts. One way to monitor your credit is by using CreditWise from Capital One. CreditWise is free and available to everyone—even if you don't have a Capital One account.

 

Who should I contact if I find a mistake on my credit report?

• For issues related to information that Capital One has reported to the credit bureaus, you can dispute directly with us.
• For issues on your credit report that are NOT related to your Capital One account, you can dispute with the credit bureaus.

Please note: The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Capital One is required to report accurately and conduct reasonable investigations of disputes. We will investigate your dispute using the information provided, and respond within 30 days of receiving the dispute. Please keep in mind that credit bureaus will typically update your credit report(s) with any necessary changes within 1-2 billing cycles after the investigation is complete.

Please write a letter with the following information:

• Full name
• Your mailing address
• Capital One Account number(s) in question
• Social security number (example: 123-45-6789)
• Date of birth
• A detailed description of the issue and how you would like it resolved. Please include documentation to support your claim, such as a copy of your credit report with the disputed information circled. You can get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus—Equifax®, Experian® and TransUnion®—by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com

Send the letter to the appropriate office for your issue:

Credit card-related issues: Capital One, P.O. Box 31293, Salt Lake City, UT, 84131-1293

 

Auto loan-related issues: Credit Bureau Dispute, P.O. Box 259407, Plano, TX 75025-9407

 

Retail bank-related issues: 

• Disputes related to Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian reporting: Capital One Consumer Services, PO Box 30273, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0273
• Disputes related to ChexSystems and Early Warning Systems reporting: Capital One Bank, Attn: Loss Mitigation Dept, PO Box 85026, Richmond, VA 23285

Equifax: (866)-349-5191

Experian: (888)-397-3742

TransUnion: (800)-916-8800

ChexSystems: (800)-428-9623

Early Warning System (EWS): (800)-745-1560

 

Please note: If you choose to file a dispute with the credit bureaus instead, all dispute-related communications will come from the credit bureaus, not Capital One.