A credit check retrieves the candidate's credit file providing insight into their credit history and financial reliability.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What's checked? 
• How does it work?
• When to use it? 
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • What does an N/A result mean?

What's checked? 

• Equifax® Credit Report: the candidate's Equifax credit report, including score, recurrence, and credit history.
  
• Equifax® Enhanced Credit: powered by Score Complete from Equifax, evaluates candidates with little or no traditional credit history using alternative data.
  
• TransUnion® Credit Report: the candidate's TransUnion credit report, including score, recurrence, and credit history.

How does it work?

The check requires the candidate's informed written consent and is governed by provincial privacy and consumer reporting legislation. The report is pulled directly from TransUnion by default.

When to use it? 

Equifax or TransUnion Credit Report: the standard choice for landlords screening a prospective tenant's ability to pay rent, or for employers filling roles involving financial oversight, cash handling, or access to sensitive financial systems.

Equifax Enhanced Credit: when a standard credit report would likely come back thin or empty, such as for young candidates, first-time renters, or newcomers to Canada, and a financial reliability signal is still needed.

Note: In cases where a standard credit report would likely come back thin or empty, a banking analysis is another strong addition as it evaluates real income and account activity directly rather than relying on credit history. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does an N/A result mean?

An N/A result means the credit bureau was unable to properly identify the candidate and could not generate a report. This can happen with either Equifax or TransUnion, for a few reasons:

• Data availability: one bureau may hold more information on the candidate than the other.
• Different data sources: some creditors report to only one of the two bureaus, which affects which file is available or most relevant.
• Update frequency: Equifax and TransUnion may update their data at different times, which can affect which report is available or most complete.

When this happens, a new request can be submitted to the other bureau. Contact support@trustii.co to submit it.