Which credit bureau does your lender use?
Quick summary
Most Canadian banks do not say which credit bureau they check when you apply. A few lenders say where they send your payment history. Capital One, Neo and KOHO say both Equifax and TransUnion. KOHO's TransUnion reporting started with August 2026 activity. Below you can see exactly what each lender says, and what it does not say. Next step: get your free credit report from both bureaus.
Reporting and checking are two different things
Reporting means a lender sends your payment history to a credit bureau. Checking, or pulling, means a lender looks at your file when you apply. A lender can do either one with Equifax, TransUnion or both.
RBC says some lenders report to both credit bureaus and others report to only one. When a lender reports to only one, your Equifax file and your TransUnion file can look different.
Lenders that say where they report
| Lender | Where it says it reports | Where it says this |
|---|---|---|
| Capital One Canada | Both Equifax and TransUnion | Capital One, Credit Bureaus |
| Neo Financial | Both TransUnion and Equifax | Neo help article |
| KOHO | Both Equifax and TransUnion, for its Credit Building product. TransUnion reporting starts with August 2026 activity and for now shows only on your free TransUnion consumer disclosure. | KOHO Help Centre |
These are statements about reporting, not about which bureau the lender checks when you apply. Capital One's page does not say which bureau it checks.
What the Big Six banks say
| Bank | What it says about its free score | Does it say which bureau it checks or reports to? |
|---|---|---|
| RBC | Does not name a bureau for a free score | No. RBC says only that some lenders report to both bureaus and others to one. |
| TD | The TD app shows a TransUnion CreditView dashboard | No |
| BMO | Credit Coach is powered by TransUnion | No |
| Scotiabank | Digital banking shows your TransUnion credit report | No |
| CIBC | Its free score service comes from TransUnion | No |
| National Bank | Explains how to check your score. Names both Equifax and TransUnion | No |
A free score in a bank app tells you which bureau supplies that score. It does not tell you which bureau the bank checks when you apply. None of these pages say that.
What to do before you apply
Ask the lender which bureau it checks. Staff can often tell you, and the answer may depend on the product.
Get your free credit report from both bureaus first, so you see what each one holds. Then fix mistakes before you apply, using the dispute letter guides for Equifax and TransUnion.
Questions people ask
Does KOHO report to TransUnion?
KOHO's help page on how Credit Building works says it reports to both Equifax and TransUnion, starting with August 2026 activity for TransUnion. For now the TransUnion information shows on your free TransUnion consumer disclosure, not in TransUnion credit report or score apps. KOHO has another help page that still says Equifax only, so check your own reports.
Does Capital One use Equifax or TransUnion?
Capital One says it reports to both Equifax and TransUnion. Its page does not say which bureau it checks when you apply.
Which credit bureau do Canadian banks use?
The Big Six banks do not publish which bureau they check. Several offer a free TransUnion score in their apps, but that does not show which bureau they use for lending.
Why are my Equifax and TransUnion scores different?
The two bureaus keep separate files. If a lender reports to only one of them, the files can differ. Compare your two reports to see which accounts appear on each.