Knowing when a lender reports your credit account activity to the credit bureaus can impact how you use your credit card and manage your balance. And monitoring the borrowing and repayment history documented in your credit reports can also help you understand how your card activity impacts your three-digit credit scores.
When Does Discover Report to Credit Bureaus?
Last Updated: June 5, 2024
3 min read
Key points about: Discover credit reporting information
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Discover typically reports your account information to the credit bureaus each month, often on the day we generate your statement (the close of your billing cycle).
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Discover reports your information to the three major credit bureaus: Experian®, TransUnion®, and Equifax®.
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Among other details, Discover reports your account balance, credit limit, and payment history.
Like many credit card companies, Discover usually reports your account activity to credit reporting agencies each month, typically around the time we generate your statement (the close of your billing cycle). Discover® Cardmembers can check their cardmember agreement for credit reporting agency information.
Which credit bureau does Discover report to?
Discover reports to all three major credit bureaus: Experian®, TransUnion®, and Equifax®.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, borrowers in the United States are entitled to one free credit report a year from each of the three major credit bureaus—and may be able to view their free credit reports more often online. The Federal Trade Commission reports that consumers have permanent access to free weekly credit reports from all three bureaus.
What information does Discover report?
Most credit issuers, including Discover, report your credit limit, account balance, payment history, and other account information to the credit bureaus.
Why is it important to know when your credit issuer reports your information?
If you’re trying to improve or maintain your credit scores, understanding when your credit card issuer reports your account activity to the credit bureaus is important.
The information on your three credit reports informs the credit score generated from each report. Five major factors impact your credit score: payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, credit mix, and new credit. Of the five, payment history (about 35% of your score) and amounts owed (about 30% of your score) typically have the largest impact on your credit score.
The amount you owe on your credit card increases your overall debt. And your credit scores can decrease due to a high credit utilization ratio—determined by dividing the total credit you’re using by your total available credit across all your revolving credit accounts (accounts you borrow from, repay, and borrow from again). If your issuer reports your credit card balance before you make your monthly payment, it may increase your credit utilization enough to lower your credit score.
Having a low credit utilization ratio may be especially important if you’re trying to secure new credit. Potential lenders may check your credit score before approving you for credit and establishing your terms, such as your interest rate and the amount of credit you’ll receive.
If you want to avoid having your credit card company report a high balance, you can make one or more payments toward your balance before the close of your billing cycle. You may also want to hold off on larger purchases if you can’t pay them off before your billing cycle ends.
Did you know?
You can monitor and manage your Discover® Card account with the Discover mobile app. Consider managing your balance by setting alerts that notify you when you’ve reached a specific limit. You can even schedule automatic payments, which may come in handy if you want to ensure that you pay down your balance before your billing cycle ends.
Knowing when Discover and other card issuers report your account information to the three major credit bureaus can help you manage your credit history. Consider getting your free credit reports to help you understand how your credit card information appears on your reports and may impact your credit scores.
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Legal Disclaimer: This site is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional advice. The material on this site is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and does not indicate the availability of any Discover product or service. It does not guarantee that Discover offers or endorses a product or service. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, you may wish to consult a qualified professional.