Metro 2® Glossary
A comprehensive reference of Metro 2® terminology and concepts used in credit reporting.
Term
Description
Ref.
Account Status
A code that indicates the current condition of an account, such as current, delinquent, or closed.
Base/17A
Account Type
A code that specifies the type of account within a Portfolio Type, such as auto loan, credit card, etc.
Base/9
Associated Consumer
Any individual associated with a specific account other than the primary consumer, such as a joint account holder, co-signer, or authorized user.
J1/J2 Segments
Base Segment
The main segment in a Metro 2® file that contains account information and primary consumer data.
Compliance Condition Code
A code that indicates special conditions related to legal compliance, such as accounts in dispute.
Base/20
Consumer Information Indicator
A code that provides additional information about a consumer's relationship to an account, such as bankruptcy or deceased status.
Base/38
CRA
Consumer Reporting Agency. An organization that collects and sells consumer credit information, such as Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
CRRG
Credit Reporting Resource Guide. The industry standard guide for Metro 2® reporting format specifications, published by the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA).
Data Furnisher
Any entity that provides consumer credit information to one or more CRAs, such as banks, lenders, and collection agencies.
Date of First Delinquency
The date that an account first became delinquent and was never again current. This date remains the same regardless of subsequent delinquencies.
Base/25
ECOA Code
Equal Credit Opportunity Act Code. Indicates the consumer's relationship to the account (primary, joint, authorized user, etc.).
Base/37
FCBA
Fair Credit Billing Act. A federal law that protects consumers from unfair billing practices and provides mechanisms to dispute billing errors.
FCRA
Fair Credit Reporting Act. A federal law that regulates the collection, dissemination, and use of consumer credit information.
Generation Code
A code that indicates the generation of a consumer's name (Jr, Sr, II, III, etc.).
Base/33
Header Record
The first record in a Metro 2® file, which contains identification information about the reporting entity.
K1 Segment
A segment used by debt buyers and collection agencies to report original creditor information.
K1/1-3
K2 Segment
A segment used to report information about purchased or sold accounts.
K2/1-3
L1 Segment
A segment used to report changes to account numbers or identification numbers.
L1/1-4
Metro 2®
The credit reporting industry standard format for furnishing data to consumer reporting agencies, developed by the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA).
Payment History Profile
A 24-character field that contains up to 24 months of payment history, with each position representing one month, starting with the most recent month.
Base/18
Payment Rating
A code that indicates the level of delinquency on certain account status codes.
Base/17B
Portfolio Type
A code that indicates the type of credit account: Installment (I), Revolving (R), Mortgage (M), Line of Credit (C), or Open (O).
Base/8
Special Comment Code
A code that provides additional information about the status or condition of an account that is not covered by the Account Status Code.
Base/19
Trailer Record
The last record in a Metro 2® file, which contains control totals for validating the file's contents.
Need More Information?
This glossary provides a basic overview of Metro 2® terminology. For comprehensive details and exact specifications, refer to the Metro 2® Credit Reporting Resource Guide® (CRRG®) published by the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA).