Metro 2 Knowledge Hub
Educational overviews to help you understand and implement Metro 2 reporting. This content is original explanatory material; consult official CDIA sources for authoritative requirements.
Overview
Account Status Fundamentals
Status codes express current condition; they must align with balances and past-due.
Charge-Off and Original Charge-Off Amount
Capturing the amount written off at the time of charge-off and reporting thereafter.
Collections and Recovery
Tracking post-charge-off collections without misrepresenting new credit.
Compliance Condition Codes (Dispute/Legal Flags)
Flags for disputes and certain legal claims that require careful handling.
Credit Limit and Highest Credit
Reporting limits and peaks correctly to support utilization and risk models.
Current Balance and Amount Past Due
How balances and delinquency amounts interact with status and dates.
Date of Account Information (As-Of)
The cycle date that aligns balances, statuses, and history for the file.
FCRA Date of First Delinquency (DOFD)
The date that starts the seven-year purge period for certain derogatory events.
Industry Standards: Why Metro 2® Exists
How a common format enables consistency across lenders, industries, and time.
Payment History Profile (24-Month String)
A rolling record of monthly performance consumers see on credit reports.
Payment Rating
A one-character indicator required in specific derogatory scenarios.
Reporting Paid and Closed Accounts
How to finalize an account and avoid lingering balances or flags.
Reporting Transfers and Refinances
Distinguishing internal changes from new tradelines consumers will see.
Resources and Disclaimer
Where to find authoritative guidance and how to use this hub responsibly.
Responsibilities and Roles in Credit Reporting
Who does what in the credit reporting ecosystem, and how furnishers, CRAs, and consumers interact.
Scheduled vs. Actual Payment
Capturing contractual due amounts and cash actually received.
Special Comment Codes: Narrative Context
Short codes that add nuance such as forbearance, refinance, or consumer requests.
Terms: Duration and Frequency
Contract terms influence how payments and delinquency are interpreted.
Segments
Base Segment: The Backbone of Each Tradeline
High-level account attributes and monthly status live in the base segment.
BDW and RDW: Block and Record Descriptors
Transport-level wrappers used in some mainframe and batch workflows.
Character vs. Packed Formats
Differences in representation and when each format is appropriate.
Header Record: Identifying the File
What the header communicates about the furnisher, cycle, and file meta.
J1 Segment: Associated Consumer (Same Address)
Adding a co-borrower or associated consumer who shares the same address.
J2 Segment: Associated Consumer (Different Address)
Linking an associated consumer at a different address from the primary.
K1 Segment: Original Creditor Name
Capturing the original grantor information for context and lineage.
K2 Segment: Purchased From / Sold To
Tracking ownership changes to avoid duplicate or orphaned obligations.
K3 Segment: Mortgage Information
Mortgage-specific attributes required by housing agencies and CRAs.
K4 Segment: Specialized Payment Information
Capturing deferrals, balloon payments, and other specialized terms.
Key Dates: Opened, Last Payment, Closed
How core dates anchor aging, status, and purging timelines.
L1 Segment: Account Number Change
Preserving lineage when account numbers change due to internal processes.
Metro 2® Format: A Practical Overview
Key building blocks: header, base segment, appendages, and trailer records.
N1 Segment: Employment
Optional employment information to improve identification and fraud controls.
Portfolio and Account Type
Classify credit products correctly to enable the right validations and analytics.
Record Layouts: Fields, Positions, and Validation
Understanding fixed positions and how edits validate alignment and content.
Stable Identifiers and Account Numbers
Why permanent furnishers IDs and immutable account numbers matter.
Trailer Record: Balancing the File
Summarizing file totals to support acceptance and reconciliation.
Compliance
Bankruptcy Reporting Overview
How to reflect bankruptcy events without mischaracterizing post-petition activity.
Charge-Off Timing and DOFD
Choosing the correct month to move to charge-off and establishing DOFD.
Consumer Dispute Process
The lifecycle of a dispute from submission to furnisher response.
Dispute Flags and e-OSCAR
How furnishers receive, investigate, and respond to disputes electronically.
Repossession and Foreclosure
Asset recovery events and their impact on balances and statuses.
Operations
Accuracy, Integrity, and Consistency
Principles and practices to keep reported data aligned with reality.
Automated Data Reporting (ADR)
Batch-based reporting, cycles, and how to operationalize monthly submissions.
Common Validation Edits and How to Fix Them
Frequent issues like mismatched status/past-due or invalid dates.
Data Quality Monitoring and Audit
Ongoing controls that keep reporting healthy beyond initial launch.
File-Level Balancing and Totals
Why pre-send validation prevents rejects and consumer impact.
Implementation Checklist
A pragmatic sequence to launch a compliant reporting program.
Onboarding as a New Furnisher
From initial CRA coordination to first production file.
Industry
Industry Focus: Child Support
Special considerations when reporting child support obligations.
Industry Focus: Credit Cards
Core patterns for revolving products and statement-driven cycles.
Industry Focus: Debt Buyers and Collections
Reporting purchased accounts and collection activity with clarity.
Industry Focus: Loan Finance Companies
Closed-end installment products and refinancing nuances.
Industry Focus: Mortgage Lending
Specialized mortgage attributes and delinquency handling.
Industry Focus: Point-of-Sale Financing
Short-term financing and buy-now-pay-later considerations.
Industry Focus: Residential Rental
Rental tradelines and how they fit Metro 2® constructs.
Industry Focus: Retail (Store Cards)
Private-label cards and in-store financing patterns.
Industry Focus: Sales Finance
Third-party financing for goods and services.
Industry Focus: Student Loans (Federal)
Deferments, forbearance, and other federal program considerations.
Industry Focus: Student Loans (Private)
Private program variations and servicer transfers.
Reference
Account Status Categories
A high-level tour of status groups without enumerating proprietary tables.
Glossary: Plain-English Metro 2® Concepts
Short definitions to demystify common terms used in reporting.
Metro 2® FAQ
Answers to common questions about timelines, statuses, and disputes.
Open vs. Revolving vs. Installment
Classifying products correctly to set expectations for payments and balances.
Payment Hierarchy and Delinquency Calculation
How payments apply and when delinquency thresholds are crossed.
Utilization and Limit Reporting
How limits and balances drive utilization and why accuracy matters.