Metro 2 Error Reference

    Complete guide to 45 Metro 2 validation errors and rejection codes. Learn how to identify, troubleshoot, and fix common issues before submitting to credit bureaus.

    27 Critical
    18 Warnings
    13 Categories

    Jump to Category

    Format Errors3Header Record Errors4Base Segment Errors15J1 Segment Errors3J2 Segment Errors2K1 Segment Errors2K2 Segment Errors2K3 Segment Errors2Trailer Record Errors4General Errors8

    Critical Errors (Will Cause Rejection)

    These errors will prevent your file from being accepted by credit bureaus. Fix them before submission.

    E001
    Invalid Record Length
    The record length does not match the expected 426 or 366 characters
    E002
    Invalid Record Identifier
    The record identifier in positions 1-4 is not valid
    E003
    Invalid Character Encoding
    The file contains non-ASCII or invalid characters
    H001
    Missing Header Record
    The file does not begin with a valid header record
    H002
    Invalid Reporter Identification
    The data furnisher identification number is invalid
    H003
    Invalid Activity Date
    The header activity date is invalid or in the future
    B001
    Missing Account Number
    The account number field is blank or contains only spaces
    B002
    Invalid Account Status
    The account status code is not a valid Metro 2 status

    +19 more critical errors listed below

    Format Errors

    3 errors

    Errors related to record structure, length, and formatting

    CodeErrorSeverity
    E001Invalid Record Length

    The record length does not match the expected 426 or 366 characters

    		critical
    E002Invalid Record Identifier

    The record identifier in positions 1-4 is not valid

    		critical
    E003Invalid Character Encoding

    The file contains non-ASCII or invalid characters

    		critical

    Base Segment Errors

    15 errors

    Errors in the primary account information segment

    CodeErrorSeverity
    B001Missing Account Number

    The account number field is blank or contains only spaces

    		critical
    B002Invalid Account Status

    The account status code is not a valid Metro 2 status

    		critical
    B003Status and Payment Rating Mismatch

    The account status does not match the payment rating history

    		warning
    B004Invalid ECOA Code

    The ECOA code is not valid for this account type

    		critical
    B005Missing SSN or Date of Birth

    Consumer identification is incomplete - SSN and/or DOB missing

    		warning
    B006Invalid Date Format

    A date field contains an invalid date value

    		critical
    B007Future Date Account Opened

    The date account opened is in the future

    		critical
    B008Invalid Current Balance

    The current balance is negative or contains invalid characters

    		critical
    B009Balance Exceeds Credit Limit

    The current balance is greater than the credit limit/high credit

    		warning
    B010Missing Consumer Name

    The consumer name fields are blank or invalid

    		critical
    B011Invalid Consumer Address

    The consumer address is incomplete or contains invalid data

    		warning
    B012Portfolio Type Mismatch

    The portfolio type does not match the account type or terms

    		warning
    B013Terms Frequency Mismatch

    The payment terms don't match the payment frequency

    		warning
    B014Invalid Payment History Profile

    The payment history profile contains invalid characters or format

    		critical
    B015Duplicate Account in File

    The same account appears multiple times in the file

    		critical

    J1 Segment Errors

    3 errors

    Errors in the associate (co-signer) segment

    CodeErrorSeverity
    J001J1 Segment Missing Required Fields

    Required fields in the J1 associate segment are missing

    		critical
    J002J1 Invalid ECOA Code

    The ECOA code for the associate is not valid

    		critical
    J003J1 Segment Without Base Segment

    J1 segment appears without a preceding base segment

    		critical

    J2 Segment Errors

    2 errors

    Errors in the secondary associate segment

    CodeErrorSeverity
    J201J2 Segment Missing Required Fields

    Required fields in the J2 associate segment are missing

    		critical
    J202J2 Segment Without J1 Segment

    J2 segment appears without a preceding J1 segment

    		critical

    K1 Segment Errors

    2 errors

    Errors in the original creditor segment

    CodeErrorSeverity
    K101K1 Original Creditor Name Missing

    The original creditor name in K1 segment is blank

    		critical
    K102K1 Invalid Creditor Classification

    The original creditor classification code is invalid

    		warning

    K2 Segment Errors

    2 errors

    Errors in the purchased portfolio segment

    CodeErrorSeverity
    K201K2 Portfolio Sale Date Missing

    The purchased portfolio date is missing in K2 segment

    		warning
    K202K2 Purchased From Name Missing

    The name of the seller is missing in K2 segment

    		warning

    K3 Segment Errors

    2 errors

    Errors in the mortgage information segment

    CodeErrorSeverity
    K301K3 Invalid Mortgage Type

    The mortgage type indicator in K3 is not valid

    		critical
    K302K3 Invalid Property Indicator

    The property type indicator in K3 is not valid

    		warning

    Trailer Record Errors

    4 errors

    Errors in the trailer record (last record of the file)

    CodeErrorSeverity
    T001Missing Trailer Record

    The file does not end with a valid trailer record

    		critical
    T002Trailer Record Count Mismatch

    The trailer count does not match the actual record count

    		critical
    T003Trailer Balance Total Mismatch

    The trailer balance total doesn't match the sum of account balances

    		warning
    T004Multiple Trailer Records

    More than one trailer record exists in the file

    		critical

    General Errors

    8 errors

    Cross-segment and miscellaneous validation errors

    CodeErrorSeverity
    G001Invalid Segment Order

    Segments are not in the required sequence

    		critical
    G002Invalid Special Comment Code

    The special comment code is not recognized

    		warning
    G003Missing Compliance Condition Code

    Required compliance condition code is missing

    		warning
    G004Invalid Consumer Information Indicator

    The consumer information indicator is not valid

    		warning
    G005Date Logic Error

    Dates are logically inconsistent

    		warning
    G006Amount Logic Error

    Amount fields are logically inconsistent

    		warning
    G007File Size Exceeds Limit

    The Metro 2 file exceeds the maximum allowed size

    		warning
    G008Test Data in Production File

    The file appears to contain test or sample data

    		critical

    Error Prevention Best Practices

    Most Metro 2 errors can be prevented with proper validation before file generation. Follow these best practices to minimize rejections:

    • Validate all fields - Check data types, lengths, and allowed values before building records
    • Use consistent formats - Dates must be MMDDYYYY, numbers must be zero-padded
    • Test with sample files - Credit bureaus offer test environments for validation
    • Implement logical checks - Verify dates are consistent, amounts are reasonable
    • Keep specifications current - Metro 2 format is updated; ensure you use the latest version

    Automatic Error Detection & Prevention

    Metro2 software validates every record before submission, catching errors before they cause rejections. Save time and ensure compliance.

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