Format ErrorsCritical

    E002Invalid Record Identifier

    The record identifier in positions 1-4 is not valid

    Affected Field
    #1Record Descriptor Word

    Description

    Each Metro 2 record must begin with a valid 4-character Record Identifier that indicates the record type. Valid identifiers include HEADER (header record), a valid base segment identifier, segment identifiers (J1, J2, K1, K2, K3, K4, L1, N1), and TRLR or TRAILER (trailer record). This error occurs when the identifier is missing, malformed, or not recognized.

    Common Causes

    • Corrupted file data
    • Incorrect segment ordering
    • Missing required segments
    • Typos in record identifiers
    • Using lowercase instead of uppercase

    How to Fix

    1. 1Ensure all record identifiers are uppercase
    2. 2Verify the file structure follows: Header → Base Segments → Trailer
    3. 3Check that optional segments follow their parent base segment
    4. 4Validate segment identifiers against Metro 2 specifications

    More Format Errors

    E001
    Invalid Record Length
    E003
    Invalid Character Encoding

    Catch Errors Before Submission

    Metro2 software validates every field and catches errors like E002 before you submit to the credit bureaus.

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