Metro 2 Format Example: An Annotated Sample File

A complete file at a glance

A Metro 2 file is plain fixed-width text. It opens with a Header Record, then one Base Segment per account (with optional segments appended directly after each Base), and ends with a Trailer Record carrying the file totals. Reading top to bottom you see: HEADER … one or more account records (Base + any J1/J2/K/L/N segments) … TRAILER. There is no JSON, XML, or delimiter — every field lives at an exact byte position, and the Record Descriptor Word at the start of each record states the record's total length.

The example below is fully synthetic: the consumer, account number, and SSN are invented and contain no real personal information. Use it to understand the shape of a record, not as data to submit.

Anatomy of a base segment (annotated)

A single Base Segment in the 426-character layout is one line. Conceptually, the first fields identify the record and the furnisher, the middle fields describe the account (account number, portfolio and account type, the key dates, balances, terms, Account Status and Payment Rating), and the later fields carry the consumer's identity (SSN, date of birth, surname, first name, ECOA code) and address.

Reading the leading fields of one record: positions 1-4 hold the Record Descriptor Word (0426 for a Base Segment alone); position 5 is the Processing Indicator; the Identification Number and Consumer Account Number follow; then the consumer name fields, SSN, and date of birth; then Account Type, Portfolio Type, and the date fields (Date Opened, Date of Account Information, and — for delinquent accounts — Date of First Delinquency). The amount fields (Credit Limit or Highest Credit, Current Balance, Amount Past Due) and the Account Status / Payment Rating sit together as the heart of the tradeline.

Worked example: one tradeline, field by field

Take a current revolving credit card. Portfolio Type is R (revolving) and Account Type is the appropriate revolving code. Account Status is 11 (current) with Payment Rating 0. Date Opened is the origination date in MMDDYYYY; Date of Account Information is the cycle as-of date; there is no Date of First Delinquency because the account has never been delinquent (it is zero-filled). Credit Limit carries the card's limit, Current Balance the statement balance, and Amount Past Due is zero. The consumer's surname and first name are left-justified and space-filled to their field widths, the SSN is nine digits with no dashes, and the ZIP is five or nine contiguous digits.

Now make it delinquent. If the same card is 60 days past due, Account Status becomes 78 and Payment Rating reflects the delinquency; Amount Past Due is now non-zero; and a Date of First Delinquency must be present and accurate, because that date — not the current date — controls when the negative item ages off. Everything else about the record's structure is unchanged. This is why mapping is the make-or-break step: the same account is correct or rejected based purely on which codes and dates land in which positions.

Adding a J1 segment to the example

If the card is a joint account, a J1 segment is appended directly after the Base Segment for an additional consumer who shares the same address. The J1 begins with the literal 'J1', then carries that consumer's surname, first name, SSN, date of birth, and an ECOA code describing the relationship (for example 2 for joint contractual liability). When a J1 is appended, the Base Segment's Record Descriptor Word increases from 0426 to reflect the combined length (0526 for Base + J1). A co-borrower at a different address would instead use a J2 segment, which carries its own address block.

366 vs 426 layout — same data, two lengths

The Metro 2 format has two record lengths. The 366-character layout is the older, shorter record; the 426-character layout adds fields and is the more complete and widely used option today. The same account maps cleanly into either — the difference is which fields are available and the total record length (and therefore the Record Descriptor Word). Confirm which layout each bureau expects before generating; sending the wrong length is a common, avoidable rejection.

Common mistakes a bad file reveals

When you look at a malformed file, the same problems recur: records that are not exactly 366 or 426 characters (a shifted or missing field), an Account Status that disagrees with the Amount Past Due (for example Status 11 'current' with a non-zero past-due amount), a missing or re-aged Date of First Delinquency on a delinquent account, dashes left in SSNs or ZIP codes, and a Trailer whose record count does not match the Base Segments present. Each of these is caught by validation before submission — which is the entire point of validating first. See the error and reject code reference for the specific edits and how to resolve them.

See it in a real file (free)

The fastest way to understand the format is to open a file and inspect it field by field. Metro2's free, in-browser file viewer parses a .dat or CSV and shows each record's fields, values, and any validation issues — and nothing is uploaded; the file stays on your device. Once you can see how your data maps, the free sandbox lets you map a CSV and generate a compliant file yourself.

FAQ

What does a Metro 2 file look like? It is a plain fixed-width text file: a Header Record, one Base Segment per account (with optional J1/J2/K/L/N segments appended), and a Trailer Record. Every field sits at a fixed byte position; there are no delimiters.

How long is a Metro 2 record? Each record is either 366 or 426 characters. The 426-character layout is the more complete and widely used option; the Record Descriptor Word states the exact length and grows as segments are appended.

Can I get a sample Metro 2 file? You can build and inspect one for free: open the Metro 2 file viewer to see a parsed record field by field, or use the sandbox to map a CSV and generate a compliant file. Examples should always use synthetic, PII-free data.

Where is the Account Status in the record? Account Status and Payment Rating sit together in the Base Segment alongside the balance and date fields; they are the core of the tradeline. See the field reference for exact positions and allowed values.