At a Glance

Since Wells Fargo will use whichever of the three reporting bureaus it feels works best, getting a Wells Fargo credit card isn’t dependent on which bureau it uses. Instead, if you want to work with them, you’ll need to understand which reporting metrics matter most.

In this article, you’ll learn:

Which credit bureau does Wells Fargo use for credit cards? 

Wells Fargo will pull your credit report from any of the three major reporting bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The specific bureau they’ll use for your credit application is a trade secret for the bank that’s not publicly disclosed.

When does Wells Fargo report to credit bureaus? 

Wells Fargo will typically report changes to your account within 3-5 days of your statement closing.

How does Wells Fargo access information from credit bureaus? 

Wells Fargo will access information from the reporting bureaus in one of two ways:

Soft pull – Soft pulls are typically used for credit limit increases, credit score monitoring, etc. Soft pulls don’t show up on your credit report and won’t negatively affect your score.

Hard pull – Hard pulls are used for new credit or loan applications and account for 10% of your total credit score. Hard pulls should be used sparingly, as the more inquiries (or pulls) you have listed, the lower your credit score will be. 

Related: Hard vs Soft Credit Check: What’s the Difference?

FAQs

There’s no black-and-white answer to this, as each bureau will weigh different factors in determining your credit score. However, there are two standardized scoring protocols the bureaus can use: FICO or VantageScore, so you’ll typically find your score to be within a few points for each reporting bureau.

If you notice a significant difference between one bureau’s score and another, you should contact the bureau immediately and request a copy of your credit report to see why there’s such a big difference.

For new credit cards, Wells Fargo will do a hard pull, also known as an “inquiry,” on your credit report. For checking and savings accounts, Wells Fargo won’t look at your credit score but instead use a checking account reporting agency, similar to the credit bureaus, to look at your history with “consumer” banking accounts.

In some cases, Wells Fargo may use Experian to check your history before opening a new checking or savings account, but this is rare.

Each card will have requirements but, generally speaking, you should have a FICO score or VantageScore that’s at least 700 before applying for a credit card from Wells Fargo. 

Related: Wells Fargo Credit Card Requirements