This post is written by the CIBIL Consumer Relations team.
I’ve been in touch with CIBIL to help put together a comprehensive FAQ and they’ve been gracious enough to send an extremely detailed post on the usual questions that people have about CIBIL and will also be answering any questions that you may have. Please go through the FAQ written by the CIBIL team themselves, and post any questions that you may have.
1.     What are the different factors that affect your credit score?
An individual’s credit score is calculated based on the information in the “Accounts†and “Enquiries†section of the CIR. There are various attributes that go into developing the score. Major factors are:
- Credit Utilization: How much credit are you using? Are there are too many high balances, outstanding etc?
- Defaulting: How many accounts are past due – how much and by how many days? What is the account status? Is it written off or closed or settled etc?
- Number of enquiries: Every time you look for additional credit through multiple lenders, an enquiry is made by those lenders to access your credit score. So it is not the most prudent practice to just shop around (i.e. fill up multiple loan application forms) to enquire about loan rates & eligibility from multiple lenders. As all this is reflected in your CIBIL report and gives an indication that you are “credit hungryâ€.
- Type of credit availed: How old is the loan account or credit card account?  What type of credit do you have? Is it secured or unsecured? Do you have a good mix or balance of credit or is it all credit cards /personal loans?
2.     Which factor has the maximum weightage on your credit score?
The CIBIL TransUnion Score is derived after keeping multiple factors in mind. The payment pattern (across loan categories) plays a crucial role in determining the credit score. But this should not be looked in isolation when you are trying to improve your Credit score. Do keep the factors listed above in mind to ensure your overall credit health improves and thereby improving your chances of getting a loan/credit card.
3.     What is the difference between the CIR that you can buy for Rs. 154/- and the CIBIL TransUnion score for which you pay Rs. 470/-?
A CIR or the Credit Information Report contains all your credit details from across Banks and financial institutions. This is a summary of your credit history and based on this, the CIBIL TransUnion Score is derived.
But by paying Rs 470/- you not only get the CIR but the CIBIL TransUnion Score as well. Just to give an analogy, a CIR is like a report card but a CIBIL TransUnion score is like the overall marks/grade that you get. It distills all the information in a CIR and returns a score value which quantifies your credit and financial health.
So by just looking at your Credit Score you can get a quick and better sense of your financial standing. It not only gives you an overview as to how you compare vis-Ã -vis other prospective borrowers but also helps you better understand your chances of loan approval because the credit score is the first credit screening tool used by a lender.
f your credit score is high, they then start the process of evaluating your loan application. It is important to know that 80% of the loans approved are for individuals with a credit score of above 750. With just a CIR you will not be able to effectively gauge your chances of loan approval in the manner the CIBIL TransUnion Score (and CIR) can.
4.     What does DPD stand for? What does it mean when DPD is 000 and what does it mean when it has a number next to it?
DPD stands for Days Past Due. This is reflected in your Account Summary section under Payment history of your CIBIL report. There is a due date by when the payment should be made for every Loan EMI/ Credit card bill. DPD indicates deviation, if any from the payment cycle. This plays an extremely critical role and should be monitored regularly. Anything other than “000†or “STD†is considered negative by the lender. Below are the types of asset classification that can appear in the DPD section:
| DPD | Denotes | Explanation |
| STD | Standard | Payments are being made within 90 days |
| SMA | Special Mention Account | Special account created for reporting Standard account, moving towards Sub-Standard |
| SUB | Sub-Standard | Payments are being made after 90 days |
| DBT | Doubtful | The account has remained a Sub-Standard account for a period of 12 months |
| LSS | Loss | An account where loss has been identified and remains uncollectible |
On occasion you may also notice “XXX†reported for your DPD on a certain account which implies that information for these months has not been reported to CIBIL by the Banks.
If there is a number in the DPD column, then it means that the payment is late by that many days. So for example if it is 050, then it means the payment is late by 50 days. If it is 000 then it means the payment is as per the due date, so there is no deviation or late payment.
5.     How long does it take for records in CIBIL to get updated after I clear a credit card that’s gone for settlement?
First of all, it is commendable that you have taken the first step towards improving your credit health by clearing the dues. Once the payment has been made, the same will reflect in our records once the concerned credit institution updates us with this information. This is normally done on a monthly basis and you start building a positive credit history. Once the CIBIL records are updated, you will notice your CIBIL TransUnion Score will gradually start improving over time (provided everything else is on track as well). But do not expect the change to happen overnight. Just ensure you continue to monitor your credit health and be diligent about your credit payments and you will notice a positive change in the months to come.
6.     It seems that a credit card going into settlement is a major negative factor, what can I do to improve my credit score if I’m already in this situation?
Yes, a credit card going in to settlement is viewed negatively by lender and impacts your credit score unfavorably. But don’t be disheartened, you can start improving your credit score by simply paying off your debt and not opting for more until your score improves. Also, don’t forget to follow the simple guidelines stated below:
- Â Repay your loans on time. Financial discipline coupled with prudent credit management and a good payment history will ensure that you enjoy all the benefits associated with having a good credit record
- Making your payments on time will have the most significant impact on your credit record. It is important for you to maintain appropriate, reasonable and affordable levels of credit and ensure regular and timely re-payment of loans
- Keep your total debt under control. If your total borrowings are significantly high, use some of your savings to repay some of your debt where possible.
- Investigate your options in order to reduce your interest and other credit related costs, to make your debt burden easier to manage
- When you are seeking a new loan or credit card, do it in a relatively short amount of time. You don’t want to have your report show that you are constantly looking for credit!
7.     On my credit report, I see that some credit cards are listed as “settled†whereas some others are listed as “written offâ€, what is the difference between the two?
Settled means where you would have made part-payment (in consent with the lender) against the total outstanding. Once this part-payment has been done that means there is no outstanding against your name by that lender. You will notice your amount over due and current balance would have changed to zero.
When you are not able to make payments against the outstanding loan/credit card amount for more than 180 days, the lender is required to “write-off†the amount in question. The lender then proceeds to report this on your CIR.
Some lenders (as per their credit policy) when enquiring an individual’s CIBIL report may not grant loan/credit card to those individuals whose accounts have been settled or written-off. It is always advisable where possible to have a clean account status.
8.     If I have a credit card and I don’t use it at all, does that affect my credit score in any way at all?
It depends on the other credit accounts you have. If you already have many credit cards and loans then it is advisable to close it. But if you just have a one or two credit cards, then there is no negative impact on the credit score. On the contrary there can be a positive impact, as it shows under-utilization of credit (as long as your credit limit is not used). But ensure you continue to monitor the credit card despite the fact that you are not using your card. As many a times, credit cards come with an annual fees etc which may miss your attention as you are not tracking or using that card. This may result in non-payment which can then have a negative impact on your credit score. It is advisable to be vigilant and monitor your credit report on a regular basis.
9.     I have a score of more than 750, and I’m still not getting approved for a credit card, what can I do?
Purchase your updated CIBIL TransUnion Score (and CIR) and check for the following points-
- Check if Account status for any account is written off or settled- If there is then (where possible) pay off the debt and regularize the account.
- Check for outstandings or payment irregularities- Check if you have missed any of the payment and the outstanding balance has increased. We recommend you to pay the balance at the earliest.
- Check if there is high utilization of existing credit cards i.e., if there is maximum utilization of the credit card limit set against the cards. If this is the case then you can start by paying off your balances as and when you can to keep the overall utilization less. Â Also moderate the use of credit to the extent possible.
- Check if you are over-leveraged when compared to your income- Typically your total borrowing capacity is 50% of your net monthly income. If the current EMI is already 50% or more, then first pay-off your existing debt before applying for new credit.
- Check with the lender for the reason your credit card is not approved and then look for areas of improvement/correction.
10.  How much time does it take to get rid of the effect of one default? I defaulted and cleared off my credit card in 2011 but my score is still low.
If you have cleared off your dues don’t forget to check your CIBIL report again to ensure the credit card issuer has updated the revised status of your account with us. Go through your CIBIL report in detail to ensure everything mentioned is accurate and your other payments are being made as per schedule. It is also advisable to avoid any new credit till your credit score has improved. Once everything is in order, you will notice that your CIBIL TransUnion score will gradually start improving.
Nice FAQ on CIBIL credit score and very interesting indeed. But the reader of this article should also read this http://goo.gl/bGxsF7
Hi,
I got the CIBIL report from SBI and found that one of the lender has specified the account as Written-off. I’m currently out of the country and i wanna to close this. Is it possible,if i could send you my CIBIL member id to pull my information and find the lender name? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Rajesh
Dear Rajesh,
You can apply for your credit report online on the CIBIL website by submitting the required documents and paying the requisite fees. Your credit report will show the name of the lender corresponding to the written-off account.
Regards,
Credexpert
http://www.credexpert.co.in
Hi
I have cleared one of my housing loan in 2007, cleared it , Not settled it because i sold the house,
it is still shown in my cibil report, till what time such loans which have been premanently repaid are shown in the cibil report
Dear Vinay,
The account details will continue to show on your credit report even after the loan has been repaid for a minimum of seven years. This may extent depending on the reporting policy of the lending institution.If you had always been regular and timely on making your EMI payments, then you should not worry about this – in fact it will reflect positively in your reprot and improve your credit worthiness.
Regards,
Credexpert
http://www.credexpert.co.in
Hi
I have 1 PL and three credit cards, not paid any amount for last 2 years. The total outstanding is 1 lakh 20 thousand and the Principal amount is 80 thousand. I am is position to pay only 50% of principal or say 33% of outstanding. So, I will have to go for settlement option only with the banks.
I know that settlement request will impact by CIBIL Score negatively.
Once the settlement is done, what steps can I take to improve by CIBIL Score and upto how much time can it take for the score to go above 750, where I should be in a position to get atleast a secured loan (home loan or auto loan).
Dear Anita,
The only way to improve your score after settlement is to build a good credit history. You can take a secured credit card, use it wisely and make payments on time.
It is difficult to say to what extent this will improve your score (considering settlement of 4 unsecured accounts) and how much time it will take to improve your score.
However, it is advisable to not go for settlement as, in spite of an improved score, this status will be viewed negatively by lenders.If you “settle” 4 credits as you have mentioned, it could potentially damage your chances of getting any credit in the forseeable future. We would suggest you work on your cash flows over the next few months and try and ultimately pay back in full, all the outstanding credits.
Regards,
Credexpert
http://www.credexpert.co.in
Hi,
I am using my credit card from last 2 months and paying its bill in time. Earlier I didn’t have a cibil history so after how long I’ll have cibil score?
Devendra
Hi,
Your CIBIL credit score will start reflecting once you have a credit history of more than 6 months.
Hi
I have a query and I will be highly thankful if you can resolve it.
I had made a transaction on my credit card way back in 2009 amounting Rs. 2000 approx.
It was left unpaid then. Now I want to clear it. I got a call form the bank that i can settle it by paying Rs. 3900 something or pay the full amount due which they told to be Rs. 8300 something. If i go for settlement and pay Rs.3900 my status in CIBIL will show “SETTLED”. What should the CIBIL status be if I pay full dues i.e. Rs 8300?
Hi Kaushal… The status would be ‘Closed’.
i have entered http://www.cibil.com to check my cibil score but it shows error like “”you have double clicked the entered button “”, i dont know how to check , kindly suggest me
CIBIL Reported Someone Else’s Credit Card In My Credit Report!!
What an irresponsible organization it is, seriously and how lethargic are their services. They have reported someone else’s credit card default in my report, due to which I had to go through a lot of pain, loan application denials and very much of a loss by taking loans elsewhere with higher interest rates.
The details are provided here, with email exchanges between CIBIL and I.
http://blog.thitherwards.com/cibil/
Please go through this and share it with all public, however & wherever possible.
Hi,
I registered myself on CIBIL to get the score and paid the amount 470/- But authentication was not successful and so I uploaded the payment confirmation PDF along with my passport and PAN scanned copy.
Is it sufficient to upload these or do I need to send the document physically as well?
Regards
Ashish
Hai,
I have made a payment to check my CIBIL score thru online on Dec 7th 2012 and got an update that from CIBIL stating there is some mismatch in my residential address, so i sent all the documents to CIBIL again back on Dec 12th 2012 and got an confirmation that my application is under process with an service request no: 1489439 and 1481292. Then i leave some time to get processing the score, then i enquire yesterday about the normal TAT (Turn around time) for processing the application, they suddenly sent an email stating that the “On-Line request form” is not available to process further my application, which is totally an incorrect information by giving me an excuse instead of answering my question on the Turn around time.
Since i have the mail confirmation that all the documents has received and the application is under review/process, they how could suddenly they deny that my “ON-Line request form” is not available. Whether CIBIL will review the address verification and emails back and forth without the initial “online request form”.
I again uploaded and attached the form to them today with all the necessary documentation. Could you please suggest me how long i need to wait to get my cibil score.
Cibil Transaction ID: 58582707
Cibil Registration ID: SCO1212440173
Date: 07-12-2012
Amount Paid: 470
Service Request No: 1489439 and 1481292
Regards,
N. Vignesh.
I have made an online payment for the cibil score on 25-Oct-2012 and uploaded PAN card and Passport scan copies for address proof and identity proof. Later I have received a mail from cibil saying there is a mismatch in my date of birth in the application form. My correct Date of Birth is 15-07-1979
I had resubmitted all the necessary documents ( PAN and Passport) but still no response from Cibil.
Cibil Transaction ID: 55245057
Cibil Registration ID: SCO1012402688
Date: 25-10-2012
Amount Paid: 470
Service Request No: 1393831
Please help me to resolve this issue and get my cibil score.
Thanks
Asha
Hi Asha, You can consult me for credit or loan things or any matter
or finance , I may be able to help you,
Thank You !
if i pay all the dues with interest for credit card, will it still show written off/settled in the CIBIL ???
Can you suggest me which one is better for credit rating
1) settling with the credit card provider?
2) clearing outstanding dues??
I have a pending payment of citi bank credit card for 2007
Hello,
My creditcard application got rejected recently saying i have a bad cibil score. I want to take a personal loan by my employer’s source. Sbi has tie ups with my employer and amount ll b deducted from my salary each month. Am i eligible for this loan or they ll reject the appln due to low cibil score?
Hello,
My creditcard application got rejected recently saying i have a bad cibil score. I want to take a personal loan by my employer’s source. Sbi has tie ups with my employer and amount ll b deducted from my salary each month. Am i eligible for this loan or they ll reject the appln due to low cibil score?
Nice article.
I have a query, before that I will just give a background about my problem.
In 2008 i had to settle multiple credit card accounts. I got settlement letter as well as no due or zero balance statement after making all the payments.
I had a HSBC credit card, that also i have settled. I make all the payments as mentioned in the settlement later.
Actually I had settled it for 11 EMIs. There was a cheque bounce of 3rd EMI(they have presented one cheque a month later and as I was anyways going through financial problems so it was difficult to maintain funds at all point of time) but after that i made cash payment immediately after getting an assurance from them that it will not affect my settlement terms and conditions. After that I paid rest all EMIs on time. Then I asked the settlement guy for a no dues letter he said it will come after 2-3 months. I called him again for the same he said it will take time.
After 5-6 months I applied for CIR report, there I saw that HSBC has mentioned that a/c as written-off. I was surprised I called up that settlement guy, he said there must be some problem in system, he will put an application to correct it. I was following him for 3-4 months nothing happened then I directly called up HSBC customer care people, in every call they were giving different reasons for this.
Then finally after couple of months I decided to visit HSBC malad (mumbai) branch. I explained them my case. After looking at all the stuffs and follow up records they accepted that there is was some problem but they said “it cant be reverted now so you make a payment of some 20000/- and against that payment we will update your account as settled. As I was having no other option, I paid them that amount.
After 2-3 months I again applied for CIR report now the status was “Post Write Off Settlement”. I called up that HSBC person for this, he said it is same as settled so you dont worry.
Well I was not 100% convinced but didnt have time and energy to follow up with it so I left it there only.
Now my first query is — What is the difference between “settled” and “post write off settled” ?
Also I want to know is there any place where I can complain about HSBC for this? I have all the letters, all the follow up mails etc. The guy who has done my settlement he is still accepting whatever he has told to me.
Regards
Arun Rathi
Thanks Arun for writing in.
We will answer your query that pertains to CIBIL directly.
Settled means where you would have made part-payment (in consent with the lender) against the total outstanding. Once this part-payment has been done that means there is no outstanding against your name by that lender. While Post write-off settled means that once the account was written off (as in could not be recovered from the customer) then there was a settlement.
A Credit report reflects your past payment records and this will continue to reflect in your report. Such a status is looked upon with caution by lenders. As a good practice, ensure all your payments are done on time and over a period of time lenders may not view the status negatively.
Regards,
CIBIL Consumer Relations
Thanks for the reply.
Regards
Arun Rathi
@ TEAM CIBIL,
Would be glad if you can answer my query: –
Does The Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005 enables CIBIL to take action against any Credit Institution who do not provide credit information to CIBIL???
Good compilation.
Did a similar post FAQ on CIBIL CIR Report and Score which might be beneficial to your readers!
It answers questions like:
If I am a first time borrower, how will my credit score be calculated?
I tried logging my application for the CIR in CIBIL website, though I gave complete information including my PP and whatsoever necessary it appears to be not getting thru.
Which type of loan has more weightage on credit score — a secured loan or an unsecured loan?
For the last one year, I have been paying only the minimum amount on my credit card. I intend to clear the total outstanding on my credit card soon. I want to know how my present payment behaviour impacts my credit score
I am a guarantor on the home loan of my brother. If my brother defaults on this home loan payment will it also negatively impact my credit score?
I have a few credit cards which I am no longer using. If I surrender those credit cards and close them, will it have any negative impact on my credit score and credit information report (CIR)? If there is an impact what would be the advisable step to deal with credit cards which we no longer need?
I have received my CIBIL score and it is 819. However, I am still not receiving any Loans. I had applied for a loan and it was rejected.I think the score is good but I still see that for some Credit cards it is mentioned as settled or WO and that is the reason that I am not getting any loans. Anything that I can do to get this corrected
Hi ,
Great work and highly appreciated.
One query- I recently came across one of my friend CIBIL report and found a discrepency. He has bought a car loan in 20o7 and has been repaying it on time since then.But in CIBIL report it shows that from 2011 to 2012 , almost 1 years his DPD is 180 which means the payment is made after 180 days.But a recent Statement of account from bank clearly shows that they have received EMI or any other charges on date (cause its an autodebit from bank account) and in no single instance it has been delayed .
Firstly, how does this discrepency comes in.I am asking to get aware on such issues cause if EMI or any other payment comes in time how does lending institution reports 180 days delay on each EMI.Or it can be an error.
Secondly should he write in CIBIL dispute resolution to clear this.
Also, when someone has to many loans/cards(say 6 in total) and most of them have been paid in full or on time but only few (1 or 2) has been settled. How does this taken in consideration.
I appreciate the work done by you.
Quoting from AQ on CIBIL CIR Report and Score on when to approach for dispute resolution
CIBIL is not the owner of customers’ credit information i.e. it just collects this information from all its members and provides all the collected information to the same members whenever they require it. The information that can be corrected through dispute are:
Data entry errors either by the bank or CIBIL – Rectification of CIR is required
Non-updation of data either by the bank or CIBIL – Updation of CIR is required
Updation in your personal identification information
Ownership mismatch of an account or Duplicate account – Rectification of CIR is required
Dispute mechanism cannot help for following:
Non-payment of outstanding amount on your loan or credit card including penalty charges
Non-updation of data within 45 days of making a payment
Non-payment of outstanding amount on an “add-on†card
Details of a closed account
It usually takes 30 days for a dispute to be resolved through CIBIL’s online dispute redressal mechanism. initiate a dispute request is by submitting a duly completed On-Line Dispute Form. A dispute request can be raised based on a CIBIL report having a unique 9 digit “Control Numberâ€
Quoting from my article FAQ on CIBIL CIR Report and Score
Settlement of loan will NOT clear your name in CIBIL report. In fact its a negative sign. It shows that you took loan, happily used it, ballooned it with late charges/interest by not paying on time and finally bank in frustration said – “Fine… Let’s take whatever we can get out of this guy, if we don’t get some part right now, we will not get even a penny laterâ€. Loan settlement is a negative thing, and banks will report this incident to CIBIL and mind you, your status will be marked as “Settled†for next 7 yrs.If you have done any kind of loan settlement in past, first check your credit report and see what is your score. If its low (lower than 750) , you will seriously face getting any kind of loan in future.
Hi Jitendra,
Thanks for writing in.
With regards to the first query, we wish to highlight that CIBIL just maintains records of individuals as reported by the Credit Institution. We do not make any change directly at our end. So in this case there seems to be a discrepancy and we at CIBIL will try and resolve this along with the respective bank. So please advise your friend to follow the dispute resolution process as detailed out on http://www.cibil.com/consumer-dispute-resolution-process.
With respect to the second query, your credit report is a reflection of your past payment and the settled cases are looked upon by credit institutions with caution. Over a period of time, if your payment across your credit instruments is regular then the lenders may start viewing the credit profile less negatively.
We hope we have been able to resolve your concerns.
Just a quick word to thank the team at CIBIL for working with OneMint and providing this great FAQ!