Last updated: June 2026
CRS is built for US-based businesses that pull consumer or business credit at volume and hold a valid permissible purpose under the FCRA. CRS is not the right fit for occasional or one-off credit checks, personal or hobbyist use, or anyone without a permissible purpose to access credit data.
Most companies write only about who they are for. We think it saves everyone time to be just as clear about who we are not for. If any of the three gates below rules you out, we will tell you early, and often we can point you to a better option.
Do you have a permissible purpose?
A permissible purpose is a legally valid reason under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to access someone’s credit report. It is the first gate, and it is not optional. No legitimate credit reporting agency can grant access without one.
Common permissible purposes include:
- Evaluating a consumer or business for a credit application
- Reviewing or collecting on an existing account
- A business transaction the consumer initiates, such as applying for a loan or a lease
- Written consent from the consumer, for uses like credit monitoring or tenant screening
Some reasons are never permissible. Curiosity does not qualify. Checking a former partner, a neighbor, or a job candidate without proper consent and disclosures does not qualify. Pulling credit outside of a transaction or written consent does not qualify.
CRS guides every new account through FCRA vetting before any access is granted. If you do not have a permissible purpose, CRS is not a fit, and neither is any other compliant provider.
Do you pull credit at volume?
CRS is built for businesses that pull credit regularly, as part of an automated, integrated workflow. Our value is aggregation, normalization, and API delivery for ongoing decisioning at scale.
That infrastructure is more than a low-volume user needs. Take a landlord with two units who runs a handful of tenant checks a year. That landlord may well have a permissible purpose, since tenant screening with the applicant’s written consent qualifies. The issue is volume, not purpose. For a few pulls a year, a consumer-facing tenant screening service is simpler and more cost-effective than CRS.
The same holds for a small business running the occasional one-off check. If credit pulls are rare and manual, CRS is not the right tool. If credit data is core to how you underwrite, qualify, or monitor at scale, it is.
Do you need US credit data?
CRS provides credit data on US consumers and US businesses. CRS does not provide credit data on consumers or businesses located outside the United States.
Your company, though, does not have to be based in the US. International companies can work with CRS, as long as they have a permissible purpose to pull credit on US consumers or businesses. A fintech headquartered abroad that lends to US customers is a fit. A lender that needs credit data on borrowers in another country is not, because that data sits outside what CRS provides.
So who is CRS a fit for?
CRS is a strong fit for US-focused lenders, fintechs, banks, credit unions, non-profits, and marketing teams that pull consumer or business credit at volume. These teams want tri-bureau data from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, plus identity, fraud, public records, and alternative data, through one integration. They also want FCRA compliance support built into the process rather than bolted on later.
Quick fit check
| Good fit for CRS | Not a fit for CRS | |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Regular, higher-volume pulls | Occasional or one-off pulls |
| Purpose | Valid FCRA permissible purpose | No permissible purpose |
| Market | US consumers and businesses | Credit data outside the US |
| Workflow | Automated, integrated decisioning | Manual, ad hoc checks |
Not sure if you qualify?
CRS has FCRA experts and a team with over 25 years of credit industry experience who guide vetting and will tell you honestly whether you are a fit. If you are not, we will often point you toward a better option. This page is general information, not legal advice, so talk with our team about your specific use case.
Frequently asked questions
What is a permissible purpose under the FCRA? A permissible purpose is a legally valid reason to access a consumer’s credit report, such as evaluating a credit application, reviewing an existing account, a transaction the consumer initiates, or the consumer’s written consent.
Can a landlord use CRS to screen tenants? A landlord usually has a permissible purpose to screen tenants with the applicant’s written consent. But for a handful of pulls a year, CRS is not the right fit. A consumer-facing tenant screening service is simpler and more cost-effective at that volume.
Does my company need to be based in the US to use CRS? No. International companies can work with CRS, as long as they have a permissible purpose to pull credit on US consumers or businesses.
Can CRS pull credit on people or businesses outside the US? No. CRS provides credit data on US consumers and US businesses only.
What if I only need a few credit pulls a year? CRS is built for regular, higher-volume use through an integrated workflow. For rare, one-off checks, a simpler consumer-facing tool is a better fit.
How does CRS confirm I have a permissible purpose? CRS guides every new account through FCRA vetting before granting access, so permissible purpose is confirmed up front, not assumed.
