How Long Until a New Card Appears On Your Credit Report?

One agonizing aspect of building your credit score is waiting for your credit report to catch up with all of the positive steps you’ve taken. Opening a new credit account can lower your credit utilization rate, improve your credit mix, and contribute to a positive payment history, which all help to boost your credit score. But how long will it take before your credit report reflects all of this new data? 

When you open a new credit card, it will usually take 30 to 60 days for it to appear on your credit report. Credit accounts typically report to the credit bureaus once per month, so new data won’t be reported until the end of your first billing cycle, which is generally 30 days long. 

Why Your New Credit Card Might Not Be Showing On Your Report?

Usually, it’s just a matter of waiting until the next billing cycle to see your new credit card appear on your credit report. That said, there are a few reasons why a new card might not show up on your report. Here are a few scenarios to keep in mind when you open a new credit card.

A Technical Glitch

Technical errors are rare, but they do happen on occasion. There are many different technical glitches that might occur, including data entry mistakes and internal issues that are out of your control. While these glitches may delay reporting, they don’t usually require intervention on your part to resolve. That said, if you've waited over 30 days and still haven’t seen your new credit account appear on your report, contact your credit card company to ensure everything is in order.

The Company Might Not Partake in The Credit Reporting Process

As frustrating as it may be, some credit card companies don’t partake in the credit reporting process. Creditors are not legally required to report positive data to the credit bureaus, and in some instances they may only report to one credit bureau or none at all. It’s wise to monitor your credit score across all the main credit bureaus to spot any discrepancies in reporting. Avoid any surprises by checking which bureaus a lender reports to before you open a new credit account. 

Identity Confusion

Identity confusion is one common reason credit data fails to appear on a credit report. This could be an instance in which your name was entered incorrectly, whether that means it was misspelled, improperly capitalized, or includes a space where it shouldn’t. For example, if your last name is Van Gogh, it could be mistakenly entered as “VanGogh”, leading to identity confusion. 

Identity confusion can also occur if you’ve recently gotten married and changed your name or recently moved to a new address. In these instances, it may be challenging for the credit bureau to verify your identity if you haven’t finished updating your other accounts.

If you think there’s a possibility of identity confusion with your newest credit account, contact your lender if you don’t see the account reported after 30 days. 

When Do Items Appear On My Credit Report?

Lenders typically report account data to the credit bureaus once per month. So, when you open a new credit account, it should begin to appear on your credit report within 30 days of the end of the billing cycle. Since billing cycles are typically 30 days long, it may take up to 60 days before your brand new account is reflected on your credit report. 

If you happen to receive your new credit card in the middle of the company’s billing cycle, you probably won’t have to wait as long for the data to appear on your credit report. 

How to Proceed If Your Credit Card Still Doesn't Appear

Whenever you open a new credit account, it’s wise to monitor your credit report closely for 30 to 60 days to ensure the account appears properly. If your new credit card doesn’t show up after that 60 day time frame, try pulling your report from each credit bureau to compare. 

The two main credit bureaus in Canada are Equifax and Transunion. If one of them isn’t showing your new credit card account, there’s a good chance the other is. Lenders don’t always report to both bureaus– some will favor one or the other. 

Remember, lenders aren’t required to report credit data to any credit bureaus, so if neither of them is displaying a history of your new account, there’s a chance that your creditor isn’t opting to report it. 

If you’re not sure which bureau your lender reports to, contact them and ask. With that information, request an estimate as to how long it will take for your data to appear. From there, you’ll be able to determine whether there’s some sort of clerical issue, identity confusion, or a technical problem that is preventing your data from being reported. 

Generally, speaking directly with your credit card company is the best way to resolve any reporting discrepancies. 

How Long Does Information Stay On Your Report?

Once your account data is reported to the credit bureaus it will remain there for varying lengths of time. Positive credit data stays on your credit report indefinitely, while most negative data will fall off after a certain amount of time. 

That means, if you miss a payment, have an account that is charged off, make a new credit inquiry, or do something else that is somehow detrimental to your score, those marks won’t stay on your credit report forever. 

Hard credit inquiries can be detrimental to your credit score and they will remain on your credit report for up to 3 years. Meanwhile, negative marks from late payments, charge-offs, or judgements will remain on your report for up to 6 years. Bankruptcies will appear on your credit report for up to 7 years, depending on whether or not a discharge date is established.

Even though negative data may remain on your credit report longer than you’d like it to, you can still work to improve your credit score before it falls off your report. Rebuilding your credit score with consistently positive credit data, such as on-time payments, will help drown out any derogatory marks you have in your past. Even though these blemishes will still appear on your report, they won’t be weighted as heavily as when they first occurred. 

The Bottom Line

Opening a new credit card can help you improve your credit utilization ratio and continue to build positive credit data, while also offering you additional spending power and flexibility. Even though it only takes a few minutes to open a new credit account, it could take 30 to 60 days before you see this new account reflected on your credit report.

Remember, when you apply for a new credit account, you may see a temporary dip in your credit score. As long as you use your card responsibly and make payments on time, you’ll see your overall credit score rebound within a few months.