Privacy fact sheet 28
What information can be included in your credit report
May 2014
Credit reporting ’know your rights’ series no. 3
This fact sheet is the third in a series that outlines what you need to know about how your personal
information can be handled in the Australian consumer credit reporting system. It contains information
about the types of personal information that can be included in your consumer credit report. There are
lots of technical terms used in the credit reporting system and we refer to some of those terms in this
series. You can find more information about these terms in no. 2 (Privacy fact sheet 27) of this series.
Are there rules about what information
can be included in your credit report?
Yes. The credit reporting laws set out the types of
personal information that credit providers can give to a
credit reporting body (CRB) for the purpose of
including that information in your consumer credit
report.
Most of the personal information that can be included
in your consumer credit report is about your consumer
credit activities. However, a limited amount of
information about any ‘commercial credit’ that you
have applied for may also be included.
What types of information can be
included in your credit report?
•
the type of consumer credit provided by those
credit providers
•
the day on which that consumer credit was made
available to you and (if relevant) terminated
•
the limit on that consumer credit
•
certain terms and conditions of that consumer
credit, including limited information about your
repayment and interest obligations
•
repayment history information, which is
information about whether you have made a
consumer credit payment on time, or whether you
have missed a payment (for more information see
no. 9 (Privacy fact sheet 34) in this series).
•
that a credit provider has requested access to
information held in your consumer credit report in
connection with an application that you have
made to that credit provider for consumer or
commercial credit
•
the type and amount of consumer or commercial
credit that you sought in that application
•
that you have defaulted on a consumer credit
payment of $150 or more (this means that you are
at least 60 days overdue in making the payment)
•
a statement that you have since paid an amount
that was recorded as default in your consumer
credit report
•
the fact that, as a result of a default, you have
agreed to a variation in the terms and conditions
The following types of personal information can be
included in your consumer credit report:
•
your full name
•
your date of birth
•
your sex
•
your current (or last known) address and previous
2 addresses
•
the name of your current (or last known) employer
•
your driver’s licence number
•
the names of any credit providers that have
provided you with consumer credit, and whether
they are licenced by ASIC
Privacy fact sheet 28: What information can be included in your credit report
of consumer credit, or you are provided with new
consumer credit
•
any court judgements made against you that relate
to credit provided to, or applied for by, you
•
certain information about you that is recorded on
the National Personal Insolvency Index, including
information that relates to bankruptcy and debt
agreements.
•
•
certain publicly available information that relates
to your activities in Australia and your
creditworthiness. A CRB can only collect this
information where it is generally available to
members of the public and where the CRB collects
the information from an agency or a state or
territory authority
the opinion of a credit provider that you have
committed a serious credit infringement.
Credit score
Your credit report can also include a credit score that
has been created by a CRB using the types of personal
information listed above. A credit score indicates the
CRB’s analysis of your eligibility to be provided with
consumer credit.
What about other information about your
consumer or commercial credit activities?
Other information about consumer credit
Credit providers
Importantly, a credit provider that is also an APP entity
will still be required to comply with the Australian
Privacy Principles (APPs) when handling that
information (for more information about when
particular APPs apply to a credit provider see no. 15
(Privacy fact sheet 40) in this series).
Credit reporting bodies
A CRB is not permitted to handle any other
information about your consumer credit activities,
than the information listed above.
Other information about commercial credit
Your consumer credit report may contain specific types
of personal information about any commercial credit
that you have applied for.
The credit reporting laws do not apply to the handling
of any other personal information about your
commercial credit activities. However, the credit
reporting laws determine when a credit provider can
handle your consumer credit report for a purpose
connected with an application you have made for
commercial credit.
For further information
telephone: 1300 363 992
email: [email protected]
write: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
GPO Box 2999, Canberra ACT 2601
Or visit our website at www.oaic.gov.au
A credit provider is not permitted to give a CRB any
other information about your consumer credit
activities, than those listed above, for the purpose of
including that information in your consumer credit
report.
However, a credit provider may still hold these other
types of information. For example, a credit provider
might ask you for information about your income
when you make an application for credit. The credit
provider cannot give information about your income to
a CRB to be included in your consumer credit report.
However, the credit provider may still use that
information for the purpose of deciding whether to
give you credit.
Privacy fact sheet 28: What information can be included in your credit report
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