You can get your ChexSystems report for free once every 12 months by submitting a request online through the ChexSystems Consumer Portal, by mail, or by phone. ChexSystems is a nationwide consumer reporting agency that tracks checking and savings account history, and federal law requires it to give you a free copy of your file on request. However you submit, ChexSystems mails the report to you, and it has 15 days from receiving your request to send it.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681j – Charges for Certain Disclosures
When You Qualify for a Free Report
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, every nationwide consumer reporting agency must give you one free disclosure every 12 months when you ask.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681j – Charges for Certain Disclosures You also qualify for an additional free copy, outside that annual limit, in any of these situations:
- A bank or credit union denied your application for a checking or savings account based on information in your ChexSystems file. You have 60 days from the date you receive the denial notice to request your free copy.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681j – Charges for Certain Disclosures
- You are unemployed and plan to apply for a job within the next 60 days.
- You are receiving public welfare benefits.
- You believe your file contains inaccurate information because of identity theft or fraud, or you have placed a fraud alert on your file.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681j – Charges for Certain Disclosures
If you were denied an account, the notice from the bank must identify ChexSystems by name, address, and toll-free phone number, and it must tell you that ChexSystems did not make the denial decision and that you can request a free report and dispute inaccurate information.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681m – Requirements on Users of Consumer Reports Even if the letter leaves that information out, you can still request your free report directly within 60 days of the denial.
What to Have Ready Before You Request
Every request method needs the same core identifying information, so gather it before you start:3ChexSystems. Consumer Disclosure
- Your full legal name, including any suffix such as Jr., Sr., or III.
- Your Social Security number.
- Your date of birth.
- Your current mailing address.
If you are mailing your request, you also need to include copies of identity documents: a color copy of the front and back of your state ID or driver’s license, a copy of your Social Security card, and a proof of address dated within the last 90 days, such as a utility bill.
Requesting Online Through the Consumer Portal
The fastest way to submit is through the ChexSystems Consumer Portal. Go to the consumer disclosure page at chexsystems.com and either register for a new account or sign in to an existing one, then follow the prompts to enter your personal information and submit the request.3ChexSystems. Consumer Disclosure The portal may include a CAPTCHA or similar check to confirm you’re a real person.
Online submission is not instant delivery. ChexSystems still mails the report to the address on file after it processes your request. What the online option gives you is a faster submission step and confirmation that the request was received.
Requesting by Mail
To request by mail, download and print the Consumer Request for Disclosure Form from the ChexSystems website. Fill out every field in black ink and make sure the information matches your government-issued ID exactly. Write your Social Security number clearly in the designated boxes so processing isn’t delayed.
Send the completed form together with copies of your identity documents to:
Chex Systems, Inc.
Attn: Consumer Relations
PO Box 583399
Minneapolis, MN 554583ChexSystems. Consumer Disclosure
Certified mail is worth the small extra cost. You get a tracking number and a delivery date, which matters because that date starts the 15-day clock ChexSystems has to send your report.
Requesting by Phone
You can also call ChexSystems Consumer Relations at 800-428-9623. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time.4ChexSystems. Contact Chex Systems, Inc. Follow the automated prompts and enter your Social Security number and other identifying details on the keypad when asked. The system confirms your request once it matches your information to the database.
How Long Delivery Takes
Federal law gives ChexSystems 15 days from receiving your request to provide the report.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681j – Charges for Certain Disclosures Because the report goes out by mail no matter which method you used to request it, add a few days for postal delivery when you’re counting.
If nothing arrives in that window, call ChexSystems Consumer Relations at 800-428-9623 or write to the PO Box address to follow up.4ChexSystems. Contact Chex Systems, Inc. If the agency doesn’t resolve it, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau online at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or by calling 855-411-2372.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a Complaint
Check Early Warning Services Too
ChexSystems isn’t the only agency banks use. Early Warning Services (EWS) is a competing nationwide agency that also collects checking and savings account data, and some banks report to one, both, or neither. A ChexSystems report alone may not show everything a bank sees about you.
Like ChexSystems, EWS has to send you one free report every 12 months within 15 days of your request. You can request it through earlywarning.com, by phone at 800-745-1560, or by mail at Early Warning, Attn: Consumer Services Department, 5801 N. Pima Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250.6Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Early Warning Services, LLC If a denial letter names EWS rather than ChexSystems, request that report instead.