App Inquiries: What determines bureau, single/dbl pull?

[Anonymous]

Not sure I've ever really read a thread on this topic, so I figured it would be good one to discuss.

When applying for credit cards, what determines which bureau the creditor will pull and what determines if they'll just do a single pull or a double pull (2 bureaus)?

I'm not talking about the near "set in stone" type practices of each creditor... like Amex pulling EX, Synchrony TU or Capital One pulling all 3 bureaus... more the random instances with creditors that don't seem to follow any true pattern.

I know location (State/part of the country) can be factor in which bureau gets pulled sometimes as evidenced by the credit pulls database and datapoints on this forum, but are there other factors?  If there are, do we know any of them?

What about double-pulls of 2 bureaus.  It seems some creditors like Chase for example are sort of 50/50 on if they pull one or two.  Anyone know why?  Is the decision to pull 1 or 2 predetermined for that applicant?  Do the computers just randomly pull 2 different ones at the same time, or do they pull 1, possibly see something they don't "like" and pull the second a few seconds later?

[happypill]

I think some lenders will pull a second bureau if the applicant is borderline.  Chase always double pulls me because they hate me, just so they can hit me with two inquiries before denying me again.  About 18 months ago Citi double pulled me before declining, but about 6 months ago they sent me a pre-approval for the Hhonors card and approved with only a single pull (also got the Citi AA after that with single pull).

So, I think they double pull if you're borderline and they need more info, or if they hate you.

[Anonymous]

Understood with the double pull verses single pull.  That makes sense.  As I suggested in the original post, the two pulls then would technically be at different times (even if it's a matter of seconds) because the decision to take the second pull would be based on the first pull data/score correct?

Are there any examples of people reading this thread that got double-pulled by a creditor when apping when they had excellent credit and thus in their opinion didn't have a need for a second pull to be taken?

[dragontears]

Chase double pulled me and my scores hover near 800 (I got their best terms so they didn't send me what my internal score is)

[Anonymous]

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@dragontears wrote:
Chase double pulled me and my scores hover near 800 (I got their best terms so they didn't send me what my internal score is)

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Yes, Chase (and Citi) double pulled with scores around 840.  At one point they both single pulled, but then all subsequent cards were double pulls.  And like dragontears, I got the best terms.

So I wasn't borderline in an obvious low-score sense, but I guess could have been borderline in other ways (total CL, recent cards or five digit zip less than 2* +4 zip!)

[Anonymous]

Interesting regarding Chase and Citi.  Are there any data points out there on if it's typical for those creditors to single pull first-time applicants [with good credit] but as a general protocol subsequent apps require 2 pulls from them? 

[Creditplz]

Chase has never DP me, neither has Citi, but Amex has pulled EX and TU multiple times on me..