Raw Credit Reports

Receive the raw bureau credit report behind a Connect as downloadable files.

Connect discovers liabilities using the user’s credit report. Teams with raw credit report access enabled can also receive that underlying bureau report itself, as a downloadable raw credit report (JSON, or native XML for TransUnion) and/or credit report PDF returned as Files. Files give you a durable copy of the report (e.g. for compliance archives or underwriting reviews) that can be re-downloaded at any time. A Connect can also return credit scores inside those Files.

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Prerequisites

• Raw credit report features are enabled on a case-by-case basis. Contact Method to enable these.
• The Entity must be verified and must not have withdrawn consent.

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Requesting the raw report

1. Create a Connect with artifacts

   Pass bureau and artifacts when creating a Connect:

   curl https://production.methodfi.com/entities/ent_au22b1fbFJbp8/connect \
     -X POST \
     -H "Method-Version: 2026-03-30" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{
       "bureau": "transunion",
       "artifacts": ["raw_credit_report", "credit_report_pdf"]
     }'
   

   Field	Type	Notes
   bureau	enum	transunion or equifax. Required whenever artifacts is set. Method will work with your team to set which bureaus are allowed.
   artifacts	enum[]	Any of raw_credit_report, credit_report_pdf. Each becomes a downloadable File on the Connect.

   Each Connect pulls from a single bureau. To receive credit reports from both bureaus, you will need to make 2 separate Connect calls.

2. Read the response

   The Connect response includes the requested artifacts in files:

   response.data

   {
     "id": "cxn_4ewMmBbjYDMR4",
     "entity_id": "ent_au22b1fbFJbp8",
     "status": "completed",
     "accounts": ["acc_eKKmrXDpJBKgw", "acc_GV8WbmJW7KGRy"],
     "requested_products": [],
     "requested_subscriptions": [],
     "files": [
       {
         "id": "file_jZWkPMhXPeYAn",
         "type": "raw_credit_report",
         "bureau": "transunion",
         "mime_type": "application/json"
       },
       {
         "id": "file_qTnUv7DdKcRW2",
         "type": "credit_report_pdf",
         "bureau": "transunion",
         "mime_type": "application/pdf"
       }
     ],
     "error": null,
     "created_at": "2026-07-06T18:00:00.000Z",
     "updated_at": "2026-07-06T18:00:12.000Z"
   }
   
3. Download the file artifacts

   Note the file_ids in the above response and use Retrieve a File to get the File’s metadata, including a temporary download_url to its contents:

   curl https://production.methodfi.com/files/file_jZWkPMhXPeYAn \
     -H "Method-Version: 2026-03-30" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc"
   

   Fetch the download_url. A new URL is generated on every retrieve and expires at download_expires_at.

   Additionally, you can stream a File’s contents directly with Download a File:

   curl https://production.methodfi.com/files/file_jZWkPMhXPeYAn/download \
     -H "Method-Version: 2026-03-30" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
     -o raw_credit_report.json
   

​

Receiving TransUnion reports as XML

TransUnion raw credit reports are returned as JSON by default. To receive the native TransUnion XML report instead, pass the raw_report_format=xml query parameter when creating a Connect:

curl "https://production.methodfi.com/entities/ent_au22b1fbFJbp8/connect?raw_report_format=xml" \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2026-03-30" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "bureau": "transunion",
    "artifacts": ["raw_credit_report"]
  }'

Query parameter	Type	Notes
raw_report_format	enum	json (default) or xml. Applies only to the raw_credit_report artifact. xml is only supported when bureau is transunion.

The raw_credit_report File then has a mime_type of application/xml. Always use a File’s mime_type to decide how to parse its contents, and save XML downloads with an .xml extension (for example, -o raw_credit_report.xml).

Equifax raw credit reports are always returned as JSON. Requesting raw_report_format=xml for an Equifax raw_credit_report returns a CONNECT_RAW_REPORT_FORMAT_UNSUPPORTED_BUREAU error.

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Requesting credit scores

A Connect can return one or more credit scores with the credit report. Pass score_models with bureau and artifacts when creating a Connect:

curl https://production.methodfi.com/entities/ent_au22b1fbFJbp8/connect \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2026-03-30" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "bureau": "transunion",
    "artifacts": ["raw_credit_report", "credit_report_pdf"],
    "score_models": ["vantage_4", "fico_8", "fico_auto_8"]
  }'

Field	Type	Notes
score_models	enum[]	One or more score models to return with the report, each listed once. Requires bureau and at least one of the raw_credit_report or credit_report_pdf artifacts.

Score models are enabled per team and per bureau. Contact Method to enable the models you need. Every model in score_models must be enabled for your team on the requested bureau, or the request fails with CONNECT_SCORE_MODELS_NOT_ENABLED and the error message lists the models that are not enabled. If you omit score_models, the Connect returns the default score models Method configured for your team on that bureau, if any.

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Available score models

Each bureau supports a different set of models.

Score model	score_models value	TransUnion	Equifax
VantageScore 3.0	vantage_3	Not available	Available
VantageScore 4.0	vantage_4	Available	Available
FICO Score 8	fico_8	Available	Not available
FICO Score 9	fico_9	Available	Not available
FICO Auto Score 8	fico_auto_8	Available	Not available
FICO Auto Score 9	fico_auto_9	Available	Not available

​

Reading scores from the report

Scores are returned inside the credit report Files, not on the Connect object. The credit_report_pdf artifact prints the same scores in the bureau’s own layout.

TransUnion JSON

The scores array holds one entry per requested model. Use model to identify each entry. Each entry has up to five factors, ordered by rank: 1 is the factor that lowered the score the most, 2 the next most, and so on. TransUnion returns factor codes without descriptions.

"scores": [
  {
    "score": 742,
    "factors": [
      { "rank": 1, "code": "04" },
      { "rank": 2, "code": "14" },
      { "rank": 3, "code": "03" },
      { "rank": 4, "code": "16" }
    ],
    "model": "vantage_4"
  },
  {
    "score": 731,
    "factors": [
      { "rank": 1, "code": "040" },
      { "rank": 2, "code": "013" },
      { "rank": 3, "code": "020" },
      { "rank": 4, "code": "010" }
    ],
    "model": "fico_8"
  }
]

TransUnion XML

Each score is an addOnProduct element whose scoreModel element holds the score and the factor codes. Each factor element has the same rank and code as the JSON report.

Equifax JSON

The models array holds one entry per requested model. Each entry has a score and up to four reasons, each with a code and a description. Equifax can also return other entry types in models, so read only the entries whose type is MODEL.

Equifax entries do not include a model field. Use modelNumber to identify each entry:

modelNumber	score_models value
05143	vantage_3
05402	vantage_4

"models": [
  {
    "type": "MODEL",
    "modelNumber": "05402",
    "score": 742,
    "reasons": [
      { "code": "04", "description": "BALANCES ON ACCOUNTS TOO HIGH COMPARED TO CREDIT LIMITS AND LOAN AMOUNTS" },
      { "code": "14", "description": "TOO HIGH PROPORTION OF ACCOUNTS RECENTLY OPENED" },
      { "code": "03", "description": "AVERAGE TIME SINCE ACCOUNTS OPENED IS TOO RECENT" },
      { "code": "16", "description": "TOTAL OF CREDIT LIMITS AND LOAN AMOUNTS IS TOO LOW" }
    ]
  }
]

Each Connect pulls from a single bureau, so it returns only that bureau’s scores. To receive scores from both bureaus, make 2 separate Connect calls.

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Retrieving the raw report later

Files persist after the Connect completes. Retrieve the Connect at any time to read its files array, then download the contents via the Files API.

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Webhooks

Connects with products or subscriptions (or the Prefer: respond-async header) process asynchronously. Listen for connect.available to know when an async Connect (including its artifacts) is ready, and connect.create for synchronous completions. See Connect webhooks.

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Errors

sub_type	Cause
CONNECT_BUREAU_REQUIRED_FOR_ARTIFACTS	artifacts sent without bureau
CONNECT_BUREAU_NOT_CONFIGURED	No bureaus have been configured for your team
CONNECT_BUREAU_NOT_ENABLED	The requested bureau is not in your team’s allowed bureaus
CONNECT_RAW_REPORT_NOT_ENABLED	The raw_credit_report artifact is not enabled for your team
CONNECT_CREDIT_REPORT_PDF_NOT_ENABLED	The credit_report_pdf artifact is not enabled for your team
CONNECT_RAW_REPORT_FORMAT_UNSUPPORTED_BUREAU	raw_report_format=xml sent with a raw_credit_report artifact for a bureau other than transunion
CONNECT_SCORE_MODELS_REQUIRE_CREDIT_REPORT_ARTIFACT	score_models sent without bureau, or without a raw_credit_report or credit_report_pdf artifact
CONNECT_SCORE_MODELS_NOT_ENABLED	One or more requested score models are not enabled for your team on the requested bureau

See Connect errors and File errors for the full list.

Handling sensitive data. The raw credit report contains the consumer’s full bureau file. Treat it as highly sensitive: store it encrypted, restrict access, and only retain it as long as your compliance obligations require.

For the full API surface, see the Connect reference and the Files reference.