We may investigate your credit history and use your information for credit reporting

We participate in credit reporting. This means if you apply for credit from us, we may ask a credit reporting agency for a credit report on you. Equally, we may tell them your credit information if we give you credit, you default on your payments, or you apply for financial assistance.

In this section, we explain what a credit report is, what a credit reporting agency is and what happens when you ask us for credit.

Nothing in this section limits our ability to share information with, and collect information from, credit reporting agencies for other purposes as set out in this Privacy Statement. For example, we may share information with, and collect information from, credit reporting agencies to do marketing and customer research and analyse data about your credit. This means that credit reporting agencies can share your information with us, even if you don’t have credit with us.

A credit report helps us decide whether to lend to you. It:

• Confirms your identity
  
• Confirms your current credit obligations
• Includes your credit history with other financial or service providers.

A credit reporting agency is a company that collects and provides credit information to credit providers and other companies (such as utility providers). These agencies are used to give information to credit providers when requested – for example when a customer applies for credit through a home loan or credit card.

When we request a credit report, we need to give the credit reporting agency:

• Information about you – to make sure we receive the correct credit report, such as your name and address
  
• Information about your application – such as the type and amount of credit you’re applying for or the changes to the lending you’ve asked for.

When we give you credit, we may share more information with the credit reporting agency that gave us your credit report.

We do this regularly so information can be included in your credit report and shared with credit providers who request it. It’s information we collect through your use of your ANZ products and services and includes:

• What type of credit you have
• Your credit limit
• When you open and close your account
• How often you make repayments.

Also, we may tell the credit reporting agency when you:

• Make repayments on time
• Miss repayments
• Fail to meet your obligations
• Commit a serious infringement – for example, commit fraud or deliberately try to avoid making a repayment
• Are in financial hardship
• Catch up on payments you’ve missed.

We agree with credit reporting agencies’ or organisations’ rules applying to how we share information we get from a credit reporting agency.

Generally, we can only share this information within the ANZ Group and with:

• Agents and contractors or service providers
• Other credit providers – to assess credit or investigate suspected fraud
• Regulatory bodies, government agencies and law enforcement bodies or courts – when we’re required or authorised by law.

You agree that credit reporting agencies or organisations can:

• Keep any information we give them about you
  
• Give that information to their customers.

You can ask credit reporting agencies or organisations:

• For a copy of your credit information they hold
  
• To correct the information they have about you.

We can use this information to:

• Assess and confirm details in your application for credit
  
• Help you avoid defaulting on your credit obligations
• Assess if you are suitable to be a guarantor
• Manage accounts and debt recovery, and carry out general administration and operational tasks
• Comply with any laws, regulations, codes of practice and payment systems.

Often, we’ll combine information from a credit reporting agency with data we already hold about you, like:

• How much you have in your accounts
• How you have repaid existing ANZ credit
• Information on your application form.

We can then use the combined information to help us make decisions about your credit.