AMEX/DSNB – What Is This on a Credit Report? • Money Rook

Authorities will investigate your credit score if you’re applying for a credit card or asking a credit card company to increase your credit limit. In the process, you might see the word AMEX/DSNB on your credit report. What does AMEX/DSNB mean?

AMEX/DSNB is the acronym of American Express and Department Stores National Bank. Your credit report might show AMEX/DSNB if you applied for a Bloomingdale’s or Macy’s American Express credit card. The DSNB is the one that issues the credit cards for these two retail stores.

If ‘AMEX/DSNB’ shows on your report when you have not applied for a credit card, you should file a dispute.

Read on to learn more about AMEX/DSNB, its meaning, why it shows up on credit reports, and what you should do if it is in your credit report.

What Does AMEX/DSNB Mean?

If you see AMEX/DSNB in your credit report, it only means that you have applied for a Bloomingdale’s or Macy’s American Express credit card. This is an acronym for American Express and Department Stores National Bank. The DSNB is the body that issues the credit cards for these two retail stores.

You should not ignore this kind of data on your credit report. If you have not applied for a credit card in Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s and yet ‘DSNB’ appears on your credit report, you have to file a dispute with the corresponding company.

DSNB is actually a credit report code. Every retail store accepting credit cards for payments has an exclusive store-only version of credit cards and an American Express option that cardholders can use anywhere. That explains ‘AMEX’ in that term. It is the credit report code and the nickname of American Express.

In partnership with Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, the Department Stores National Bank issues two types of credit cards.

In-store only cards
American Express cards

If you have applied for any one of these two types of cards with Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s within the last two years, the acronym AMEX/DSNB will show up on your credit report. But there are instances when this term shows up even if you haven’t applied for a credit card with these retailers.

Other Reasons Why AMEX/DSNB Shows Up

This term will also show up in your report if another credit card holder authorized you to use their credit account. For instance, if a family member or a close friend adds you as an authorized user of their Bloomingdale’s or Macy’s American Express card, AMEX/DSNB will surely show up on your report.

If you are an authorized user of such credit cards, you can buy things in Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s, and the charges will be reflected on account of the person who authorized you.

In doing so, your transactions will be reflected on your credit reports, even if you are not legally responsible for making the payments. This method is an effective way of building your credit reputation.

In this way, you don’t have to open a new account, but you can start using credit right away. However, be careful in doing this because it carries some risks. If the credit card owner overshoots their credit limit or lags on their payments, it will adversely affect your credit record.

You need to play it safe when it comes to using someone else’s credit card. If you did not give the credit card owner permission to add you as an authorized user, you should contact the card issuer and ask them to remove your name.

What If You See AMEX/DSNB When You Didn’t Apply for It?

If you did not apply for a credit card, or you did not allow a family member or friend to add you to their account, and AMEX/DSNB shows up on your reports, you should be alarmed. It could be just an error on the part of the credit card company. But it could also be a case of identity theft.

Check with the credit bureau that listed AMEX/DSNB on your credit report.
Check with the Department Stores National Bank (DSNB) and ask why it shows up on your reports.
If it turns out that somebody has stolen your identity, report it to the concerned authorities at once.
Put a fraud alert on your reports.
You can also freeze your credit. By doing so, will prevent thieves from opening new accounts under your name.

The best way to prevent identity theft is to devise a plan before someone steals your personal data. If you regularly monitor your credit, you will be able to spot suspicious activities as they occur.

You can also visit the Annual Credit Report.com to get your credit reports. You can request the country’s three main consumer credit bureaus to give your credit reports periodically for free from this website.

Credit Cards Issued by AMEX/DSNB

There are four different types of credit cards issued by the Department Stores National Bank for Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. They are the following:

Macy’s American Express Card
Macy’s Credit Card
Bloomingdale’s American Express Card
Bloomingdale’s Credit Card

To repeat, if you are using Macy’s American Express Card or Bloomingdale’s American Express Card in your purchases, the term AMEX/DSNB will show up on your credit reports. It runs on the network of American Express, that’s why.

But those who hold Macy’s Credit Card or Bloomingdale’s Credit Card may see only the DSNB acronym and not the AMEX acronym on their credit reports. They do not run on the American Express network, that’s why.

Why Does AMEX/DSNB Appear on My Credit Reports?

AMEX/DSNB or “AMEX DSNB” appears for two possible reasons: Hard Inquiry and Soft inquiry on your credit status:

Hard Inquiry

When you apply for a store credit card or a new line of credit, the card issuer will check your credit. This background check will tell them if you are worth the risk. If you are, then your application will be approved. If not, they will drop your application.

This background check is considered a hard inquiry. In such cases, the card issuer’s name which conducted the investigation may appear on your credit reports. Your credit scores may be negatively affected by this hard inquiry in a small way.

A hard inquiry is more exhaustive. Its purpose is to give the card issuer access to your comprehensive credit report. This information will help them assess your credibility as a borrower. In most cases, this is their main criteria in approving or disapproving your application.

Credit card companies may also request access to your Equifax, Experian or TransUnion reports. Your credit scores on all these three platforms could impact your application.

Additionally, a hard inquiry will remain on your credit reports for two years. It may also result in a slight hit on your credit score. Worse things can happen if several card issuers are conducting hard inquiries on your credit and if there are some negative entries.

So, if you want to reduce the negative impact, you should limit your applications for credit cards and loans. Do your research before applying and apply only with card issuers to have greater chances of being approved.

Soft Inquiry

There are also some instances when the AMEX/DSNB term can show up on your credit reports. If the card issuer conducts a soft inquiry on your credit history, your report will likely show this term.

When a credit card company checks your credit proactively before sending you a pre-qualified offer for a credit card, they conduct a soft inquiry on your credit record. A soft inquiry is also performed when a company is checking your credit score online or when you are comparing quotes.

One good thing about soft inquiries is that they don’t harm your credit score. They may show up on your credit reports, but they don’t have an ill effect. Their appearance on your reports will only tell you which card companies are checking your credit record.

This type of inquiry does not lower your credit score and is not recorded on your credit report. But once a prospective lender finishes their soft inquiry, a hard inquiry may follow.

When You Need to Be Alarmed

You need to be concerned if AMEX/DSNB appears on your credit reports, even if you haven’t applied for a Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s American Express card. It could be a simple error on the part of the card issuer, or it may be a case of identity theft.

If someone else is trying to apply for one of these cards under your name, try to remove it from your credit reports as soon as possible. How do you do that? You have to dispute it with the credit bureaus.

Disputing a Hard Inquiry

Don’t worry too much about hard inquiries. Actually, they are simply the credit card company’s way of looking into your credit reports to help them assess your viability as a worthy borrower. However, if your credit report is undergoing other inquiries, it can impact your credit score seriously.

In that case, you need to remove that AMEX/DSNB acronym from your reports. There are two ways by which you can do this:

Dispute the Hard Inquiry

If you didn’t apply for a credit card, you could dispute the inquiry. This will prevent the lowering of your credit score. If the hard inquiry is unsolicited, it could mean a case of identity fraud. If not corrected, your finances will be in danger.

This is the reason why you should act fast. You need to dispute any inaccurate information recorded on your credit report right away. You have 30 days to dispute any incorrect data recorded in that report. Dispute the entry naming the company such as the DSNB or with the credit bureaus.

There are three options that you can choose in disputing any inaccurate entry with the credit bureaus.

By mail – send a letter through certified mail. This will give you the greatest chance to use and get concrete documentation of the dispute.
By telephone
Online

Once the credit bureaus see that the disputed entry is incorrect, they will erase it from your credit report. But you really need to act fast. If you avail of a credit monitoring service, you will be alerted if any change is recorded on your report.

Some of these services are free. For instance, Credit Karma is an app that can notify you if there are updates to your credit report. It can also give you advice on how you can improve your score. I already mentioned Annual Credit Report.com, which you can also use to get your free annual credit reports.

Ask Help from the Pros

Disputing incorrect entries on your credit reports could be very stressful. If you don’t want the stress, you can leave the disputation and cleaning of your reports to a credit repair company. These professionals can help you solve your credit problems.

That includes disputing fraudulent inquiries conducted by credit bureaus and card companies. They can help you avoid the stress of personally confronting the bureaus and still dispute the inquiries successfully.

Most of these companies offer different levels of credit repair services. You need to pick one that suits your needs and your budget.

Conclusion – AMEX/DSNB [or AMEX DSNB]

AMEX/DSNB or “AMEX DSNB” is an acronym of American Express and Department Stores National Bank. AMEX/DSNB would show up on your credit report if you applied for a Bloomingdale’s or Macy’s American Express credit card. It is the DSNB that issues the credit cards for these retail stores.

But if you see ‘DSNB’ in your credit report when you have not applied for a credit card, you should not ignore it. That is incorrect information. To correct this misinformation, you should file a dispute.