Comprehensive credit reporting (CCR) was introduced in Australia to provide a more complete and clearer picture of your credit history. Gateway will be commencing Comprehensive Credit Reporting from the 1st of November 2022. These changes may make it easier – or for some people, harder – to get credit or a loan.
In a nutshell, your credit score matters, which is why it is more important than ever to keep it in good shape.
A credit reporting body (or CRB) is an organisation whose business involves handling personal information to provide another entity with information about the credit worthiness of an individual. Gateway uses Equifax as their credit reporting body.
A credit report is a detailed summary of your credit history which includes personal information, types of credit you have had and how you have repaid those debts. The information is disclosed by each credit provider to the credit reporting bodies to create your credit report, which is then used by each credit provider when assessing your new credit or loan applications.
It is the number on your credit report that summarises your credit history with a score. That rating tells a credit provider (a bank or lender) how likely you will be to pay back any money that you borrow from them.
The four main things that go into determining your credit score are:
CCR means it is more important than ever to ensure that your payments are on time to ensure that your credit report is favourable. The information we report on includes positive and negative credit information that is used by credit reporting agencies to determine your score - which means it is important to pay your bills, loans, or credit card repayments on time to keep your credit report looking good.
There are some simple things you can do to make sure you get on top of things and keep your credit report in good shape:
| Credit reporting information | Credit reporting | Comprehensive credit reporting (CCR) |
| Personal information (e.g. name, address, date of birth) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Open and closed dates | ✔ | |
| Type of account | ✔ | |
| Credit limit | ✔ | |
| Repayment history information (24 months) | ✔ | |
| Defaults | ✔ | ✔ |
| Serious credit infringements | ✔ | ✔ |
| Credit enquiries | ✔ | ✔ |
| Public record information (e.g. bankruptcy, debt agreements, court judgments, company directorship) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Financial hardship information (12 months) | ✔ |
You can request a free copy of your credit report once every three months from each credit reporting body. Gateway provides information to and uses information from Equifax. You can obtain your free report directly from Equifax.
If you are concerned about your ability to meet your loan or credit facility repayments to Gateway Bank, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. We are here to assist you with these situations and will quickly put in place the best possible assistance measures to help you manage your financial obligations with us.
Communication is key. It's important to stay in touch and talk things through. Please:
The Financial Hardship Assistance service is available for you to call during our opening hours.
Head over to the CreditSmart website for more information about CCR and how it affects you.
