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COST OF CREDIT REPORTS FOR BORROWERS
As a mom and pop mortgage broker owner with a small operation of three licensed loan officers, one full-time processor, and one full-time loan officer assistant and licensed in three states, the cost of a tri-merger credit report is becoming more and more unaffordable. I remember when a tri-merger credit report from Credit-PLUS cost $28.00 and a soft pull from one credit bureau cost $2.00. I have not been doing a lot of production but am starting to. Let me get this straight. A tri-merger hard pull costs $127.00 dollars per borrower? How about if you add a co-borrower or co-borrowers? What if you have one main borrower and two non-occupant co-borrowers? Would that cost $127.00 times three people so $381.00? How much are soft pulls? I heard many companies are sending out payment links for the mortgage applicants to pull their own hard pull tri-merger credit report where the borrower pays and get a copy of the tri-merger credit report and the loan officer gets sent a copy of the tri-merger credit report. By having the borrower pay the tri-merger credit report, the borrower does not get charged credit report fees at closing, correct? Normally, if the loan officer pulls credit and the mortgage broker company pays for it, does the lender charge a premium for credit reporting fees or the $381.00 just gets charged? How would you present to the borrower on directing them to go to the payment link and pay for the tri-merger credit report? Thank you in advance.
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1 Reply
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Credit report pricing is undergoing significant changes. The current billing structure, with charges per person, per reissue, and for add-ons, creates challenges for small businesses.
Cost Is $127 for a tri-merge hard pull “real” in 2026?
It can be, depending on your reseller (Credit-Plus/Xactus, Xactus360, Factual Data, Advantage, etc.), what’s bundled (scores, trended data, supplements, fraud tools), and whether you’re paying retail vs a negotiated broker rate.
CFPB Director Chopra publicly cited that tri-merge reports from resellers were “typically” about $40–$60 (at the time of his 2024 remarks).
Equifax has also discussed a wide range and points to score-related costs as a driver (not just “the report”).
So: the cost $127 per borrower is plausible in today’s market—but it’s not a universal “fixed” price.
Do you pay per borrower? What about 2 co-borrowers / 3 total borrowers?
Most mortgage credit vendors price primarily “per consumer file.
In practice:1 borrower = 1 tri-merge package (3 bureaus + scores)
2 borrowers (borrower + co-borrower) = typically~2x the consumer-file portion (and often additional score charges)
3 borrowers (borrower + 2 non-occupant co-borrowers) = typically 3x the consumer-file portion
So your example math $127 × 3 = $381—is a realistic way to think about it if your vendor is charging essentially per person.
However, a few caveats
Some vendors have pricing or bundles that are less than exactly 2x, but it still rises materially.credit supplements/VOE/VOI tools can add more.
Best move: ask your account rep for a rate card that shows pricing for: single / joint / additional borrower / reissue / score refresh /supplements—because your profitability depends on the reissue + re-pull line items just as much as the base pull.
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