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Back to Metro 2

Metro 2® Format Guide

Comprehensive Field-by-Field Breakdown for Credit Reporting

Header Record

File identification and reporting information

Base Segment

Primary account and consumer information

J1 & J2 Segments

Employment and additional consumer details

K1-K4 Segments

Additional name and address information

L1 Segment

Change in terms information

N1 Segment

Additional account information

Trailer Record

File summary and totals

Account Status Codes

Complete reference of status codes

Header Record

The Header Record appears once at the beginning of each Metro 2 file and contains identifying information about the reporter and the file itself.

Key Fields

Record Descriptor Word (4 chars)

Fixed value: "HEADER"

Cycle Identifier (4 chars)

Format: MMDD - Month and day of the reporting cycle

Reporter Name (40 chars)

Name of the reporting institution

Reporter Address (96 chars)

Complete mailing address

Reporter Telephone Number (10 chars)

Format: 10-digit phone number

Software Vendor Name (40 chars)

Name of the software used to generate the file

Software Version Number (5 chars)

Version of the software

Important Note

The Header Record is mandatory and must be the first record in every Metro 2 file. All fields must be properly formatted according to their specifications.

Base Segment

The Base Segment contains the core account information and appears for each account being reported. This is the most critical segment in the Metro 2 format.

Consumer Information

Consumer Account Number (30 chars)

Unique identifier for the account

Social Security Number (9 chars)

Consumer's SSN (numbers only, no dashes)

Date of Birth (8 chars)

Format: MMDDYYYY

Consumer Name (Full name fields)

Surname, First Name, Middle Name, Generation Code

Account Information

Portfolio Type (1 char)

C=Line of Credit, I=Installment, M=Mortgage, O=Open, R=Revolving

Account Type (2 chars)

Specific type of account (e.g., 01=Auto, 02=Unsecured)

Date Opened (8 chars)

Format: MMDDYYYY - Date account was opened

Credit Limit (9 chars)

Maximum credit available (monetary amount)

Highest Credit (9 chars)

Highest amount of credit extended

Current Balance (9 chars)

Outstanding balance as of reporting date

Amount Past Due (9 chars)

Total amount past due

Payment Rating (1 char)

Current payment status (see Account Status Codes below)

Payment History Profile (24 chars)

24 months of payment history

J1 & J2 Segments

These segments contain employment information and additional consumer details.

J1 Segment - Employment Information

Employment Segment Identifier (2 chars)

Fixed value: "J1"

Employer Name (40 chars)

Current employer name

Employment Status (1 char)

E=Employed, U=Unemployed, R=Retired, etc.

J2 Segment - Additional Employment

Second Employment Information

Similar structure to J1 for second employer

K1-K4 Segments

These segments provide additional name and address information for the consumer.

K1 Segment - Original Creditor

Information about the original creditor if account was transferred

K2 Segment - Purchased From Name

Name of the entity from whom the account was purchased

K3 Segment - Agency Identifier

Collection agency information

K4 Segment - Additional Information

Supplemental creditor information

L1 Segment

The L1 Segment reports changes in the terms of the account.

Change Indicator (2 chars)

Identifies the type of change that occurred

Change Date (8 chars)

Date the change became effective

New Terms

Updated account terms including payment amount, rate, etc.

N1 Segment

The N1 Segment provides additional narrative information about the account.

Narrative Code 1 (2 chars)

Primary narrative code describing account status or condition

Narrative Code 2 (2 chars)

Secondary narrative code for additional details

Common Narrative Codes

• BK - Bankruptcy
• FC - Foreclosure
• CO - Charge-off
• DL - Loan in deferment
• FB - Forbearance

Trailer Record

The Trailer Record appears once at the end of each Metro 2 file and contains summary information about the file contents.

Record Descriptor Word (7 chars)

Fixed value: "TRAILER"

Total Base Records (9 chars)

Count of all base segments in the file

Total Status Code DA (9 chars)

Count of accounts with Delete Account status

Total Status Code 05, 11, 13, etc.

Counts for various account status codes

Total J1/J2 Segments

Count of employment segments

Total K Segments

Count of K1, K2, K3, and K4 segments

Account Status Codes

These codes indicate the current status and payment history of the account.

Primary Status Codes

11 - Current

Account is current, no late payments

13 - Paid or Closed

Account paid in full or closed with zero balance

71 - 30 Days Past Due

Payment is 30-59 days late

78 - 60 Days Past Due

Payment is 60-89 days late

80 - 90 Days Past Due

Payment is 90-119 days late

82 - 120+ Days Past Due

Payment is 120 or more days late

93 - Assigned to Collection

Account assigned to internal/external collection

97 - Charge-off

Account charged off as uncollectible

DA - Delete Account

Request to delete entire account from credit file

DF - Deferred

Payments deferred (student loans, forbearance)

Special Condition Codes

05 - Transfer/Sold

Account transferred or sold to another lender

61 - Voluntary Surrender

Consumer voluntarily surrendered collateral

62 - Early Termination

Account closed before contract terms fulfilled

63 - Repossession

Collateral repossessed by creditor

64 - Foreclosure

Foreclosure proceedings completed

65 - Deed-in-Lieu

Deed transferred in lieu of foreclosure

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Metro 2® Format Guide

Table of Contents

Header Record

Base Segment

J1 & J2 Segments

K1-K4 Segments

L1 Segment

N1 Segment

Trailer Record

Account Status Codes

Header Record

Key Fields

Important Note

Base Segment

Consumer Information

Account Information

J1 & J2 Segments

J1 Segment - Employment Information

J2 Segment - Additional Employment

K1-K4 Segments

L1 Segment

N1 Segment

Common Narrative Codes

Trailer Record

Account Status Codes

Primary Status Codes

Special Condition Codes

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Additional Resources

What is Metro 2?

Onboarding Guide

Header Record Details

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