NCTUE is a non-profit, FCRA-compliant consumer credit reporting agency comprised of 160+ service providers. These member-contributors are able to access consumer payment histories to manage their credit portfolios better, make well-informed decisions, and better identify and manage financial risk associated with fraudulent account openings and unpaid closed accounts.
With approximately 500 million records in the database, NCTUE is the premier, industry-specific data source for accurately assessing new applicant risk. NCTUE allows members to screen new consumers for customer service applications and unpaid closed accounts to decrease write-offs and improve profitability.
By joining NCTUE, members can:
To learn more about how the NCTUE is good for your business, your consumers, and your communities, download this eBook.
You should join if you are a national, regional, or local company providing a range of services including telephone, cable TV, gas, electricity, internet, water, home security, and more. Membership is governed by member agreements, operating guidelines, and bylaws. Eligibility and data usage is governed by the member-led NCTUE board of trustees.
Members are required to contribute their consumer data to receive data.
Now that you know the benefits of an NCTUE membership, why not join?
NCTUE was formed Dec. 1, 1980, when credit executives of long-distance carriers and the National Association of Credit Management Southwest (NACM Southwest) formed the National Telecommunications Credit Group.
An informal committee of Credit Group members and a representative of NACM Southwest formed to pursue the establishment of a national database to be owned and operated according to guidelines set by the members.
After numerous meetings, the National Telecommunications Data Exchange (NTDE), a non-profit corporation, was founded by several leading service providers.
Telecommunications consumer executives, with the assistance of NACM Southwest, started the process of developing a national database of consumers to better monitor payment and service behaviors in the industry.
The National Consumer Telecommunications Data Exchange (NCTDE) was founded in 1997 by AT&T, Bellsouth, Citizens, Frontier, IXC, MCI, NYNEXLD, Sprint, and WorldCom. In September 1997, the Department of Justice approved the creation of the database, and Equifax was selected as the vendor.
NCTDE and Equifax re-signed an agreement to manage the database. The U.S. Department of Justice approved the combination of telecommunications and utilities providers in one exchange.
Pay TV providers were added to the by-laws in 2003, bringing the mix of data providers to its current state.
Equifax and NCTUE signed a new agreement to allow for the expanded reporting and use of data, including tradeline-level reporting and integrating NCTUE Plus data into products. In 2009, Equifax and the NCTUE established the NCTUE Plus database, which added member-provided tradeline-level account information to turn the existing “negative-only” repository into a more comprehensive tool by adding positive information for better decisioning.
Equifax extended its long-standing relationship with NCTUE. Under the terms of the extended agreement, Equifax will continue its exclusive operation and management of the NCTUE database and provide the organization with enhanced product innovation, advanced data security measures, and marketing support for new member recruitment.