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Common ECOA denial reason

“Poor credit performance with us” — Decoded.

That line on your denial letter isn’t an insult — it’s a standard reason code, and it’s telling you exactly which lever moved against you. Here’s what it actually says about your file, in plain English.

The short answer

“Poor credit performance with us” means: THIS lender remembers late payments or losses on an account you previously held with them. It does not mean: The bureau record is wrong — you cannot dispute a lender’s own internal memory, but what they reported to the bureaus must be accurate, and that is reviewable. The 800 Club’s team turns this reason into a plan on a free strategy call.

Lever: Payment History Service Case — record-level work — professional review territory

What It Actually Means

THIS lender remembers late payments or losses on an account you previously held with them. Internal records — a different lender won’t see it the same way, but the underlying history usually shows on your bureau file too.

What It Does NOT Mean

It does not mean the bureau record is wrong — you cannot dispute a lender’s own internal memory, but what they reported to the bureaus must be accurate, and that is reviewable.

The Lever It Points At: Payment History

The heaviest factor there is. A late mark is a record, not a balance — bringing the account current stops new damage, but the record itself stays until it’s reviewed, disputed where inaccurate, or ages off. This is the territory where professional record work earns its keep.

The late-payment playbook — disputes, goodwill, and never again →

The Same Reason, Other Wordings

Lenders and bureaus phrase this one differently letter to letter. If yours says any of these, this is the page:

  • Delinquent past or present credit obligations with us”
  • Previous unsatisfactory account experience with us”
  • Unsatisfactory credit performance with this institution”
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