Credit bureaus in Ghana and when to search another
In Ghana, credit data sits across three licensed bureaus, XDS, Dun & Bradstreet and My Credit Score, and the law requires a search of one or more before every credit decision. Banks search mostly XDS, while microfinance lenders mostly use Dun & Bradstreet, so bureau use already varies across the market. About one search in four returns no file, which means a first bureau's result can leave a thin file unresolved. You have to decide when another bureau search belongs in the decision.
Three licensed credit bureaus operate in Ghana
Ghana has three licensed credit bureaus: XDS Data Ghana Ltd, Dun & Bradstreet Credit Bureau Ltd and My Credit Score Ltd. The Bank of Ghana (BoG) reports that banks and non-bank financial institutions direct most of their enquiries to XDS, while microfinance lenders direct most to Dun & Bradstreet.
| Bureau | Company | Searched most by |
|---|---|---|
| XDS | XDS Data Ghana Ltd | Banks (97% of their enquiries) and non-bank financial institutions (88.7%) |
| Dun & Bradstreet | Dun & Bradstreet Credit Bureau Ltd | Microfinance lenders (about 80%) |
| My Credit Score | My Credit Score Ltd | Not reported |
Act 726 requires a search before the credit decision
Act 726, Ghana’s Credit Reporting Act 2007, requires you to search one or more bureaus before deciding to grant or refuse an application for credit. The search is part of the information available to the decision, so record which bureau you searched and what came back as part of the written suitability assessment.
| Step | The duty | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Consent | Prior written consent, in the application form or loan agreement | Act 726 s.26(1) |
| Before the decision | Search one or more bureaus | s.26(4) |
| The assessment | Capacity and creditworthiness, with a written record | 2017 Rules 15, 17 |
| Reporting | New facility within 72 hours, performance monthly. Daily for a digital lender | s.24, DCSP §7.3 |
| A negative listing | 90+ days past due, undisputed, after a formal demand and 28 days' notice | s.25 |
| Retention | At most six years at the bureau | s.30 |
For data other than negative data, obtain the borrower’s prior written consent in the application form or loan agreement. If you are a licensed digital credit services provider (DCSP), the directive also requires consent before submitting customer data to a bureau. It allows that consent to be oral, in print or electronic.
You may report negative data without the borrower’s consent only when the debt is at least 90 days past due and undisputed, a formal demand has produced no satisfactory repayment proposal, and the borrower must have received at least 28 days’ notice of disclosure.
Choose the first search using applicants’ borrowing history
Use the market pattern as a starting point for testing your first bureau. If your applicants’ stated borrowing history is mainly with banks, XDS is a reasonable first call to test. If it is mainly with microfinance lenders, test Dun & Bradstreet first.
Use the segment figures as context, then choose the first call based on your own book and the files your searches actually return.
A no-file result leaves the applicant’s history unresolved
In 2025, the hit rate across Ghana’s credit reporting system was 77.4%. That means about one search in four returned no file.
The applicant may still have borrowing history with another bureau. A file may also sit under an ID other than the Ghana Card, because older files were opened under other kinds of ID (XDS, December 2023). Measure how often a second search finds an additional file in your own results. Treat the first result as unresolved. Check another bureau before classifying the applicant as new to credit.
If another bureau returns a file, include that information in your creditworthiness assessment. If it also returns no file, you have no confirmed bureau history from the searches. Assess capacity and creditworthiness using the other accurate information available to you.
Compare calling orders by added information and cost
There is a cost on both sides. Calling again costs money, and stopping after a no-file result leaves the opportunity to find another file untested. I would stay independent of any one bureau and compare the value of each calling order on your own applicants. The data source waterfall tool lays out the comparison across one source, a second source after a no-hit, or both sources.
For each order, measure how many additional files the next call finds, which decisions change after those files are assessed, and what the extra calls cost. Then compare the changed decisions’ expected effect on losses and profit. Measure those results for your book using your own recorded searches and outcomes.
Keep the source choice in a decision flow you control, where Decisimo can call REST APIs or SOAP services as data sources and route a failed call to a fallback branch.
Apply the search rule to your own book
- Obtain the borrower’s prior written consent for data other than negative data, using the application form or loan agreement. If you are a licensed DCSP, obtain consent before submitting customer data to a bureau.
- Search one or more bureaus before deciding to grant or refuse credit. Record which bureau you searched and what came back in the written suitability assessment.
- Choose a first bureau to test using applicants’ stated borrowing history, where collected, and the reported patterns for banks and microfinance lenders as context.
- If the first search finds no file, search another bureau before treating the applicant as new to credit. Assess any file returned as part of the creditworthiness decision. If both searches find no file, assess the other accurate information available to you.
- Report new facilities within 72 hours and update performance monthly. If you are a licensed DCSP, submit customer data daily.
- Report negative data without the borrower’s consent only when the debt is at least 90 days past due and undisputed, a formal demand has produced no satisfactory repayment proposal, and the borrower must have received at least 28 days’ notice of disclosure.
- Keep bureau calls in a decision flow you control, so you can choose and review the calling order independently of any one bureau’s product.
- Compare one bureau, a second bureau only after a no-hit, and both bureaus on your own applicants. Record the additional files found, decisions changed and call costs, then assess the effect of those decisions on losses and profit.
Questions about credit bureaus in Ghana
How many credit bureaus are licensed in Ghana?
Three: XDS Data Ghana Ltd, Dun & Bradstreet Credit Bureau Ltd and My Credit Score Ltd.
Do I have to search a credit bureau before every loan in Ghana?
Yes. Act 726 requires you to search one or more bureaus before deciding to grant or refuse an application for credit. Record the bureau searched and its result as part of the suitability assessment.
Why search more than one bureau?
Search patterns differ across lender segments, and about one search in four across the system returned no file in 2025. A second search can test whether another bureau has a file. Compare the added files, changed decisions and call costs on your own applicants.
How fast must I report a new loan?
Report a new facility within 72 hours of the credit agreement, report performance monthly, and submit customer data daily if you are a licensed digital lender.
When can I report a borrower in default without consent?
You may report negative data without consent when the debt is at least 90 days past due and undisputed, a formal demand has produced no satisfactory repayment proposal, and the borrower has received at least 28 days’ notice of disclosure.
How long do the bureaus keep information?
Bureaus may keep information for at most six years, or ten years for criminal convictions.
