--- HOW IT WORKS
Understanding ACDV
An ACDV is how a credit bureau asks you to verify something a consumer is disputing on their credit report.
ACDV stands for Automated Credit Dispute Verification.
--- OVERVIEW
What is an ACDV and how it works.
An ACDV — Automated Credit Dispute Verification — is a formal request from a credit bureau asking you to verify or correct information on a consumer's credit record. It happens when a consumer disputes something on their credit report. The bureau receives that dispute, then routes it to you through e-OSCAR. You are legally required to respond within 30 days under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Every ACDV moves through the same basic path from the bureau, to you, and back again.
1
Bureau sends the dispute
A consumer disputes something on their credit report. The bureau routes the details to you through e-OSCAR.
2
You review and respond
Check the dispute against your records and submit your response - all within the 30-day FCRA window.
3
Bureau updates the record
The bureau processes your response and updates the consumer's file to reflect the outcome.
--- FIND YOUR GUIDE
ACDV vs. AUD / don't mix these up
This is the single most common point of confusion we see. The direction the data travels is the whole difference
ACDV
Bureau > You
The bureau is asking you to verify a consumer's dispute. You're responding to something that landed in your queue.
AUD
You > Bureau
You're proactively sending a correction or update to the bureau — nobody asked you for it. You initiated it.
--- IMPLEMENTATION
What you need to know
The details that actually matter day to day.
Response window
You have 30 days under the FCRA to investigate and respond to every ACDV.
Control Number
Every ACDV gets a unique Control Number — this is what you'll reference in the UI or pass to /view and /submit if you're using the API.
Status flow
An ACDV moves from PENDING-SENDREQUEST to PENDING-AWAITINGRESPONSE once it's been opened — this status change is what makes a response eligible for submission.
Where it lives
In the interactive UI, ACDVs show up in your Work Queue. If you're integrated via API, they're returned by the /find endpoint.
60 SECONDS WITH E-OSCAR
ACDV vs AUD — What's the Difference?
Still not sure which one applies to you? This one-minute video walks through both, side by side.