A Java Equifax interface (or Java components for Experian or TransUnion) would be difficult and time-consuming to design, code, test, and implement for most organizations. The three credit bureaus have differing protocols, Internet security methods, and data layouts with each layout being very complex. Fortunately, the MERit Credit Engine makes Java a very practical alternative.

Java Credit Reports

Java works well with the MERit Credit Engine (just like Visual BASIC, C++, Javascript, and other languages) because the interface is universal. Any language that can "talk" to a database with SQL can talk to the MERit Credit Engine.

• To request a credit report simply insert an Inquiry record into the database. The minimum information is normally name, address, and  Social Security number.
• To check the status of the credit report, simply retrieve the Inquiry record. The Status  column will have been updated.
• Your Java program can easily analyze the credit report and make decisions because the database has been populated for you, keyed on your Inquiry index. Detailed tradeline, public record, credit score, employment and residency history is all there, ready to use with the same methods you'd employ for any other data source.
• You can get a human-readable credit report from the Report Text table. You'll find it in a record that matches your original Inquiry index. You can also get report summaries and (optional) merged XML credit reports from the response tables.

The MERit Credit Engine can do all this with multithreading and multiple transports to the credit bureaus. The raw system-to-system data is preserved (and available to you) and you can control whether it is parsed immediately, or later.