Seeing CBNA on your credit report might leave you confused—but it usually ties back to a credit application or account with Citibank. Whether it’s a recent hard inquiry or an active account, here’s what you need to know and how to remove it if necessary.
What CBNA Means on Your Credit Report
CBNA stands for Citibank North America, one of the largest credit card issuers in the U.S. If you’ve recently applied for a credit card through Citibank or one of its retail partners, that application likely triggered a hard inquiry labeled as CBNA on your credit report.
CBNA may also refer to other financial institutions, which we’ll explain below.
Why CBNA Might Be on Your Credit Report
When you apply for a Citibank credit card, Citibank performs a credit check. This results in a hard inquiry, which shows up under the CBNA code.
Citibank offers several popular cards, including:
- Citi Diamond Preferred
- Citi Double Cash
- Citi Premier
- Citi Prestige
- Citi Rewards Card
- Citi Simplicity
They also have co-branded cards with brands such as:
- American Airlines
- AT&T
- Best Buy
- Costco
- Expedia
- The Home Depot
Common CBNA Inquiry Codes
Here are some of the CBNA-related labels you might see:
- BBY/CBNA
- BRKSB/CBNA
- CBNA Best Buy
- CBNA Home Depot
- CBNA Sioux Falls
- MONRO-DC/CBNA
- NTB/CBNA
- Sears/CBNA
- STPC/CBNA
- SYW MC/CBNA
- THD/CBNA
- Universal CD CBNA
These codes represent different Citibank products and services. If you applied for any of these cards or loans, a CBNA inquiry might appear on your report.
What else does CBNA stand for?
The CBNA acronym is most commonly used by Citibank North America, but other institutions also use it.
- Community Bank, N.A.: CBNA also stands for Community Bank, N.A. This is a community bank with locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Vermont
- Credit Bureau of North America: CBNA is also an acronym for Credit Bureau of North America, which is a debt collection agency.
- Comenity Bank: In some cases, CBNA may stand for Comenity Bank, which is a credit card company that specializes in store credit cards.
How Long CBNA Inquiries Stay on Your Credit Report
A CBNA hard inquiry can remain on your credit report for up to two years. These inquiries may cause a small drop in your credit score—usually just a few points. However, too many inquiries in a short span can create a bigger impact.
Lenders may view multiple inquiries as a sign you’re taking on more debt, which can raise red flags.
What to Do If You Didn’t Authorize a CBNA Inquiry
If you didn’t apply for a credit product from Citibank or one of its partners, a CBNA inquiry could be a mistake—or a sign of identity theft. Here’s how to respond:
- Contact Citibank: Ask them to verify the inquiry. They can confirm whether someone used your information.
- Dispute with the credit bureaus: If the inquiry wasn’t authorized, file a dispute with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- Add a fraud alert: If you believe your information was used fraudulently, placing a fraud alert can protect you from future unauthorized activity.
Removing CBNA From Your Credit Report
If the CBNA inquiry was made in error or you’re dealing with other negative information—like missed payments or charge-offs—you have a few options.
You can file disputes directly with the credit bureaus, or you can work with a credit repair company that handles the process for you. Credit Saint is one of the top-rated options and has helped many people remove hard inquiries, late payments, collections, repossessions, and more.
Start Rebuilding Your Credit With Confidence
If negative marks like CBNA inquiries are dragging down your credit, Credit Saint may be able to help you move forward.
They back their services with a 90-day money-back guarantee, which speaks to their confidence in getting results.
Visit their website to get started and find out how they can help improve your credit report.
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