SYNCB/CCDSTR on your credit report usually points to a CareCredit application through Synchrony Bank. The code can look unfamiliar because it doesn’t clearly mention CareCredit, healthcare financing, or the provider where you applied.
Many people apply for CareCredit at a dentist, veterinarian, eye doctor, or other healthcare office. The application may take only a few minutes, so the Synchrony Bank name can be easy to miss. If you don’t recognize the entry after you check recent appointments, you should contact Synchrony Bank and review your credit reports for other unfamiliar activity.
What Is SYNCB/CCDSTR on Your Credit Report?
SYNCB/CCDSTR is a credit report code associated with CareCredit.
SYNCB stands for Synchrony Bank, which issues the CareCredit credit card. CCDSTR is an abbreviated CareCredit identifier that may appear on a credit report after a CareCredit application.
CareCredit is a healthcare financing credit card. It can be used for eligible expenses at participating dental offices, veterinary clinics, vision centers, hearing care providers, cosmetic practices, pharmacies, and other healthcare locations.
A SYNCB/CCDSTR entry usually appears as a hard inquiry after Synchrony Bank checks your credit history during an application. The inquiry may remain even if the application was denied or you decided not to open the account.
You may also see CareCredit listed under another Synchrony Bank code. SYNCB/CARECR and SYNCB/CareCredit can refer to the same product.
Why Does SYNCB/CCDSTR Appear on Your Credit Report?
SYNCB/CCDSTR usually appears because you applied for CareCredit online or through a healthcare provider.
The most common reasons include:
- Dental care: You applied for financing for crowns, implants, orthodontics, oral surgery, or another dental expense.
- Veterinary care: You requested financing for an emergency visit, surgery, testing, medication, or routine pet care.
- Vision care: You applied for help with glasses, contact lenses, eye surgery, or another vision expense.
- Medical treatment: You used CareCredit to help pay for an eligible procedure or healthcare bill.
- Cosmetic care: You applied through a cosmetic, dermatology, or wellness provider that accepts CareCredit.
- Online application: You submitted a CareCredit application through the CareCredit website.
- Unauthorized application: Someone used your personal information to apply without your permission.
The provider’s name may not appear next to the inquiry. That can make it harder to connect SYNCB/CCDSTR with a recent appointment.
Is SYNCB/CCDSTR a Hard Inquiry?
SYNCB/CCDSTR usually appears as a hard inquiry.
A hard inquiry occurs when a lender reviews your credit history after you apply for a new account. It may affect your credit score and remains visible to companies that check your credit report.
A soft inquiry works differently. It may occur during a prequalification check or when you review your own credit report. A soft inquiry doesn’t affect your credit score.
Look at the section where SYNCB/CCDSTR appears. The entry should be listed under hard inquiries, regular inquiries, or inquiries visible to lenders. It should also show the date Synchrony Bank checked your credit history.
Compare that date with recent dental, medical, vision, cosmetic, pharmacy, and veterinary visits.
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How to Remove SYNCB/CCDSTR From Your Credit Report
You may dispute SYNCB/CCDSTR if you didn’t submit or authorize the CareCredit application. You may also dispute the inquiry if the date or other information is incorrect.
The best approach is to confirm the application first, then contact each credit bureau that shows the entry.
Check Your Recent Appointments and Records
Start with the inquiry date. Review appointments that took place near that time.
Check:
- Emails from CareCredit or Synchrony Bank
- Text messages from a healthcare provider
- Treatment estimates
- Financing forms
- Appointment paperwork
- Credit decisions
- Provider receipts
Ask whether anyone in your household helped with an application. A spouse or family member may remember a financing discussion that you forgot.
You should also contact the provider if you remember discussing CareCredit but don’t remember completing an application. Ask for copies of any financing forms connected with your visit.
Contact Synchrony Bank
Call Synchrony Bank and ask about the application tied to SYNCB/CCDSTR.
The CareCredit customer service number is 866-893-7864.
Give the representative the inquiry date and ask for details about the application. Helpful questions include:
- Application date: When did Synchrony Bank receive the application?
- Application source: Was it submitted online or through a provider?
- Provider name: Which dental, medical, veterinary, or other office submitted it?
- Applicant details: What address, phone number, and email address were used?
- Application result: Was the application approved, denied, or left incomplete?
- Account status: Did Synchrony Bank open a CareCredit account?
- Credit bureau check: Which credit bureau did Synchrony Bank contact?
Tell the representative that you don’t recognize the application when that is the case. Ask for a fraud case number or investigation number.
Keep notes from the call. Record the date, representative’s name, department, and case number.
Check for a CareCredit Account
An approved application can create two separate entries on your credit report:
- A hard inquiry from the application
- A CareCredit account from the approval
Review the account section of your credit report for a Synchrony Bank or CareCredit account.
Look for:
- An account you didn’t open
- A balance you don’t recognize
- A credit limit you didn’t request
- Purchases you didn’t make
- An incorrect address
- An unfamiliar opening date
Contact Synchrony Bank immediately if you find an account that doesn’t belong to you. Ask them to restrict the account and explain their identity theft process.
Dispute SYNCB/CCDSTR with the Credit Bureaus
Dispute the inquiry with each credit bureau that lists it. The entry may appear on one credit report without appearing on the other two.
Your dispute should identify the exact entry and explain why it is incorrect.
Include:
- Personal identification: Send the documents required by the credit bureau.
- Proof of address: Provide a current statement, utility bill, or other accepted document.
- Credit report copy: Mark the SYNCB/CCDSTR inquiry.
- Written statement: Explain that you did not apply for CareCredit or authorize the credit check.
- Synchrony Bank records: Include any case number or written response.
- Identity theft report: Add one when the application resulted from identity theft.
Keep the request focused. Include the inquiry name, date, and reason for the dispute.
Save copies of every document you submit. Keep all confirmation numbers and investigation results.
Review the Credit Bureau Decision
The credit bureau should send the results after it finishes the investigation.
The response may state that SYNCB/CCDSTR was:
- Removed
- Corrected
- Verified
- Left unchanged
Check your updated credit report after you receive the decision. Make sure the inquiry is gone if the credit bureau agreed to delete it.
Contact the credit bureau again if the inquiry remains after a successful dispute.
What to Do if You Suspect Identity Theft
An unauthorized CareCredit inquiry may be one part of a larger problem.
Review all three credit reports for:
- Other unfamiliar hard inquiries
- Credit card accounts you didn’t open
- Loans you didn’t request
- Addresses that don’t belong to you
- Incorrect phone numbers
- Name variations you don’t use
You can file an identity theft report through IdentityTheft.gov. The report can support disputes with Synchrony Bank and the credit bureaus.
You should also consider a fraud alert or credit freeze.
A fraud alert asks lenders to verify your identity before they approve new credit. You only need to contact one credit bureau to place an initial fraud alert.
A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report. You must contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion separately. A credit freeze doesn’t affect your credit score, and you can lift it when you need to apply for credit.
How Does SYNCB/CCDSTR Affect Your Credit Score?
A SYNCB/CCDSTR hard inquiry may lower your credit score by a few points. The effect depends on your credit history and the credit scoring model.
One hard inquiry usually has a limited impact. Several recent applications may have a larger impact because lenders can see that you have requested multiple new accounts.
The effect should decrease over time. Payment history, credit card balances, account history, and recent missed payments usually matter more than one inquiry.
A new CareCredit account can also affect your credit score. The result depends on the balance, credit limit, payment history, and other information on your credit report.
How Long Does SYNCB/CCDSTR Stay on Your Credit Report?
A SYNCB/CCDSTR hard inquiry will remain on your credit report for two years.
It should fall off automatically after the reporting period ends. You don’t need to file a dispute when the inquiry reaches its normal expiration date.
A CareCredit account follows a different timeline. An open account may remain as long as Synchrony Bank continues to report it. A closed account can remain on your credit report after you pay it off or close it.
The inquiry and the account are separate entries.
Can SYNCB/CCDSTR Appear on More Than One Credit Report?
Yes. Synchrony Bank may check one or more credit bureaus during a CareCredit application.
The entry may appear on your Equifax credit report, Experian credit report, TransUnion credit report, or more than one of them.
Check all three credit reports before you file a dispute. You must contact each credit bureau that displays the inquiry.
A dispute with one credit bureau doesn’t always remove the entry from another credit bureau.
Synchrony Bank Contact Information
Use the following contact details when you need help with SYNCB/CCDSTR:
CareCredit customer service: 866-893-7864
Mailing address: Synchrony Bank, P.O. Box 71715, Philadelphia, PA 19176-1715
Confirm the mailing address with Synchrony Bank before you send dispute or identity theft documents. The correct department may depend on the type of request.
Send copies rather than original documents. Keep a copy of everything you mail.
Bottom Line
SYNCB/CCDSTR on your credit report usually comes from a CareCredit application through Synchrony Bank. The application may have taken place online or at a dental, medical, vision, cosmetic, or veterinary provider.
Compare the inquiry date with recent appointments and financial records. Contact Synchrony Bank if you still don’t recognize it. Dispute the inquiry with every credit bureau that displays it, and consider a fraud alert or credit freeze if you believe someone used your identity.
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Rachel Myers is a personal finance writer who believes financial freedom should be practical, not overwhelming. She shares real-life tips on budgeting, credit, debt, and saving, without the jargon. With a background in financial coaching and a passion for helping people get ahead, Rachel makes money management feel doable, no matter where you’re starting from.