How to Remove SYNCB/DKS From Your Credit Report

SYNCB/DKS can appear on your credit report after Synchrony Bank checks your credit for a DICK’S Sporting Goods credit card application.

The card program changed in May 2026. Synchrony and DICK’S relaunched it with new card names and updated ScoreCard rewards. The bank did not change, so SYNCB/DKS may still identify the credit check or account.

A legitimate hard inquiry normally stays until it expires. You may have grounds for removal when you never applied, the same inquiry appears twice, the entry contains incorrect details, or another person used your information.

What Does SYNCB/DKS Mean on Your Credit Report?

SYNCB stands for Synchrony Bank. DKS refers to DICK’S Sporting Goods. Synchrony issues the DICK’S Credit Card and DICK’S Mastercard.

The DICK’S Credit Card is a private-label card for purchases at participating DICK’S brands. The DICK’S Mastercard has broader acceptance and can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted. The May 2026 relaunch replaced the older ScoreRewards branding, but current cardholders kept their accounts and rewards balances.

A completed application may cause Synchrony Bank to request your credit report from one or more credit bureaus. The inquiry may appear as SYNCB/DKS, DKS/SYNCB, Synchrony DICK’S, or another shortened label.

An approved card can create a separate account entry.

Which DICK’S Card Applications Can Cause the Entry?

SYNCB/DKS often follows an application made during a store visit or through a DICK’S credit card page. The exact application source may not appear beside the inquiry.

Possible causes include:

• DICK’S Credit Card application: You requested the private-label card for purchases within the DICK’S group of stores.
• DICK’S Mastercard application: You requested the card that can also be used outside DICK’S.
• In-store promotion: You applied after a cashier or store employee explained the rewards or opening offer.
• Online application: You submitted the application through a DICK’S or Synchrony page.
• Denied application: Synchrony reviewed your credit but did not open an account.
• Unauthorized application: Someone used your personal information without permission.

The current program offers 10% back in ScoreCard rewards on qualifying purchases at DICK’S brands. The Mastercard also offers 1% back on eligible purchases elsewhere.

First Determine Whether It Is an Inquiry or Account

The article title focuses on removal, but the correct process depends on where SYNCB/DKS appears.

An inquiry entry usually shows the date Synchrony checked your credit. It does not show a balance, credit limit, or payment history.

An account entry may show a balance, credit limit, opening date, payment history, and account status. That entry means Synchrony opened or reported a DICK’S credit account.

An inquiry dispute will not fix an incorrect balance or late payment. Address each entry separately.

When SYNCB/DKS Can Be Removed

You can dispute information that is inaccurate, incomplete, duplicated, or connected to identity theft. You generally cannot force removal of an accurate inquiry because you regret the application or did not receive approval.

Removal may be appropriate when:

• No application exists: You never applied for either DICK’S card.
• Permission was absent: You did not authorize another person to apply.
• The entry is duplicated: One application appears twice on the same credit report.
• The date is wrong: The listed inquiry date does not match Synchrony’s records.
• The entry belongs elsewhere: The credit bureau mixed another consumer’s information into your credit file.
• Identity theft occurred: Someone submitted the application with your identity.

A valid hard inquiry can remain even if you returned the merchandise, canceled a planned purchase, or closed the card soon after approval.

Trace the Inquiry Before Filing a Dispute

Start with the date beside SYNCB/DKS. Check store receipts, online orders, emails, text messages, and ScoreCard notices from the same period.

Review all three credit reports because Synchrony may not have checked every credit bureau. Copy the information exactly as it appears.

Focus on these details:

• Creditor label: Record the full abbreviation.
• Inquiry date: Compare it with store visits and online activity.
• Credit bureau: Note each credit report that contains the entry.
• Listed contact: Save any phone number or address.
• Related account: Look for a DICK’S or Synchrony account that you do not know.

You may remember the retailer but not the bank name. Store applications often place the retailer’s brand at the center of the offer, while Synchrony appears in the application terms.

Contact Synchrony About the Application

DICK’S current ScoreCard terms direct card questions to Synchrony Bank at 877-417-1324.

Ask the representative to identify the application tied to SYNCB/DKS. Request clear answers about:

• Card product: Was the request for the DICK’S Credit Card or DICK’S Mastercard?
• Application date: When did Synchrony receive it?
• Application channel: Did it come from a store or website?
• Store location: Which store submitted the request, when applicable?
• Applicant details: What address, phone number, and email address were provided?
• Decision: Did Synchrony approve or deny the application?
• Account status: Was a card account opened?
• Credit bureau: Which credit report did Synchrony check?

State that you do not recognize the application when that is true. Ask for a case number and the mailing address for unauthorized-application or credit reporting disputes. Do not assume that an address for payments handles these matters.

How to Dispute SYNCB/DKS With a Credit Bureau

Dispute the inquiry with each credit bureau that displays it. A correction on one credit report may not change the others.

Provide enough detail for the credit bureau to identify the entry and evaluate your claim. Your submission should contain:

• Identification: Send the documents the credit bureau requires.
• Credit report copy: Mark the SYNCB/DKS entry.
• Exact inquiry details: Include the label and date.
• Reason for dispute: State why the inquiry was not authorized or is inaccurate.
• Supporting evidence: Add Synchrony correspondence, store records, or identity theft documents.
• Requested action: Ask for deletion or correction of the specific entry.

Credit bureaus generally have 30 days to investigate a valid dispute. Some investigations can take up to 45 days. Send a direct dispute to Synchrony as well because Synchrony supplied the inquiry information.

Keep copies of every document and confirmation number. Review the result letter after the investigation.

What to Do If Synchrony Opened an Account

Ask Synchrony whether the application led to an account, card shipment, purchase, or balance.

An inquiry dispute does not close an account. Report the account as fraudulent when it is not yours. Dispute the account separately with Synchrony and each credit bureau that lists it.

Check the account for:

• False balance: Purchases or charges that you did not make.
• Wrong address: A mailing address you have never used.
• Incorrect payment history: Late payments tied to the unauthorized account.
• Account status errors: An account listed as yours after Synchrony confirms otherwise.

Consider a credit freeze when identity theft is possible. A freeze restricts access to your credit files until you lift it. A fraud alert tells prospective creditors to take extra steps to confirm your identity.

How Long SYNCB/DKS Stays on Your Credit Report

A hard inquiry can remain on your credit report for up to two years. It should fall off without a dispute after that period.

The inquiry can remain after a denial or closed account because it records the credit check itself. It may appear on only the credit report or credit reports that Synchrony accessed.

A DICK’S account is separate. Most negative account information can generally remain for about seven years.

How SYNCB/DKS Can Affect Your Credit Score

No fixed credit score loss applies to every hard inquiry. The effect depends on the credit scoring model and the rest of your credit history.

One retail-card inquiry often has less influence than payment history, credit utilization, outstanding debt, or serious negative information. Several recent credit card applications can matter more than a single entry.

Credit card applications do not receive the same rate-shopping treatment that may apply to several auto loan or mortgage inquiries made within a limited period.

Checking your own credit report does not lower your credit score.

DICK’S Credit Card Contact Information

For current DICK’S Credit Card and DICK’S Mastercard questions, use:

Phone: 877-417-1324

Synchrony’s current DICK’S account portal confirms that Synchrony Bank issues both cards.

Call before mailing a dispute. Request the current address for fraud claims, unauthorized applications, or direct credit reporting disputes.

Bottom Line

SYNCB/DKS means Synchrony Bank reviewed or reported credit connected to the DICK’S Sporting Goods card program. The May 2026 relaunch changed the program name and rewards, but Synchrony remains the issuer.

Check whether the entry is a hard inquiry or an account. Match the date with DICK’S purchases, applications, and emails. Contact Synchrony when the source remains unclear.

Dispute SYNCB/DKS when the inquiry was unauthorized, duplicated, or inaccurate. Check for a related card account at the same time because removal of an inquiry will not resolve a fraudulent account.