The date opened is the date the creditor says your account began. It shows how old the account is, but it does not control how long negative information can stay on your report. A collection agency's account may show a newer open date than the original debt.
Also called: open date, account open date, date account opened, opened date
What it means
Every tradeline on your report lists a date opened. Experian describes it as the date the account was opened, as reported by your creditor. For a credit card, it is usually when the card was issued. For a loan, it is usually when the loan was made.
Where it comes from
The furnisher sends it. The CFPB’s 2012 report on the credit reporting system lists the dates an account was opened and closed among the basic facts creditors generally report for each account.
Why it matters
The open date affects how long your credit history appears to be, which lenders look at. It also helps you spot accounts that are not yours. An account opened on a date you never applied for anything can be a sign of identity theft or a mixed file.
What the open date does not do is set the time limit for negative information. Collections and charge-offs are timed from the date of first delinquency, not the open date. The FTC’s 2011 staff report notes that even the date a debt was sold to a new creditor is irrelevant to that time limit.
Collection accounts and open dates
When a debt is placed with a collection agency or sold to a debt buyer, the new tradeline often shows the date the collector got the account, not the date you opened the original account. That newer date can make an old debt look recent at a glance. The account should still list the original creditor and the original delinquency date.
Common errors
- An open date that does not match your records, especially if it falls after you closed the account.
- An account you never opened.
- A collection account whose open date is treated as the start of the seven-year period.
- The same account listed twice with different open dates.
How to dispute it
Check the date against your statements or loan papers. If an account is not yours, say so in your dispute and include an identity theft report if you have one. Dispute in writing with each bureau showing the error.
When it can be an FCRA violation
Bureaus must use reasonable procedures for maximum possible accuracy (§ 1681e(b)) and must reinvestigate disputes (§ 1681i). Furnishers must investigate disputes forwarded by the bureaus (§ 1681s-2(b)). An open date that is wrong in a way that misleads lenders, or an account that belongs to someone else, can support a claim if it is not fixed.
If a wrong account or open date stays on your report after a dispute, FCRA Attorneys offers a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.
Related
- Tradeline
- Date of first delinquency
- Date closed
- Collection account
- Original creditor
- Identity theft block
- How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
- Identity theft cases
- Mixed file cases
- How to Write a Credit Report Dispute Letter That Gets Investigated
Sources
- CFPB, Key Dimensions and Processes in the U.S. Credit Reporting System (2012)
- Experian, Understanding Your Experian Credit Report
- FTC staff report, 40 Years of Experience with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (2011)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2, responsibilities of furnishers (Cornell LII)
Updated November 2026. This glossary is written by FCRA Attorneys from public sources. It is general information, not legal advice, and is not affiliated with any credit bureau or industry association.