A special comment code adds a short remark to an account on your credit report, such as "closed at consumer's request," "card lost or stolen" or a note about the account's terms. These remarks explain the account but can also make it look worse if they're wrong.
Also called: special comment, account remarks, remarks, narrative remarks, comment code
What it means
Beyond the balance, status and payment history, many accounts on a credit report carry a short remark. On the report it might read “Account closed at consumer’s request,” “Account closed by credit grantor,” “Paid in full” or a note about a special payment arrangement. Behind many of these remarks is a special comment code that the furnisher sends with its monthly data.
These comments are separate from the compliance condition code, which reports the status of a dispute, though both often show up in the same “remarks” area of a report.
Where it comes from
The CFPB’s 2012 report explains that trade lines can include indicators such as whether the account is involved in a bankruptcy filing, whether the card or access device was lost or stolen, and, if the account is closed, the reason it closed, for example “paid off, closed at the consumer’s request.”
One remark is required by law. If you voluntarily close a credit account, the furnisher must notify the bureau (15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(a)(4)), and the bureau must indicate that you closed it in any report that includes the account (§ 1681c(e)). That keeps an account you closed from looking like one the lender shut down.
Common errors
- An account you closed shows as “closed by credit grantor,” suggesting the lender cut you off.
- A remark about a past hardship plan, forbearance or settlement stays on after it no longer applies, or never appears when it should.
- A settled account carries a remark that it was paid in full, or the reverse.
- A remark tied to someone else’s situation appears on your account.
How to dispute it
Quote the exact remark you think is wrong in your dispute, explain what it should say, and attach proof, such as your closure confirmation or a settlement letter. The CFPB’s list of e-OSCAR dispute codes includes one for disputes about a “special comment/compliance condition code/narrative remarks,” so bureaus can route the issue to the furnisher.
When it can be an FCRA violation
A remark is part of the information a furnisher reports, so it must be accurate. If a bureau or furnisher leaves a wrong or misleading remark in place after you dispute it, or a furnisher fails to report that you closed an account, that can be an FCRA violation.
If a wrong remark is still on your report after you dispute it, request a free case review; there is no fee unless we win.
Related
- Compliance condition code
- Account status code
- Closed by credit grantor
- Date closed
- Metro 2 format
- Statement of dispute (consumer statement)
- How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
- How to Write a Credit Report Dispute Letter That Gets Investigated
- Dispute letter builder
Sources
- CFPB, Key Dimensions and Processes in the U.S. Credit Reporting System (Dec. 2012)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2 (duties of furnishers), Cornell LII
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(e) (closed accounts), 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.