Illion’s consumer and commercial credit bureau is part of Experian. Illion and Experian now operate as one Experian credit reporting body, leaving Australia with two consumer bureaus: Equifax and Experian.
Illion and Experian Today
Experian completed its acquisition of illion in 2024. CreditSmart explains the combined credit reporting body, including why a lender’s paperwork may still use the illion name.
The name on a tool can differ from the bureau behind a credit file. Experian’s client sign-in page still lists illion Direct, alongside BankStatements and BankFeeds and BrokerFlow. The BrokerFlow dashboard also retains illion branding. BankStatements’ public site now calls it Experian’s BankStatements.
For the bureau’s services and score information, see what Experian does in Australia.
What a Credit Bureau Does for a Home Loan File
The Experian credit reporting body holds information about a borrower’s credit accounts, including repayment history, credit enquiries and defaults. Lenders use credit reports as part of assessing a home loan application.
Brokers meet bureau data through the credit files used in their deals and through their own authorised access arrangements. For example, an unfamiliar enquiry can prompt a conversation about another application before you lodge the file. A default can require an explanation or a correction if the record is wrong.
Our guide to how credit reporting agencies work explains the wider reporting system.
Getting Credit Files for Loan Preparation
Experian labels its broker-facing access category Authorised Access Seeker. Its Access Seekers page describes retrieving a customer’s Experian credit report and score on the customer’s behalf.
Before ordering a file, obtain the client’s written authority and complete the provider’s identity checks. Keep the authority with the loan records and use the information for the authorised purpose. An access seeker acts for the individual whose file is requested.
Use the report to discuss credit history and prepare explanations before submission. If the client disputes an entry, help them seek a correction through Experian or the credit provider. The report informs file preparation. The lender makes its own credit decision using its policies and the application evidence.
Income and Expense Verification Products
BankStatements and BrokerFlow are bank-data products brokers use to collect evidence with the customer’s consent. They help bring account information into the application process so you spend less time chasing statements and organising transaction data.
For BankStatements, you send the client a referral link, the client completes the authorisation process and the service delivers the statements. Income and expense reporting can help you examine serviceability evidence. You still need to understand the figures and resolve gaps in the client’s position.
See the BankStatements workflow and security guide for the collection process. For the separate Consumer Data Right approach to sharing banking data, see open banking for mortgage brokers.
The Direct Marketing Boundary
Brokers cannot use credit reporting information from a client’s file for direct marketing. Written authority to obtain a credit report does not authorise you to turn its contents into a prospecting list.
The OAIC’s credit reporting code restricts marketing uses of this information. A narrow provision lets a bureau pre-screen a credit provider’s list under statutory rules. That provision does not give brokers permission to use credit files for campaigns.
Experian’s marketing data products are separate services with their own permitted uses and consent requirements. Keep campaign data and permissions separate from the authority collected for credit-file access.
Fitting Illion Tools Into a Brokerage
Start by checking which illion or Experian services your licensee already provides. Identify the task each service covers before adding another subscription. Credit-file access and bank-statement collection solve different parts of loan preparation.
Judge a tool by the processing time it removes. Compare the time spent obtaining authority and reviewing the result with your existing process, including any work needed to fix incomplete information.
For clients, earlier credit-file review can mean fewer surprise declines caused by issues discovered only after lodgement. Consent-based statement collection can also reduce repeated document requests. Choose the tool that removes a recurring delay in your own files, then confirm the team uses its authority and identity procedures consistently.
