In a Nutshell
If you’ve seen SYNCB/PPC on one of your credit reports but don’t recognize it, it’s likely because your PayPal Credit account (formerly known as PayPal Bill Me Later) was purchased by a bank that started reporting the accounts to the consumer credit bureaus.If you’re seeing an account named “SYNCB/PPC” show up on your credit reports out of the blue, it could be because you have an old PayPal Credit or Bill Me Later account.
If you’ve ever had one of these accounts, you may be seeing it reported to the consumer credit bureaus for the first time. Here’s what you need to know.
- What is SYNCB/PPC?
- Why is SYNCB/PPC on my credit reports?
- What to do if there’s an account you don’t recognize on your credit reports
What is SYNCB/PPC?
On your credit reports, the acronym SYNCB/PPC stands for Synchrony Bank/PayPal Credit. PayPal Credit is a line of credit that PayPal account holders can apply for. It used to be known as Bill Me Later.
In 2018, Synchrony Bank bought PayPal Credit accounts from PayPal, including the debt owed by those accounts. That money is now owed to Synchrony Bank instead.
If you had an account with PayPal Credit or Bill Me later, Synchrony Bank may now be reporting your account activity to the major consumer credit bureaus.
Why is SYNCB/PPC on my credit reports?
Some people report that their old PayPal Credit or Bill Me Later accounts are now appearing on their credit reports for the first time. So why the change?
When PayPal Holdings owned these accounts, it was likely not reporting on them to the bureaus. Now that Synchrony Bank has taken the accounts on, it seems that they’re getting reported to the bureaus.
There are a few different areas of your credit reports where you might see SYNCB/PPC — here’s how it might be showing up and what to do about it.
How to read a credit reportHard inquiries
If you’ve applied for a new PayPal Credit account, you’ll likely see a hard inquiry for the account on your reports. Synchrony Bank will have done a hard pull to check your credit as part of its evaluation of your application.
Hard inquiries can have a negative impact on your credit scores, and they can show up on your credit reports for up to two years.
If you didn’t apply for PayPal Credit and you have a hard inquiry associated with SYNCB/PPC on your reports, it could be a red flag that you’re facing a case of identity theft. If that’s the case, you’ll want to take action immediately.
FAST FACTS
How to remove a SYNCB/PPC hard inquiry
If there’s an inaccurate hard inquiry from Synchrony Bank on your credit reports, you have a right to dispute it with the credit bureaus. Once you file your dispute, the bureaus are required to investigate and correct any information they determine to be inaccurate. Read more for some tips on how to remove inaccurate hard inquiries from your credit reports.
Active or closed accounts
PayPal Credit accounts could also appear on your credit reports in the accounts section as either active or closed accounts.
If, at one time, you had a PayPal Bill Me Later or Credit account, the closed or active account may have been reported to the bureaus for the first time. And now that Synchrony Bank owns the accounts, it can also raise or lower credit lines and close accounts for inactivity (even if you don’t owe any money on the account). Both of these can affect your credit scores.
But if the account still doesn’t ring any bells, you should contact Synchrony Bank. It’s possible there was a mistake or that someone fraudulently used your identity to apply.
What to do if there’s an account you don’t recognize on your credit reports
A PayPal Credit account that’s recently showed up on your reports and negatively affected your credit scores could be an unwelcome surprise. If it’s legitimate, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get it removed, but there are steps you can take to help your credit bounce back.
If you still don’t recognize this PayPal Credit hard inquiry or account, your identity might have been stolen. It’s important that you act immediately if you suspect this is the case.
It’s a good idea to regularly check your credit reports — you’re periodically entitled to one free credit report from each of the three main consumer credit bureaus, which you can request at annualcreditreport.com. And there are other steps you can take to help protect yourself from identity theft, like creating strong passwords.