# Generating Reports
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md
This section explains how to generate Lend reports. There are three
ways to generate reports:
* [Using Data Connect](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md#generating-reports-using-data-connect) -- your Data Connect experience can be enabled to auto-generate reports at the end of the session.
* [Using the API](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md#generating-reports-using-the-api) -- call a report generation endpoint after the customer has provided permission to access their data through Data Connect.
* [Using the Client Hub](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md#generating-reports-using-the-client-hub) -- use the no-code Order Reports tool in the Client Hub portal to request reports without building an API integration.
For details of each report type, see the
[Reports List](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/reports/index.md).
## Prerequisites {#prerequisites}
The prerequisites for generating a report depend on the report type
and the method you use.
You will typically need:
* a [customer record](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md#customer-record) (for FCRA use cases)
* a [consumer record](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md#consumer-record)
* a [business record](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md#business-record) (for certain business use cases)
* a [Permissible Purpose Code](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md#permissible-purpose) (for FCRA use cases)
* customer [data access through Data Connect](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md#connected-data)
This section assumes you have followed the
[Quick Start Guide](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/quick-start-guide/index.md)
and have created an Open Finance project with API credentials.
### Customer Record {#customer-record}
You need a customer record for an individual or business whose data you want to
report on. See
[Customer Records](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/customer-records/index.md)
for details on creating and managing customer records.
### Consumer Record {#consumer-record}
Most Lend products are created within Fair Credit Reporting Act
(FCRA) protections. To generate and retrieve CRA reports, a
consumer record is required. Unlike a customer record, a consumer
record cannot be deleted. A copy of each report created for a
consumer is available for six years. There is a one-to-one
relationship between a customer record and a consumer record.
For details, see the
[consumer record documentation](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/customer-records/index.md#consumers).
Note: When creating a consumer record, end user information must be provided by partners that are resellers. This is due to FCRA regulatory requirements. Note: Customers can access, view, and dispute reports using the [Consumer Portal](https://consumer.finicityreports.com/). For more information about how the Consumer Portal works, see the [consumer-facing documentation](https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/business/open-finance/consumer.html).
### Business Record {#business-record}
A business record may be required in addition to or in place of a
consumer record for some small business use cases. Certain products,
such as Transaction CRA and Verification of Income, do not support
the business record. In some instances, it is appropriate to enter
[business data](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/customer-records/index.md#consumer-records-and-small-business-lending)
into the consumer record.
For details, see
[the business record documentation](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/customer-records/index.md#businesses).
### Permissible Purpose {#permissible-purpose}
As part of FCRA regulations, a permissible purpose code is required
when retrieving CRA reports. See
[Permissible Purpose Codes](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/permissible-purpose-codes/index.md)
for the list of valid codes and when to use them.
### Connected Data {#connected-data}
Before you can generate a report, the customer must provide
access to the relevant data.
Lend reports require the customer to
link bank or payroll accounts or upload a paystub through
[Mastercard Data Connect](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/connect/index.md).
The type of accounts required depends on the report:
* **Bank account reports** (such as VOA, VOI, VOAI, Transaction CRA, Cash Flow Analytics, Balance Analytics): The customer must connect their bank accounts.
* **Payroll reports** (such as VOIE - Payroll, VOE - Payroll): The customer must connect their payroll provider account.
* **Paystub reports** (such as VOIE - Paystub): A paystub must be uploaded, either through Data Connect or via the API.
* **Bank account and paystub reports** (such as VOIE - Paystub with TXVerify): The customer must connect their bank accounts and upload a paystub. This produces a single report that verifies income using both transaction and paystub data.
See the [Reports List](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/reports/index.md)
for specific prerequisites for each report type.
## Generating Reports Using Data Connect {#generating-reports-using-data-connect}
[Data Connect](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/connect/index.md)
provides a variety of guided user experiences
to enable customers to grant access to the required data.
Data Connect Full experiences are commonly used for Lend products.
These experiences can automatically generate a report at the end of the session.
Note: Automatic report generation is enabled by default, but you can disable it using the [Skip Report](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/connect/configure-connect-experience/customize-connect/index.md#skip-report) option.
### Data Connect Full Experiences {#data-connect-full-experiences}
The Financial Institution (FI) certification and other settings of
these experiences are
configured for best results for the listed report types. Contact
your Mastercard Account Manager for help configuring your Data
Connect experience.
| Data Connect Product Type | Report(s) Generated | Description |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Transactions CRA | Transaction CRA | Bank account connection experience. |
| VOI | VOI | Bank account connection experience. |
| VOA | VOA | Bank account connection experience. |
| VOA History | VOAI ‑ Transactions | Bank account connection experience. |
| VOE Transactions | VOE ‑ Transactions | Bank account connection experience. This product is most often used as a refresh of a VOAI or VOA report and not a standalone experience. |
| VOIE Payroll | VOIE ‑ Payroll | Payroll connection experience. |
| VOE Payroll | VOE ‑ Payroll | Payroll connection experience. This product is most often used as a direct refresh of a VOIE - Payroll report and not a new consumer experience. |
| Cash Flow Analytics Business CRA, Cash Flow Analytics Business FTC, Cash Flow Analytics Non‑CRA, Cash Flow Analytics Personal CRA, Cash Flow Analytics Personal Non‑CRA | Cash Flow Analytics | Bank account connection experience. |
| Balance Analytics Business CRA, Balance Analytics Business FTC, Balance Analytics Business Non‑CRA, Balance Analytics Personal CRA, Balance Analytics Personal Non‑CRA | Balance Analytics | Bank account connection experience. |
| VOIE Paystub Tx Verify | VOIE ‑ Paystub (with TXVerify) | VOIE - Paystub (with TXVerify) experience. The customer is prompted to connect to their direct deposit account(s) and upload their most recent paystub. |
| VOIE Paystub | VOIE with Statement (no TXVerify) | Paystub experience. The customer is prompted to upload their most recent paystub. |
| Pre Qual VOA | AssetReady | Bank account connection experience. |
| MVS IE | VOIE ‑ Payroll, VOIE ‑ Paystub (with TXVerify) | MVS - Income and Employment waterfall experience to collect all information necessary for income and employment verification in one step. The customer connects their payroll data and is then asked if they have additional employment records to add. If so, they are prompted to connect their direct deposit account(s) and upload their most recent paystub. Generates VOIE - Payroll (if data found) and VOIE - Paystub (with TXVerify) (if required). |
| MVS IE Basic | VOIE ‑ Payroll, VOAI | MVS - Income and Employment Basic waterfall experience to collect all information necessary for income and employment validation in one step, without paystub data. The customer connects their payroll data and is then asked if they have additional employment records to add. If so, they are prompted to connect their direct deposit account(s). Generates VOIE - Payroll (if data found) and VOAI (if required). |
| MVS Basic | VOIE ‑ Payroll, VOAI ‑ Transactions | MVS - Basic Asset, Income and Employment waterfall experience to collect all data for asset, income and employment verification through payroll and transaction data. The customer is prompted to connect their bank accounts and payroll data. Generates VOIE - Payroll (if data found) and VOAI - Transactions. |
| MVS Basic Paystub | VOIE ‑ Paystub (with TXVerify), VOAI ‑ Transactions | MVS - Basic Paystub experience. The customer is prompted to connect their bank account(s) and upload their most recent paystub. |
| MVS Full | VOIE ‑ Payroll, VOAI, VOIE ‑ Paystub (with TXVerify) | MVS - Full waterfall experience to collect all information necessary for assets, income and employment verification in one step. Also known as "MVS-1-Touch". First, the customer is prompted to connect their bank accounts and payroll data. The customer is then asked if they have additional employment records to add and if so, they are prompted to upload their most recent paystub. Generates VOIE - Payroll (if data found), VOAI, and VOIE - Paystub (with TXVerify) (if required). |
Tip: If a product is not on the list above, you can use the basic Aggregation Data Connect experience type to have the customer connect bank accounts, then generate the report yourself using the API endpoint for the required report. See [Generating Reports Using the API](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/generating-reports/index.md#generating-reports-using-the-api).
### Embedding Data Connect {#embedding-data-connect}
To enable Data Connect, either embed a
[Data Connect URL](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/connect/generate-2-connect-url-apis/index.md#data-connect-full-including-for-joint-borrower)
into your experience, or
[send a Data Connect email](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/connect/generate-2-connect-url-apis/index.md#send-data-connect-email)
to the customer. For best results, prepare the customer by
letting them know the benefits of digitally connecting their
accounts and reminding them what account types to connect.
For joint borrower use cases, use the
[Data Connect Full -- Joint Borrower](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/connect/generate-2-connect-url-apis/index.md#data-connect-full-including-for-joint-borrower)
flow. Multiple customer IDs and consumer IDs can be tied together
to one Data Connect experience. Bank accounts are connected and
linked to the customer/consumer record tied to the customer
designated as the "primary" borrower. Payroll accounts are
connected individually per borrower.
For more information, see the
[Data Connect documentation](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/connect/index.md)
and the
[UX implementation best practices](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/experience-design-guide/index.md).
## Generating Reports Using the API {#generating-reports-using-the-api}
You can generate or refresh reports by calling the report generation
API endpoint for the specific report type. This approach is useful
in these cases:
* The customer has already connected their data through Data Connect (including non-Full experience types such as Aggregation).
* You want to refresh an existing report with updated data.
* You are using a Data Connect Full experience but auto-generation is disabled.
To generate a report through the API, call the report generation
endpoint for the report type you need. Each report type has its own
endpoint -- see the
[Reports List](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/reports/index.md)
for the endpoint and parameters for each report.
### Refreshing Reports {#refreshing-reports}
Any report generation request for the same customer after the
initial report is considered a refresh and returns updated data. A
refresh is executed without re-engaging the customer. Refreshed
reports default to the same parameters as the original report unless
you specify otherwise.
Warning: You can only generate or refresh a maximum of 150 Lend reports for each customer ID. Any type of report counts towards the lifetime limit of 150.
## Generating Reports Using the Client Hub {#generating-reports-using-the-client-hub}
The
[Order Reports](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/client-hub-guide/order-reports/index.md)
tool in the Open Finance Client Hub enables you to
request and view Lend reports using a web interface without building an API integration.
The tool emails customers a request to grant permission to share
the required data through Data Connect. Once the report is done,
it can be downloaded from the Client Hub in PDF format.
You can also use Order Reports for testing or as a temporary
solution while building an integration.
For details on setting up an account and using the tool, see
[Order Reports](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/client-hub-guide/order-reports/index.md).
## Getting Reports {#getting-reports}
Once a report has been generated (whether from the API or the Client Hub),
you can retrieve it using the Get Report API endpoints. See
[Getting Reports](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/products/lend/get-reports/index.md)
for full documentation.
Reports generated from the Client Hub can also be downloaded via the Order
Reports tool.
Most reports can be retrieved in JSON or PDF format via the API.
Currently, the Order Reports tool only supports PDF format.
### Report Webhooks {#report-webhooks}
You can set up a webhook listener to get report status notifications
so you know when a report is done and ready to be retrieved. See
[Report Webhooks](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/webhooks/webhooks-report/index.md)
for full webhook documentation.
## Testing {#testing}
Test the APIs by connecting data using our test institutions and
test accounts. See
[Test Profiles](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/integration-and-testing/test-the-apis/index.md).
Ensure the test profile you select contains account types that are
supported by the report you are ordering.
In addition to the basic test profiles, there are several
Lend-specific test profiles:
* [Payroll Profiles](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/integration-and-testing/test-the-apis/index.md#payroll-profiles)
* [Paystub Profiles](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/integration-and-testing/test-the-apis/index.md#paystub-profiles)
* [MVS Profiles](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-us/documentation/integration-and-testing/test-the-apis/index.md#mvs-profiles)