This guide is to help you choose the integration option for the Consumer Credit widget, web integration and/or API.
- Usage of credit reporting on a web page with user authentication managed by CRS: Web Widget with Integrated Authentication
- Usage of credit reporting on a web page with user authentication managed by you: Web Integration with Custom Authentication
- Usage of credit reporting on a custom UI such as a website or mobile app with authentication managed on the website/in the app: API Integration for Custom Web or Mobile App
FIRST: Are you integrating the CRS widget into a web page?
Either we can manage users or you can.
- If we are managing users, then your users register for a CRS account through the widget's registration and identity verification screens. Then, users log into the widget with an email and password after having already logged into your service. (Option 1 - Web Widget with Integrated Authentication).
- If you are managing users, then they do not log in through the widget. Instead, you create your own registration screen utilizing our API. You can also create your own screens for the identity verification process (SMS one-time-code and identity quiz questions). You can merge the CRS registration & identity process with your own service's registration, but you have to adhere to the compliance guide for screens. (Option 2 - Web Integration with Custom Authentication)
OTHERWISE: The 3rd Integration option is for customers who want to create their own UI, such as a website or mobile app, entirely using the CRS Consumer Credit API. User authentication is managed by the website or in the app.
All custom screens created using the API require Equifax approval (see the compliance guide for approval guidelines). (Option 3 - API Integration for Custom Web or Mobile App")
Web Widget with Integrated Authentication
For this option, you embed an iframe and configure the Host URL where you will be loading the widget. The CRS widget can be customized to represent your look and feel in order to strengthen your relationship with customers.
For testing, CRS can configure that any Host URL to load the widget (including localhost); this allows you to try this integration option by locally serving an html file with the following iframe. For production, the URL must be locked down so that the widget can only be rendered from that host.
More information can be found in section Web Widget with Integrated Authentication.
Web Integration with Custom Authentication
This option does not require users to log in through the widget. Instead, you create a registration screen utilizing the CRS Consumer Credit API.
You can have screens for the identity verification process for SMS one-time-code and identity quiz questions. Also, it is possible to merge the CRS registration/identity process with your own service's registration, as long as you follow the compliance guide for these screens.
The html Sample files in the documentation demonstrate the different views for this integration option.
More information can be found in section Web Integration with Custom Authentication.
API Integration for Custom Web or Mobile App
The 3rd Integration option is for customers who want to create their own UI, such as a website or mobile app, entirely using the CRS Consumer Credit API. User authentication is managed by the website or in the app.
With this option, you can create your own user experience for connecting your users to their credit data by leveraging the same eCredit Monitoring API that the widget is utilizing.
More information can be found in section API Integration for Custom Web or Mobile App.
Next Steps
Once you've decide on which integration option is right for your use case, then it's a question of understanding how to implement the integration by looking at our samples and API guides below.