Collecting User Information
This section of the guide is divided into two parts:
Required Fields: This covers all of the fields partners building a Native API integration will need to collect and send to Engine’s API in order to generate offers
Compliance: This covers the various consents, disclosures and guidance required to receive approval from the Engine Compliance team and Financial Services partners
Required Fields
Engine’s Financial Services partners require a basic set of information in order to generate offers for the user. Here are the required fields, nested within each category:
This is meant for a general, non-technical audience. For specific guidance on the request body, see API Specifications
Personal Information
First Name
Last Name
Email
City
State
Phone Number
Address 1 (Street Address)
Zip Code
Date of Birth
Social Security Number
Loan Information
Loan Purpose
Loan Amount
Mortgage Information
Property Status (e.g. Own With Mortgage)
Credit Information
Credit Rating
Financial Information
Employment Status
Pay Frequency
Annual Income
Education Information
Highest Education Level
Legal Information
Affirmative Consent to FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act)*
Affirmative Consent to TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act)*
*Must be true (leads must consent to FCRA and TCPA) in order to be eligible for loan offers
Recommended Fields
These fields are not strictly required, but are high ly recommended in order to maximize the companies/offers your leads will be eligible for.
Session Information
Optional Fields
Personal Information
Address 2 (Apartment or Suite #)
Compliance
In order to receive approval from the Engine Compliance team and Financial Services partners, Native API integrations must include a number of items in the information collection process.
These requirements are broken out into three sections:
Required Field Information
General Disclosures
Consents
Required Field Information
The following items are required as-is for all Native API integrations:
Phone Number Disclosure
This disclosure explains how Financial Services partners’ may use the user’s phone number.
We ask this so that we, our partners and their affiliated companies can contact you about the products and services you inquired about, even if your telephone number is listed on any Do-Not Call list. Contact may be made through automatic dialing systems, artificial or prerecorded voice messaging, or text message.
Here is an example of how it is represented on Engine’s owned experiences:
Social Security Number Disclosure
This disclosure explains how Financial Services partners’ may use the user’s Social Security Number.
We use your social security number to validate your information and check your credit. This will NOT affect your credit score. Your information is transmitted securely.
Here is an example of how it is represented on Engine’s owned experiences:
Loan Purpose (Home Improvement only)
If partners plan on offering Home Improvement as an available loan purpose, then the Equal Housing Opportunity logo needs to be included on every page of the consumer experience. Logos can be found here.
Credit Rating Information
Engine’s Financial Services partners established the following credit score ranges for user-reported Credit Ratings:
Excellent (720+)
Good (660-719)
Fair (620-659)
Poor (<620)
Limited / No History
Annual Income Disclosure
This disclosure explains our Financial Services partners’ definition of Annual Income to the user:
List your total available income including wages, retirement, investments, and rental properties. Alimony, child support or separate maintenance is optional and does not need to be included if you do not wish it to be considered as a basis for repaying the loan. Increase any non-taxable income or benefits by 25%.
Here is an example of how it is represented on Engine’s owned experiences:
General Disclosures
The following items must be included for all Native API integrations; for each item, Engine recommends the following pre-approved language for a rapid & efficient compliance approval:
Advertiser Disclosure
This disclosure must appear above the fold on every page of the consumer experience from collecting information to displaying offers. Here is an example of the Advertiser Disclosure:
The offers that appear are from companies which {Insert Company Name}, and its partners receive compensation. This compensation may influence the selection, appearance, and order of appearance of the offers listed below. However, this compensation also facilitates the provision by {Insert Company Name} of certain services to you at no charge. The offers shown below do not include all Financial Services companies or all of their available product and service offerings.
Here is an example of how it is represented on Engine’s owned experiences:
Representative Example & APR Disclosure
These disclosures must appear at the bottom of every page or one click away from every page of the consumer experience from collecting information to displaying offers. Here is the language for these disclosures: __
Representative Example: If you borrow $5,000 on a 36 month repayment term and at a 10% APR, the monthly repayment will be $161.34. Total repayment will be $5,808.24. Total interest paid will be $808.24. __ Annual Percentage Rate (APR) Disclosure: **** The Annual Percentage Rate is the rate at which your loan accrues interest. It is based upon the amount of your loan, the cost of the loan, term of the loan, repayment amounts and timing of payments and payoff. By law, the lender or lending partner must show you the APR before you enter into the loan. States have laws that may limit the APR that the lender or lending partner can charge you. Rates will vary based on your credit worthiness, loan size, amongst other variables, with the lowest rates available to customers with excellent credit. Minimum and maximum loan amounts and APRs may vary according to state law and lender or lending partner. We recommend that you read the lender’s and/or lending partner’s personal terms and conditions in full before proceeding for any loan.
Partner Guarantee Disclosure
This disclosure must appear at the bottom of every page or one click away from every page of the consumer experience from collecting information to displaying offers. Here is the language for these disclosures:
All rates, fees, and terms are presented without guarantee and are subject to change pursuant to each provider’s discretion and may not be available in all states or for all types of loans. There is no guarantee you will be approved or qualify for the advertised rates, fees, or terms presented. This website does not include all lending companies or all available lending offers that may be available to you.
General Consents
Consent is typically the last step in the information collection process and the language must be conspicuous and located directly near the Call To Action (“CTA”) button for the user to submit their information. Engine and its Financial Services partners require that the user agrees to the following before submitting their information to receive offers:
Electronic Consent (“E-Sign”)
This agreement represents the user’s consent to conduct transactions using electronic signatures, electronic disclosures, electronic records, and electronic contract documents. An example of Engine’s “E-Sign” agreement can be found here.
Partners building a Native API integration are recommended to have users consent to their own version of “E-Sign” agreements. In cases where this is not possible, please reach out to your assigned contact at Engine.
Credit Authorization
This agreement represents the user’s consent to allow Engine to use the submitted information in order to find financial products and services that would be the best match for the user and allow its Financial Services partners to make a pre-qualification or other credit decisions. An example of Engine’s Credit Authorization agreement can be found here.
Partners building a Native API integration are recommended to have users consent to their own version of Credit Authorization agreements. In cases where this is not possible, please reach out to your assigned contact at Engine.
Terms of Service
This agreement represents the user’s consent to agree to follow the terms and conditions of the partner’s experience. An example of Engine’s Terms of Service agreement can be found here.
Partners building a Native API integration are recommended to have users consent to their own version of Terms of Service agreements. In cases where this is not possible, please reach out to your assigned contact at Engine.
Privacy Policy
This agreement represents the user’s consent to how their data will be collected and shared with Engine’s Financial Services partners. An example of a Privacy Policy agreement can be found here.
Partners building a Native API integration are recommended to have users consent to their own version of Privacy Policy agreements. In cases where this is not possible, please reach out to your assigned contact at Engine.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
This agreement represents the user’s consent to allow Engine and its Financial Services partners to obtain consumer report information from the user’s credit profile. Here is an example of the language used on Engine’s owned experiences: __
I am providing written consent under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) for {Insert Company Name}, and its partners and financial institutions to obtain consumer report information from my credit profile.
Partners building a Native API integration must retain an electronic record of credit consent which includes the timestamp, unique user identification, and the specific language that was present at the time the user affirmatively agreed to consent under the FCRA.
Telephone Consumers Protection Act (TCPA)
This agreement represents the user’s consent to allow Engine and its Financial Services partners to contact the user via the email and/or telephone number provided. Here is an example of the language used on Engine’s owned experiences:
“I agree to be contacted by {Insert Company Name} and its partners and their affiliated companies and financial institutions via email and/or at the telephone number(s) I have provided above to explore various financial products and services I inquired about, including contact through automatic dialing systems, artificial or pre-recorded voice messaging, or text message.”
Call To Action (“CTA”) Button
Partners building a Native API integration can represent affirmative consent to the above agreements by either:
Adding a checkbox that the user must select in order for the CTA button to be activated (if the user unselects the checkbox then the CTA button must deactivate)
Adding the word “Agree” to the beginning of the consent language (ie. By clicking Agree…)
Here is an example of the full consent language and CTA button on Engine’s owned experiences:
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