FAQs

Freecreditscore.com is a part of Experian

Welcome to Freecreditscore.com, a part of Experian, who has supplied over 20 million U.S. credit reports online to more than 3 million members. By helping people gain regular access to their credit information, we help people understand their credit and make financially-wise decisions for tomorrow.

I originally signed up on Freecreditscore.com. Why am I now seeing Experian?

Our goal is to always provide the very best resources so you can take control of your financial future. Freecreditscore.com is a part of Experian, and we believe this change will make it easier than ever before to understand how to harness your credit to work for you.

Where am I supposed to access my account? Can I keep signing in on Freecreditscore.com?

Yes, you can still sign in on Freecreditscore.com to access your information at any time. You also have the option to login to your account at Experian.com.

Checking your credit report

Will checking my credit report hurt my score?

No. Pulling your own credit report is referred to as a "soft inquiry". Soft inquiries don't impact your credit and don't appear on your credit report.

A "hard inquiry" appears on your credit report when a company reviews your credit as part of an application. Having too many hard inquiries could suggest that you're overextending yourself and therefore, could potentially lower your score.

Is this transaction safe?

Yes. The process of sending and receiving your information is encrypted using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. This technology helps ensure that your credit card and other sensitive information are protected.

What do you do with my private information?

We take privacy and security very seriously. The information that you provide during the order process is used to verify your identity and remains in our system. Your credit report and score are stored in our system to be viewed by you on the website. Under no circumstances will we use, resell, or provide your credit information to any third-party marketers. If you call one of our Customer Care Representatives, they do not see your credit report unless you give them specific permission to do so. Please see our Privacy Policy for full details about how we protect the information you submit to us.

Can I get someone else's credit report?

No. It's a federal crime to obtain a copy of someone's credit report without their permission and is punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.

Credit Reports

What is a credit report?

A credit report is a snapshot of your experience with credit-related accounts. Aside from some basic personal information, such as your name and address to help identify your report, there are three main types of information on your credit report:

• Public Records: Court-related information, including bankruptcies, state and county court records, tax liens, monetary judgments, and in some states, overdue child-support payments.
• Credit Inquiries: Names of businesses or individuals that have obtained a copy of your credit report, including lenders, landlords and employers.
• Accounts: Payment history on all your Real Estate, Installment, and Revolving Credit Accounts.

How do I refresh my credit report?

Every time you sign in, your Experian credit report is automatically updated. No need to do anything.

How long is my credit report available?

Your credit report archive will always be available.

What should I do if there's a mistake on my credit report?

If you see something that is incorrect on your credit report and want it corrected, you have two options available to you. You can either contact the company reporting the incorrect information or you can file a dispute. Visit Experian Dispute for more information on the dispute process.

Why isn't the information on my 3-Bureau Report consistent across all three bureaus?

The three national credit bureaus do not share information with each other, so if a creditor only sends information to one or two of the bureaus, or only pulls an inquiry from one bureau, then the information won't appear on all three reports.

The three bureaus also have different formats for the way they collect and store data, so sometimes information for the same account may appear differently from one credit report to another. This is why FICO^® Scores are sometimes different from one bureau to the next.

What's the timing with the 3-Bureau Report and FICO® Scores feature?

If the 3-Bureau Report and FICO® Scores are a benefit of your Experian CreditWorks membership, we will automatically present your 3-Bureau Report and FICO® Scores when you enroll. This sets a 90 day counter. 90 days from your enrollment date, you'll be able to refresh your 3-Bureau Report and FICO® Scores at no cost. Once you refresh, you'll reset the 90 day counter.

The counter won't refresh until you proactively pull your next report after enrollment.

Will my spouse's name and information appear on my report?

There is no such thing as a "joint" credit report. Every credit report is specific to the individual. However, if you and your spouse are listed on an account (as co-owners of the account or as authorized users), that account will appear on both of your credit reports.

How do I get my free Annual Credit Report?

Federal law allows you to get one free credit report from each of the three national credit reporting companies (the Experian^® Bureau, Equifax^®, and TransUnion^®) once every 12 months through a central source. The credit reports available for purchase or otherwise offered by Experian Consumer Services differ from the credit reports available from the three national credit reporting companies. To request a free copy of your credit report from one of the nationwide credit reporting companies, as required by federal law, you can go to www.annualcreditreport.com, call 877-322-8228, or download and complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Experian Consumer Services is an affiliate of the Experian Bureau. Our products and services, which may include a credit report from any of the three national credit reporting companies, are not related to the free credit report provided by each of the national credit reporting companies.

FICO^® Scores

What is a FICO^® Score?

A FICO^® Score is a number based on the positive and negative information in your credit report(s). Paying your bills on time and using your credit responsibly can build a positive history, while paying bills late and being irresponsible with your credit can build a negative history.

Which credit bureau report is my FICO^® Score based on?

Your Experian Credit Report is used to calculate your FICO^® Score powered by Experian.

Why is my FICO^® Score different from previous credit scores obtained elsewhere?

It's virtually impossible for credit score sources to provide identical score information for a few reasons--lenders use their own customized calculations; the three national credit bureaus offer different calculations; and there are multiple FICO^® Score calculations. In fact, it's estimated that there are over 1,000 different credit scores currently in use.

Why is my FICO^® Score different from each of the three bureaus?

The three national credit bureaus do not share information with one another. This means if a creditor only sends information to one or two of the credit bureaus, or only pulls an inquiry from one bureau, the activity won't appear on all three bureaus. The three bureaus also have different formats for the way they collect and store data, so information for the same account may appear differently from one credit report to another. This is why FICO^® Scores are sometimes different from one bureau to the next.

I didn't receive a credit score. Why?

The FICO Scores offered by Experian are comparable to what lenders may see when determining if you qualify for loan financing. However, as a result of our new scoring model, some users may not meet the scoring criteria necessary to generate a FICO^® Score.

In order for a new FICO^® Score to be calculated:

• Your credit report must contain at least one account that has been open for 6 months.
• Your credit report must contain at least one account that has been reported to the credit bureau within the past 6 months.
• A creditor/lender must not currently have you reported as being deceased.

Unfortunately, if your credit report doesn't meet these minimum requirements, we won't be able to generate a FICO^® Score for you.

I purchased an Experian report and FICO® score or a 3-Bureau report & scores, but I don't see my score(s).

We're sorry you didn't receive your scores. If your scores weren't generated, we may not have had enough credit information to generate FICO^® Scores.

In order for a new FICO^® Score to be calculated:

• Your credit report must contain at least one account that has been open for 6 months.
• Your credit report must contain at least one account that has been reported to the credit bureau within the past 6 months.
• A creditor/lender must not currently have you reported as being deceased.

Unfortunately, if your credit report(s) don't meet these minimum requirements, we won't be able to generate a FICO^® Score(s) for you.

Free Credit Report

I ordered my free credit report and am no longer able to sign in and view it - I am receiving an invalid credentials message.

You can reorder your most recent and free credit report by clicking here.