If the request is made online or by phone, a credit bureau must lift a freeze within one hour. If the request is made by mail, then the bureau must lift the freeze no later than three business days after getting your request.
Freezing your credit can help prevent identity thieves and other criminals from using stolen personal information (your Social Security number, for instance) to apply for new credit in your name. You must contact each national credit bureaus individually to freeze (or unfreeze) your credit reports.
When you log in at myEquifax.com, there is a tile on the upper right of the dashboard that indicates your freeze status. If you don't have an account, or simply would rather use the phone, call 800-349-9960 and follow the prompts to verify your identity.
You'll want to place a free credit freeze on all three of your credit reports, including from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. That said, the process can vary from agency to agency. If you need to lift your credit in the future, you can do so by visiting your online account with each credit bureau or calling.
If you're worried that a credit freeze may somehow look bad to lenders, or otherwise harm your credit, then rest easy: credit freezes have zero impact on your credit score. “Your existing creditors can run periodic annual reviews, and a person can still build credit.”
If you want to freeze your credit, you need to do it at each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax (1-800-349-9960), TransUnion (1-888-909-8872) and Experian (1-888-397-3742). If you request a freeze, be sure to store the passwords you'll need to thaw your credit in a safe place.
Equifax
- Online through myEquifax. Simply log into your myEquifax account with your username and password to lift your credit freeze.
- Over the phone. Call 888-298-0045 to answer basic identity-verification questions and lift your credit freeze.
- By mail.
You can also call TransUnion to unfreeze at 888-909-8872 and our interactive voice response system will guide you through the process. In this case, please have your social security number, address, date of birth, freeze PIN, and start and end dates (for a temporary unfreeze), ready before your call.
How to Unfreeze Your Credit. When you enter the PIN at Experian's Security Freeze Center, you can lift a credit freeze online immediately. You also can call 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742) and provide the PIN to lift the freeze from your credit report.
If you think your credit report and other personal data have been compromised or exposed, or your risk of exposure is high, consider a credit freeze. They won't prevent soft inquiries to your file, which may be more convenient when you're trying to monitor your credit score through a service, such as Credit.com.
Locking your credit is a procedure that can help prevent identity theft and credit fraud by blocking access to your credit report. A credit lock, also known as a security lock, has the same result as a credit freeze, but it's easier and quicker to lock and unlock your credit than to freeze and un-freeze (or "thaw") it.
If you do want to apply for a new credit card or loan, you can't do it while your freeze is in place. You'll have to remove your freeze first. 21, 2018 requires the credit bureaus to allow free credit freezes. In the past, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian charged for these freezes.
You should unfreeze your credit report when you're getting ready to apply for a credit card or loan. It's also a good idea to unfreeze your credit report before going house or apartment hunting.
