How to freeze your credit for free

What a freeze does

A credit freeze, also called a security freeze, limits who can see your credit report. USA.gov says creditors then cannot approve a new credit account in your name. That block covers a fake account and an account you meant to open. If you want a lender to check your credit, you lift the freeze first.

The Federal Trade Commission’s freeze and fraud alert guide says:

• A freeze is free.
• Anyone can place one, for any reason. You do not have to wait until your identity is stolen.
• It lasts until you lift it.
• While it is on, nobody can open a new credit account in your name, including you.
• You place it by contacting Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
• When a lender needs your credit, lift the freeze at the bureau that lender will use.

Experian and TransUnion both say a freeze will not affect your credit score.

A freeze at one bureau does not freeze the other two. Equifax and Experian both say you have to contact each bureau yourself.

Freeze, lock, or fraud alert

Use the word freeze when you ask. A lock is a different product.

• TransUnion says a credit freeze is always free. A credit lock can be a feature of a credit monitoring service.
• Experian says its security freeze is free. Experian CreditLock comes with a paid membership. Both can limit access to your Experian file. The free freeze is the one to ask for.

If a signup page pushes a paid plan, look for the free security freeze instead. You do not have to buy monitoring to place it.

A fraud alert is also free, and it is not a freeze.

• It tells businesses to check that the applicant is really you. It does not stop them from seeing your credit report.
• The FTC says anyone who is, or suspects they may be, affected by identity theft can place one.
• An initial fraud alert lasts one year. Experian says an extended fraud alert lasts 7 years and requires proof of identity theft.
• You contact one bureau. That bureau must tell the other two.

If someone already opened an account or made a purchase in your name, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and follow the recovery plan there.

Place the freeze at all three

Do each bureau. Online is the fastest path on every site. You can also call, or use mail. Each bureau will ask you to prove who you are.

There is no fee. Save the login each site gives you. You will need it when you want to lift the freeze. Only use the address, form, or phone number printed on that bureau’s own freeze page. Ignore a freeze link that arrives by text or email.

Equifax

1. Open the Equifax freeze page.
2. Create or sign in to a myEquifax account if you are placing your own freeze online. Equifax says you must be 18 to create that account.
3. Place the freeze. Equifax says placing, temporarily lifting, or removing a security freeze is free.
4. Or call Equifax at (888) 298-0045. They will ask you to verify your identity. You can get a one-time PIN by text, or answer questions based on your Equifax file.

If you cannot create an account, Equifax’s freeze page explains phone and mail requests. The FTC’s contact sheet also lists 800-685-1111 for Equifax. For a freeze, use (888) 298-0045, the number printed on Equifax’s freeze page.

Experian

1. Open the Experian freeze center.
2. Sign up for a free Experian account if you do not have one. Experian says you no longer need a PIN.
3. Place the freeze. Experian says this is free, it lasts until you remove it, and it will not affect your credit scores. Online, Experian says a freeze or a lift happens in real time. You can also schedule a thaw for the dates you plan to apply for credit.
4. Or call 1-888-EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742).
5. Or mail a request to Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013. Experian says the letter should include your full name, Social Security number, complete addresses for the past two years, date of birth, a government-issued identification card such as a driver’s license, and a copy of a utility bill or bank statement. Each copy should be readable and should show your name, current mailing address, and issue date. Experian says a mailed update takes up to 3 days after they receive it.

TransUnion

1. Open the TransUnion freeze page.
2. Create a free TransUnion Service Center account, or sign in.
3. Add the freeze. TransUnion says this is free and will not affect your credit score.
4. Or call 800-916-8800.
5. Or mail a written request with your name, address, and Social Security number to TransUnion, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094. TransUnion says a mailed request to add, lift, or remove a freeze may take up to three business days from the day they receive it. The freeze page lists optional identity and address documents that can help them find your file. Send copies, not originals.

How long the bureau is allowed to take

USA.gov states the deadlines. A bureau can be faster. It is not supposed to make you wait longer than this.

Place a freeze

• Online or by phone: within one business day.
• By mail: within three business days.

Lift a freeze

• Online or by phone: within one hour.
• By mail: within three business days.

TransUnion says an online or phone request usually shows up almost immediately, and it suggests waiting a few minutes before a lender asks for your TransUnion report. Experian says its online freeze is real time. If a request is slow, the USA.gov deadlines are the rule to point to.

When you need to apply for credit

1. Ask the lender which bureau it will check, if you can. The FTC says you can lift the freeze at that bureau.
2. Lift it online or by phone. You can lift it for a short time, or remove it until you put it back.
3. After the lender is done, freeze that report again.

A freeze can block an application you meant to make. If you know you are about to apply, lift the freeze or schedule the lift first.

A freeze for a child

A parent or guardian can ask for a freeze for a child under 16. The bureaus ask for documents, and a child’s freeze is a mail request. Do it with each bureau. Send copies, not original documents.

• Equifax. Parents, legal guardians, or someone with power of attorney can place a freeze for a minor under 16. Equifax has a minor freeze form on its freeze page. You must be 18 to open your own myEquifax account, so a child’s freeze is not part of that adult signup.
• Experian. Parents and guardians can freeze the file of a child under 16 by mail. The steps are on the Experian freeze page.
• TransUnion. A parent or guardian can place a protected consumer freeze for a child age 15 or younger. TransUnion says this request is by mail, not online or by phone, because of the documents. The address on its freeze page for this request is TransUnion, P.O. Box 380, Woodlyn, PA 19094. That is a different box from the adult freeze address. TransUnion says a minor can ask to remove the freeze once they are 16 or older.

What a freeze does not do

It is there to stop new credit accounts that need your report. It is not the same as a bank locking a card you already have. If a card is lost or a charge looks wrong, call the bank or the company that issued the card.

Experian lists some groups that can still see a frozen Experian report. That list includes you, lenders you already have accounts with, and certain government requests. Read the list on Experian’s freeze page if you need the exceptions.

If a scam started this

If a text, call, or site tricked you into sharing personal information, report that scam too. For election-season texts, use How to spot and report election-season scam texts. If someone already misused your information, start at IdentityTheft.gov.