Manage Your Experian Credit Report

A credit history report
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Courtney Keating / Creative RF / Getty

Your Experian credit report is one of the three most important credit reports you have. Because you never know which credit report a creditor or lender is going to check, it's important that you manage all of them.

Order Your Credit Report

There are a few ways you can order your Experian credit report.

  • For free from www.annualcreditreport.com. Federal law grants you one free copy of your Experian credit report each year. You can also order your annual Experian credit report by calling 1-877-322-8228 or by mailing a request form.
  • You can view your Experian credit report through CreditKarma.com. It is a free service that does not require a credit card subscription or a trial period.
  • You can purchase your Experian credit report and FICO scores directly from Experian, along with your Transunion and Equifax scores for a one-time of $39.99, which gives you a daily update on your report and score. Alternatively, you could subscribe for monthly updates for free. If you sign up for the trial, make sure you cancel within 7 days before the trial ends to avoid charges for the service.
  • If you order a 3-in-1 credit report from any of the online vendors, you'll receive your Experian credit report as well as your report from the other two major credit bureaus: Equifax and TransUnion.

Note

Currently, you can get free copies of your credit report from the three major credit unions every week from AnnualCreditReport.com. The weekly availability is valid until April 20, 2022.

Dispute Errors

You might discover errors on your Experian credit report after you receive it. The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to have these errors removed through a dispute process.

Your credit report will typically come with instructions for disputing errors. When you order your Experian credit report online, you'll be given a link that you can use to make your dispute.

You can also dispute credit report errors in writing. Write a credit report dispute letter, highlight the errors on your credit report, and send any supporting documents you have to Experian's credit report dispute address:

Experian Dispute Department
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013

Send your credit report dispute letter via certified mail, so you have proof of when the letter was mailed. Once Experian receives your dispute, it has 30 days to investigate and correct your credit report or send the results of the investigation.

Fight Identity Theft On Reports

If you've been a victim of identity theft, it's important that you let Experian know so they can flag your credit report and alert the other two credit bureaus. A fraud alert lets anyone who pulls your Experian credit report know they should take extra steps to confirm your identity. Fraud alerts last one year.

You can place a fraud alert on your Experian credit report online, over the phone by calling 1-888-397-3742, or by mail by writing P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013.

An Experian credit report security freeze will lock your credit reports, preventing inquiries until you unlock it with a PIN or password. Call Experian or visit their website to get detailed instructions for freezing your credit report.

Checking Your Score

Your Experian credit score is based on the information in your Experian credit report and may be different from your credit scores with the other two bureaus. You can check your Experian credit score for free through CreditKarma.com. You can also purchase an Experian credit score through Experian's website or through myFICO.com.

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Sources
The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Experian. "3-Bureau Credit Report and FICO® Scores."

  2. Experian. "Choose the Right Plan for You."

  3. Federal Trade Commission. "Free Weekly Credit Reports During COVID Extended Until April 2022."

  4. Govinfo.gov. "U.S. Code Title 15 — Commerce and Trade," Pages 1388-1392.

  5. Experian. "Instructions for Disputing by Mail."

  6. Federal Trade Commission. "What to Know About Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts."

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