If you want to see your credit history, you must check your credit report.
A credit report keeps a record of how you manage credit over many years, and it’s used by lenders when they perform a credit check.
There are many ways to check your credit report in Canada. Fortunately, the major credit bureaus provide free credit reporting services.
How to get a free credit report in Canada
Equifax and TransUnion, the major credit bureaus in Canada, offer a free service that allows you to order a copy of your credit report.
When you check your credit report, it doesn’t affect your credit score.
How to get a free credit report with Equifax Canada
You can request your credit report through Equifax by phone, mail or in person.
Order online
As a result of COVID-19, Equifax is now offering a free online credit report to all Canadian consumers. Your credit score is included in this report. You can access your free Equifax credit report by visiting the Equifax credit report page.
Order by phone
Call Equifax at 1-800-465-7166 and enter your Social Insurance Number. You must verify your identity by answering some questions relating to your finances.
Order by mail
If you’re applying by mail, you must download and complete the Canadian Credit Report Request Form. You’ll be asked to supply valid Canadian Government-issued identification and proof of your home address.
Check Equifax’s list of accepted documents for identification and proof of address.
You will need to mail your completed form and proof of identity to:
Equifax Canada Co.
National Consumer Relations
Box 190
Montreal, Quebec H1S 2Z2
Order in-person
If you wish to request your credit report in person, there are office locations available where you’ll be required to bring two forms of identification and proof of your current address (original copies).
Receiving your Equifax credit report
Once you complete the application process, through either phone, mail or in-person, your credit report will be sent to your home address within 5-10 days. You can learn more by visiting Equifax’s website.
Get your credit report from Equifax: phone number
To request your Equifax credit report by phone, call Equifax at 1-800-465-7166.
How to get a free credit report with TransUnion Canada
You can request your credit report through TransUnion Canada by mail, phone, in person or online.
TransUnion refers to this version as a Consumer Disclosure, a complete account of all the information on your credit report where you can see your personal details, credit accounts, payment history and inquiries.
You can’t see your credit score on a Consumer Disclosure, but you can check your credit score for free with many other providers.
Free credit report online with TransUnion
You can access a monthly credit report online with TransUnion. This allows you to see your credit report online once a month for free.
Order by phone
Call TransUnion at 1-800-663-9980 to use their automated IVR to obtain a copy of your credit report. It’s a free service that asks you some questions to authenticate your identity.
Order by mail
If you apply by mail, you need to download the consumer request form and supply two pieces of photocopied identification (both sides).
Correspondence in English
TransUnion Consumer Relations Department
3115 Harvester Road,
Suite 201 Burlington ON L7N 3N8
Correspondence in French
Centre de relations aux consommateurs TransUnion
3115 Chemin Harvester,
Suite 201 Burlington ON L7N 3N8
Order in-person
You may also visit one of TransUnion’s provincial offices. Bring two pieces of identification that contain your name, current address, date of birth and signature.
Check TransUnion for more information, including a list of acceptable identification.
Receiving your TransUnion credit report
Once you complete the application process online or order by phone, mail or in-person, your credit report will be sent to your home address by standard mail.
Because it’s a basic credit report known as a Consumer Disclosure, you will not receive your credit score.
Paying for a credit report in Canada
Equifax Complete Premier
Equifax offers a premium credit reporting service called Equifax Complete Premier. While the free service delivers an updated copy of your credit report once a month, this service lets you see your updated credit report and credit score daily.
It comes with a variety of other features, such as:
- Alerts for key changes to your Equifax credit report.
- Dedicated ID Restoration Specialists to help you recover from ID theft.
- Up to $50,000 in ID theft insurance.
Equifax Complete Premier costs $19.95 / month.
TransUnion Credit Monitoring
In addition to the Consumer Disclosure version of their credit report, TransUnion offers a premium credit report called TransUnion Credit Monitoring. It offers unlimited updates to your TransUnion credit report and score.
It also includes additional features such as:
- Email updates of critical changes to your TransUnion credit report.
- Personalized debt analysis and trending.
- Up to $50,000 ID theft insurance.
TransUnion Credit Monitoring costs $19.95 / month.
Get a free credit report with Borrowell
Borrowell offers free access to your Equifax credit score and report, which is updated weekly.
Wrapping up
It’s crucial to check your credit report regularly to see what’s affecting your credit, avoid errors and protect yourself against fraud. Check your credit report today.
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