How to Freeze Your Credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion

A letter arrives about a data breach, or a store card you never opened shows up on a statement, and suddenly you want to know how to freeze credit before anything else goes wrong. This guide is for anyone in the US with a credit file, whether you are reacting to a breach or just locking things down as a habit. Plan on about 20 to 30 minutes to freeze your credit at all three nationwide bureaus online, a little longer if you have to create accounts from scratch. It costs nothing.

A freeze stops new lenders from pulling your credit report, which makes it much harder for a thief to open a loan or card in your name. According to the Federal Trade Commission, there is no cost to place or lift a freeze, and it lasts until you lift it.

Before you start

Have these ready so you can do all three bureaus in one sitting:

• Your Social Security number and date of birth
• Your current address and any addresses from the past two years
• Your phone, for text message verification codes
• An email address you check, since each bureau sets up an online account
• A password manager or a safe place to store three new logins

One thing to know up front: each bureau keeps its own file, so a freeze at one does nothing at the other two. Equifax says this directly on its freeze page, telling consumers to contact Experian and TransUnion separately.

Stage 1: Freeze your credit at Equifax

1. Go to the Equifax credit freeze page and select Place a Security Freeze.
2. Create a myEquifax account, or sign in if you already have one. You must be at least 18.
3. Confirm your identity. Equifax may text a one time PIN or ask questions drawn from your credit report.
4. Choose to place the freeze and confirm.

Later, you manage the freeze (lift it or remove it) by signing in to myEquifax with your username and password. If you would rather call, Equifax lists (888) 298-0045 on its freeze page.

Stage 2: Freeze your credit at Experian

1. Open the Experian freeze center and create a free Experian account, or log in.
2. Verify your identity with the details from your list.
3. Select the option to add a security freeze and confirm.

Experian says freezing and unfreezing happens in real time online, and you no longer need a PIN to manage it. By phone, the number is 1-888-EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742).

You can also mail a request to Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013. Include your full name, Social Security number, addresses for the past two years, date of birth, a copy of a government ID, and a copy of a utility bill or bank statement. Experian notes mailed requests can take up to three days.

Stage 3: Freeze your credit at TransUnion

1. Visit the TransUnion credit freeze page and choose to get started through the TransUnion Service Center, or log in if you have an account.
2. Verify your identity and select the freeze option.
3. Confirm and save any confirmation details shown.

TransUnion says freezes often take effect in real time, but suggests allowing up to one hour. Watch for an upsell here. TransUnion also sells a credit lock product priced at $29.95 per month, and it is a separate thing from the free freeze. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says plainly that credit locks are no more effective than security freezes, which are free.

Stage 4: Store your logins and check the results

Write down which email and password you used for each bureau. You will need them every time you apply for credit, and recovering an old account during a car purchase is not fun. If you have not set one up yet, our guide on whether you need a password manager covers the options.

Then confirm each freeze shows as active when you sign back in. Under federal rules summarized by the CFPB, a bureau must place a freeze within one business day of a phone or online request, or within three business days of receiving a mailed request, and send written confirmation within five business days.

How to lift a freeze when you apply for credit

When you apply for a mortgage, car loan, new card or apartment, ask the lender which bureau it uses. You can then lift only that one, which saves time.

1. Sign in to that bureau's account.
2. Choose a temporary lift for a set date range, or remove the freeze completely.
3. Put it back once the application is done, if you picked a full removal.

The CFPB says a lift requested online or by toll free phone must happen within one hour. A mailed request can take three business days, so do not rely on mail if a lender is waiting.

What a credit freeze does and does not do

A freeze is strong protection, but it has limits worth knowing:

• Your score is not affected. The FTC, Experian and the CFPB all say a freeze does not change your credit score.
• Existing accounts keep working. Your current lenders and card issuers can still see your file, according to Experian, so your cards and loans carry on normally.
• Some access continues. The CFPB lists certain government agencies, such as child support offices, and monitoring companies you hire as still able to view your file.
• It does not stop misuse of accounts you already have. Keep checking statements, and secure your logins with steps like the ones in protecting your online accounts in 10 minutes.

Freezing a child's credit

Kids can be targets because nobody checks their credit for years. The FTC says parents can request a free freeze for a child under 16, and it stays until removed. Equifax uses a Minor Freeze Request form, and Experian handles minor freezes by mail. The CFPB adds that the same protected consumer rules apply to incapacitated adults and people with a guardian.

When the freeze does not work

Online verification fails more often than you would expect, usually because a bureau cannot match your answers to its records. Try these in order:

• Identity check fails online. Call the bureau instead, or use the mail option with copies of your ID and a utility bill or bank statement.
• You cannot get into an old account. Use the bureau's password reset first. If that fails, call and verify by phone.
• The freeze does not show as active. Wait the processing time listed above, then sign in again. Keep any confirmation page or email.
• You think fraud already happened. A freeze only blocks new credit going forward. Follow our step by step identity theft recovery guide and file a report at IdentityTheft.gov. Our explainer on how to report a scam lists the right agency for other cases.

If you are not ready for a full freeze, the FTC describes a fraud alert as a lighter option. An initial alert lasts one year and can be renewed, and an extended alert for identity theft victims lasts seven years. A freeze is still the stronger block.

One last check before you close the browser tab: sign in to all three accounts and make sure each one shows the freeze as on. For more practical security guides, browse our Tech section.