UK Credit Reference Agencies

Whenever you apply for a credit card you will be credit scored by a credit reference agency.

A credit reference agency holds credit files on the borrowing records of nearly every adult in the UK. The information is collated from a variety of sources. The file may hold details of:

	people on the electoral register at your address(es);
	your credit agreements, including details of any late payments & defaults - this can be held for up to six years;
	court judgments and bankruptcy orders against you - these are also be held for six years;
	previous applications for credit;
	people living at the same address as you, such as your family.

Credit Reference Agencies do not offer an opinion on your credit worthiness and it is the card issuer who either approves or declines the application for a credit card based on the information provided.

These agencies do no more than supply information to lenders. The lenders use the information as part of their credit scoring.

Obtaining Your Credit Record

If you'd like to have a look at your own files, you can order or view your credit file over the internet.

When you view a copy of your own credit record, if you spot information you think is incorrect, write back asking for the record to be amended.

Get your free Experian credit report online
Experian is one on the main credit reference agencies in the UK and CreditExpert is their online consumer credit monitoring and identity fraud prevention service. CreditExpert is a membership service offering consumers a range of benefits including unlimited online access to their full UK Experian credit report, e-mail and text alerts to significant changes to their report, access to personal help and advice directly from credit report and identity fraud advisors, and the option to order your National Credit Score – exclusive to members. The service can be tried for 30-days free of charge.

Click here to sign up for your FREE Experian credit report and 30 day free trial of the CreditExpert Monitoring Service.

Callcredit plc,
One Park Lane,
Leeds.
West Yorkshire.
LS3 1EP.

Equifax
Credit File Advice Centre
PO Box 1140
Bradford

Experian Ltd
Consumer Help Service
PO Box 8000
NOTTINGHAM
NG1 5GX