The app also sends an alert when someone tries to access your account.Įxperian requires you to buy its Creditworks Premium service to use its lock feature. The company's paid credit monitoring program adds features like a credit score tool, access to a credit score specialist, and identity theft insurance.Įquifax offers a free locking app, Lock & Alert, so you can control when your account is unlocked. You also get alerts when someone tries to access your credit file. TransUnion offers a free product, TrueIdentity, that allows you to lock or unlock your credit report instantly via an app. If you freeze your account, then decide to lock it, you must first remove the freeze. You cannot have both a freeze and a lock on your account. The lock may be free or require you to sign up for a paid credit monitoring service. The credit bureaus offer another product, a credit lock, that allows you to control access to your account via an app. With the apps, you manage access to your account with a simple swipe.Ī credit freeze is simple, free, and available to anyone. You can also visit the Google Play Store or Apple Store and download the credit lock app for each credit bureau. You must choose a six-digit PIN which you'll use to start and stop the credit freeze. You'll need to provide the same identifying information the other credit bureaus require. TransUnion requires you to sign up for a PIN-controlled account to manage your freeze. You'll need the PIN whenever you want to lift or reinstate the credit freeze. You can create a PIN or ask the company to assign one to you. You'll need to provide your full name, address, date of birth, email address, and SSN. ExperianĮxperian has an online Security Freeze Center where you can start and manage your freeze. To begin or manage a freeze by phone, contact the Equifax call center at 80. Once the account is set up, you can manage your freeze, check your credit report, and start or monitor a dispute. You'll also create a password so you can access your account. You must supply your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number and mobile phone number so Equifax can verify your identity. EquifaxĮquifax requires you to create a myEquifax account to manage online access to your credit file. All three have a snail mail option, too, but online is the easiest way to go. You can apply for a freeze online or by phone. They all have a slightly different process. You must freeze your credit individually with each of the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. If you want to apply for new credit or a loan, you can lift the freeze with a PIN or a phone call. When your credit file is frozen, creditors can't check your report, preventing someone who has your personal information from opening a new credit line in your name. The three major credit card companies all give you the option of freezing your credit. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping.
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