What Is a Credit Freeze? How It Works
Key takeaways
- A credit freeze stops new accounts from being opened in your name and limits who can see your credit file.
- You can freeze or unfreeze your credit anytime — for free — online, via phone or by mail.
- A credit freeze gives you some protection, but it won’t prevent all forms of identity theft.
- You’ll have to unfreeze your credit if you want to apply for a new credit account.
A credit freeze stops anyone from opening a credit account in your name. This helps protect you against many (but not all) forms of identity theft. You can freeze your credit by phone, mail or online form.
About 1 in 5 U.S. residents have experienced identity theft at some point in their lives, according to government data, so it’s handy to learn what a credit freeze is and how it works.
What is a credit freeze?
A credit freeze restricts anyone (including you) from opening new credit in your name. It also limits access to your credit, stopping lenders and others from viewing your credit report.
You’ll still be able to view your own credit report while your credit is frozen, and so will your current creditors, government agencies, credit monitoring services and a few others.
A credit freeze also doesn’t usually stop you from allowing soft credit inquiries.
Freezing your credit can be a powerful tool to help prevent identity theft. It might stop a criminal from getting your Social Security number and opening credit cards in your name, for example.
So if you know that someone has accessed your personal information, a credit freeze can be an especially wise move.
Once you’ve frozen your credit, it’ll remain that way until you unfreeze it. If you plan to apply for new credit, you’ll need to manually unfreeze your credit to be approved.
How to freeze your credit with the 3 credit bureaus
To freeze your credit, you’ll have to contact each of the three credit reporting bureaus separately. You can request a credit freeze online, by phone or by mail.
| Experian | TransUnion | Equifax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Create a free account | Create a free account | Create a free account |
| Phone | 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742) | 800-916-8800 | 888-298-0045 |
| Send a written request with required materials to: Experian Security Freeze P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 | Send a written request with required materials to: TransUnion P.O. Box 160 Woodlyn, PA 19094 | Print the security freeze request form and mail to: Equifax Information Services LLC P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 |
Monitor your own credit for free
LendingTree Spring can let you monitor your credit, whether or not you have a credit freeze in place. You can keep tabs on your credit activity, get advice to help boost your credit and dispute reporting errors.
What to expect when requesting a credit freeze
The first step to freezing your credit is to create accounts with each of the three credit bureaus, if you haven’t already.
To create your account, you’ll need to verify your identity with basic info, such as your date of birth, Social Security number and phone number. You might also need to provide your past addresses and copies of your government-issued ID, utility bill, pay stub or tax documents.
It only takes a few minutes to set up your credit bureau accounts and request your credit freeze.
Credit bureaus must freeze your credit within one business day if you place your request online or over the phone, and within three business days if you make the request by mail.
Pros and cons of a credit freeze
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It’s free. Under federal law, all credit bureaus must offer credit freezing services free of charge. Provides some protection from identity theft. Freezing your credit prevents anyone from fraudulently opening new credit accounts in your name. Can be done online. While you can request a freeze by phone or snail mail, all three credit bureaus also allow you to place your request online in just a few minutes. | Doesn’t entirely protect you from identity theft. A credit freeze by itself still won’t stop thieves from getting into your existing accounts or stealing money in other ways. For example, it won’t prevent someone charging items to your credit card or using your SSN to steal your tax refund. Can interfere with new credit. If your credit is frozen, you also won’t be able to take out loans, get new credit cards or open other credit accounts. It could also make it harder to sign up for insurance or rent an apartment. Must keep track of credit bureau passwords and PINs. To unfreeze your credit, you’ll need the password or PIN you used when first setting it up. If you lose track of this, unfreezing your account will become a lot more difficult. |
How to unfreeze your credit with the 3 credit bureaus
If you need to access your credit to apply for new credit, get an insurance policy, rent an apartment or anything else, you’ll have to unfreeze your credit with each of the three credit bureaus.
If you froze your credit online, you’ll already have an online account and can unfreeze your credit with the click of a button. If you requested your freeze by phone or mail, you can unfreeze it using those same methods.
Know that you can also temporarily lift a credit freeze instead of unfreezing it completely. This could be the best option if you want to apply for new credit but then want your account to remain frozen afterward.
Credit freeze vs. credit lock
A credit lock is almost the same as a credit freeze, except that credit locks are usually offered by credit monitoring services, while credit freezes are done by the credit bureaus themselves.
Unlike credit freezes, credit locks aren’t guaranteed under federal law, and they aren’t always free.
Further, credit locks also aren’t necessarily held to the same timelines as credit bureaus when freezing your credit, though locks may come with other identity protection services that could be useful.
Credit freeze vs. fraud alert
A fraud alert doesn’t restrict your credit report like a credit freeze does, but it does make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name.
When you have a fraud alert in place, businesses must contact you before opening any new accounts using your personal information.
There are three different types of fraud alerts:
- Initial fraud alert: Requires businesses to check with you before opening new credit accounts for one year.
- Extended fraud alert: Requires businesses to check with you before opening new credit accounts in your name for seven years.
- Active duty alert: Requires businesses to check with you before opening new credit accounts during one year of active military duty and can be renewed for the full length of your deployment.
All three types of fraud alerts are free to set up, and all three can be renewed as many times as you need.
To set up a fraud alert, you simply contact one of the three credit bureaus. Once you’ve informed one bureau, it’s required to notify the other two bureaus.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can still use your credit cards when you freeze your credit. A credit freeze stops new accounts from being opened in your name, but you can still use any accounts that are already open. Of course, this means that a thief can still use a currently-open account if they’ve already gained access to it.
The best option is the one that’s most convenient for you. Freezing it online is often the most convenient, since it can be done (or undone) with a single click of a button, but you can also request a credit freeze by phone or through the mail.
If your credit report is frozen, but you’re not the one who froze it, you may be the victim of identity theft, or there may have been a system or administrative error. If your credit is frozen and you didn’t do it, contact the credit bureaus right away to resolve the issue.