Yes. You can contact Equifax to obtain a copy of your free Equifax credit report where:
- Your credit application was declined. The request for a free credit file must be made within 90 days from the date your application was declined;
- You have lodged a correction request and are advised that the information on your file has been corrected; or
- You have not requested a copy of your free credit report in the last three months.
If an individual does not meet the criteria, a once-off Equifax credit report is currently available for free.
You can order a free copy of your credit file in the following ways:
- Request online here or by clicking the button below;
- Call us on 13 8332 and follow the prompt; or
- Mail your request to us at GPO Box 964, NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2059.
Your Equifax credit report contains information about your history with credit. There are different sections to your credit report:
Identification information
This includes information like your name, date of birth, address history as well as your driver’s licence number and employment history.
Consumer credit information
The consumer credit information section includes:
- Details of credit enquiries that have been made on you when you have made an application for consumer credit. Consumer credit relates to loans for household or family purposes as well as for the purchase, renovation or re-financing of a residential investment property. Obvious types of credit include credit cards and loans like mortgages, personal and car loans as well as credit contracts such as telephone, electricity, gas and internet. Other forms of credit include interest free store finance and store cards.
- Consumer credit liability accounts – this is an account that you currently have open or may have had in the past. It includes the type of account, the open and/or close date as well as the credit limit.
- Monthly repayment history on credit accounts such as mortgages and credit cards. This reflects whether you have paid the minimum amount required on time each month or not. Please note that not all credit providers supply repayment history information to credit reporting bodies like Equifax
- Overdue accounts such as defaults and serious credit infringements
- Public record information like:
- Court judgements
- Directorship details
- Proprietorship details
- Bankruptcy, debt agreement and personal insolvency
Commercial credit information
- Details of credit enquiries that have been made on you for commercial credit. Examples of commercial credit include a mobile phone contract or credit card for business use or a business loan.
- Details of any overdue commercial credit accounts and other debts.
File access information is also included. This outlines who has accessed your credit report. For consumer credit reporting, only credit providers, affected information recipients, access seekers and credit reporting bodies like Equifax can access your report under the requirements of the Privacy Act.
You can view a sample Equifax credit report here.
If you believe information on your credit report is incorrect you can have it investigated by the credit provider or Equifax for free. Search our list of common creditor contacts or you can use the corrections process from Equifax.
If you wish to submit a correction request with Equifax, you will require specific details of the entries you are disputing such as the date the entry was listed on your credit file, account/reference numbers and amounts. Please ensure you have the details of all dispute entries before proceeding with the submission of a correction request. If you do not have a current copy of your Equifax credit report or the specific details of the disputed entries, you may not able to complete the correction request form.
Equifax has some simple steps to help you keep your credit report healthy:
- Pay your loans and bills on time - Consider setting up direct debits and schedule loan repayments for your pay day.
- Keep track of your credit commitments - Do your homework before applying for credit and keep track of your credit commitments. Making a number of applications within a short space of time will be recorded on your file and is not always looked upon positively by lenders, as it may be an indicator that you're in credit stress.
- If you move house, notify lenders - advise lenders, phone and utility providers of your new address so they can re-direct bills to your new address. If you don't pay these bills, a credit infringement or overdue debt could be listed on your credit report.
- If you are having trouble meeting repayments - talk to your credit provider who may assist.
- Keep track of your credit record - proactively manage your personal credit report by regularly checking your Equifax credit report and Equifax Score. You can even monitor changes through credit alerts. Please note your Equifax Score is available via our other Equifax personal credit and identity monitoring services. Find out more here. You can get also get your free Equifax credit report.
If you have been declined credit firstly you should find out why. There are a number of factors that may result in an application for credit being refused including:
- Level of income and other resources to meet the loan repayments
- Number of other loans and other financial commitments you have
- How secure your employment is
- Your credit history which can include information such as previous bankruptcy, defaults, serious credit infringements, high number of credit applications and poor repayment history.
If you have been declined credit and the information on your credit report was a factor, the lender, phone or utility company will give you details of the credit reporting body they used. If it was Equifax, the first step in understanding why your Equifax credit report has contributed to you being declined credit, is to obtain a copy of your credit report.
By getting a copy of your credit report you can better understand where you stand when it comes to applying for credit. It is important to check your credit report regularly to ensure it is accurate.
If you have been declined credit you are entitled obtain a free credit report if you apply within 90 days of being declined and provide evidence that a credit provider has declined your application for credit.
You will need to have the following information handy:
- Your full name
- Your date of birth
- Your driver's licence number
- Your current residential address
- Your previous addresses
- Your current employer or a previous employer
- Name of the organisation to which you last applied for credit
Only you may request a copy of your own Equifax credit report. For security reasons, you will be asked to verify you identity prior to receiving a copy of your credit report.
Once you have your credit report you can check that the information listed is correct. If you find something that appears to be inaccurate on your credit report it is important that you have the items investigated, and corrected, if required. Equifax can help you to investigate this for you for free. Equifax takes reasonable steps to ensure that your credit report is accurate. However, as we rely on information provided by a number of different sources, errors can occur. It's important that you check your report and let us know if there are any administrative errors such as an incorrect date of birth, or a misspelling of your name or street address. You should also check that the credit information listed on your credit report, such as an overdue debt or enquiry is accurate.
Once you have made any required corrections, you can also work to improve your credit worthiness.
Need more information? The ASIC MoneySmart website also has information about loan rejection.
Your credit score (Equifax Score) is a number between 0-1200 that summarises the information on your credit report.
Your credit score is calculated based on the information held on your credit report at a given point in time.
Generally, the higher your credit score, the better your credit profile. Banks and other lenders can use credit scores to as part of determining whether an applicant qualifies for a loan. Your credit score can also play a part in the terms of the loan including the borrowing limit and the interest rate.
My Credit File from Equifax does not include a credit score.
You can visit Equifax and choose from a range of products that include your credit report, credit score and additional features to help manage your credit profile and protect your identity.
Find out more about Credit Reports, Scores and Credit Alerts.
You can also get a copy of your Equifax credit report for free.