Requests by mail: Three business days after receiving the request for removal.Requests by toll-free telephone or secure electronic means: One hour after receiving the request for removal.Place a ban on your Equifax credit report here.
If you have reasonable grounds to believe you have been or are likely to be victim of fraud, you can request a ban on your credit report. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act set an official timeline for when credit freezes need to be removed, after a consumer's request: A credit report ban or freeze helps if you think your identity may have been stolen. We've tested this for all three credit bureaus and were able to apply for a credit card within the hour. Online: Create an account on, hover over Protection, then select Security freeze under Identity Theft Support. Experian offers three ways to freeze and unfreeze your creditmail, online, and over the phone. When you unfreeze your credit, you typically have access to your credit report within an hour, but it may vary. How to Quickly Unfreeze Credit with Experian. If you remove a freeze, reinstate it once the application process is complete. You also have the option to completely remove the freeze, which we don't recommend doing unless you don't have a finite timeline on when your credit will be pulled. There will be the option to temporarily lift a freeze for a set amount of time, which can be used if you need to apply for a credit card, mortgage, loan or other financial product. You can unfreeze your credit by going to the same credit bureau websites that you accessed to freeze your credit, or by calling the numbers listed above. Equifax: Call (800) 349-9960 or request a credit freeze online. Investing +More All Investing Best IRA Accounts Best Roth IRA Accounts Best Investing Apps Best Free Stock Trading Platforms Best Robo-Advisors Index Funds Mutual Funds ETFs Bonds If you don’t want to complete your credit freeze request over the phone, you have the option to request a freeze online. Help for Low Credit Scores +More All Help for Low Credit Scores Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit Best Personal Loans for Bad Credit Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit Personal Loans if You Don't Have Credit Best Credit Cards for Building Credit Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score Lower Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Best Mortgages for Bad Credit Best Hardship Loans How to Boost Your Credit Score Taxes +More All Taxes Filing For Free Best Tax Software Best Tax Software for Small Businesses Tax Refunds Tax Brackets Tax Tips Taxes By State Tax Payment Plans Personal Finance +More All Personal Finance Best Budgeting Apps Best Expense Tracker Apps Best Money Transfer Apps Best Resale Apps and Sites Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Apps Best Debt ReliefĬredit Monitoring +More All Credit Monitoring Best Credit Monitoring Services Best Identity Theft Protection How to Boost Your Credit Score Best Credit Repair Companies Best Mortgages for Average Credit Score.Best Loans to Refinance Credit Card Debt.