You can see both your credit report and your credit score in Canada without paying, and checking doesn’t hurt your score. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) states it directly: “Checking your credit report or score won’t affect your credit rating.” This page covers each free route, from the two credit bureaus themselves to banking apps and free score services, and what to look for once you have the report. It is part of our credit score guides.
Your free credit report from Equifax and TransUnion
FCAC: “You can access your credit report online for free from Canada’s 2 main credit bureaus,” Equifax and TransUnion. Both let you download or print the report and see information updated every month. TransUnion calls its free report the Consumer Disclosure. Other ways to get it:
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Online | Through each bureau’s website, after confirming your identity |
| By mail | Fill out the bureau’s request form and mail it “with photocopies of 2 valid pieces of identification” |
| By phone | Call the bureau, answer identity questions and follow the instructions: Equifax Canada 1-800-465-7166, TransUnion Canada 1-800-663-9980 |
| In person | “In some provinces or territories, you can request your free credit report at an Equifax or TransUnion office,” with at least 2 pieces of ID |
Source: FCAC, Getting your credit report and credit score.
Your free credit score
The score is a separate product from the report. FCAC says you can get it online from the bureaus as follows:
- Equifax: “free in all provinces and territories.”
- TransUnion: “free if you live in Quebec or Ontario (as part of your Consumer Disclosure).”
FCAC adds: “You may also request a non-electronic credit score from Equifax for free (for example, by phone or by mail). If you live in Quebec or Ontario, you may also request it from TransUnion.” Credit bureaus “update your credit score at least once per month.”
Through your bank
“Some Federally Regulated Financial Institutions may also provide free credit scores through their banking app,” according to FCAC. Several large banks show a score in online banking for their customers; which bureau it comes from and how often it updates varies, so the app’s own description is the place to check.
Through free score apps
Free services such as Borrowell show a bureau score and report in exchange for showing you product offers. Borrowell, for example, gives “free access to your Equifax credit score and report, which we update every single week,” and explains its business model: “If you take one of our recommendations, that partner pays us a referral fee.” FCAC notes that “Other companies may also offer your credit score for free. Some may ask you to sign up for a paid service to get your score.”
Why the score you see can differ from a lender’s
A free score is usually one bureau’s own model. Borrowell’s disclaimer makes the point: “The Equifax credit score is based on Equifax’s proprietary model and may not be the same score used by third parties to determine your credit profile.” Your two bureau scores can also differ from each other, because not every lender reports to both bureaus and the reports update on different days. Equifax vs TransUnion explains the differences, and credit score ranges explains what your number means.
Checking safely
FCAC warns: “Fraudsters may pretend to offer free credit reports or credit scores to steal your personal and financial information.” Before giving a company your details, FCAC suggests researching it, reading its terms of use and privacy policy, checking how it stores and uses your information, and finding out “if they’ll sell your data to third parties.” A secure website address starts with “https”.
Checking your own score doesn’t count against you
When you look at your own report or score, the bureau records a soft inquiry, which only you can see and which doesn’t affect your score. A lender’s check when you apply for credit is a hard inquiry. Soft vs hard credit checks explains the difference and which checks are which.
What to look for on the report
The report lists your personal details, your accounts and their payment history, inquiries, and any collections, bankruptcies or court judgments. How to read your credit report explains each section and the rating codes. Things worth checking:
- accounts or inquiries you don’t recognize, which can be a sign of fraud;
- personal information that isn’t yours;
- payments marked late that were on time;
- debts shown as owing that were paid, or included in a bankruptcy or proposal.
If something is wrong, how to dispute a credit report error covers the process with each bureau, which is free.
Reading your credit report
A credit report is the record Equifax and TransUnion keep of your borrowing: the accounts you have, how you’ve paid them, who has checked your credit, and any collections, judgments, bankruptcies or consumer proposals. Lenders don’t always report to both bureaus, so the two reports can differ, and it’s worth reading both. This page explains what each section shows. It’s one of our credit score guides; how the score itself is worked out from the report is covered in how credit scores are calculated.
Both bureaus let you see your report online for free (Financial Consumer Agency of Canada); checking your credit score for free covers the online, mail, phone and in-person options.
The sections of a report
| Section | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Personal information | Name, date of birth, current and past addresses, sometimes employers |
| Accounts (trade lines) | Each credit card, loan, line of credit and mortgage, with its limit, balance and payment rating |
| Inquiries | Lenders and others who’ve checked your credit |
| Public records and collections | Judgments, bankruptcies, consumer proposals and debts sent to a collection agency |
| Consumer statement | A note you’ve asked the bureau to add, for example to explain a dispute |
Your credit score isn’t part of the report itself; it’s calculated from it.
Reading an account
Each account shows the lender, the date it was opened, the credit limit or original loan amount, the balance at the last update, the date of last activity, and a rating made of a letter and a number (Equifax):
| Letter | Account type |
|---|---|
| R | Revolving, such as a credit card |
| I | Instalment: a fixed number of payments, such as a car loan |
| O | Open account, due in full in 30 or 90 days |
| C | Line of credit |
| M | Mortgage |
| Number | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Too new to rate; approved but not used |
| 1 | Paid within 30 days of the due date, or not more than one payment past due |
| 2 | Paid 30 to 60 days late, or two payments past due |
| 3 | Paid 60 to 90 days late, or three payments past due |
| 4 | Paid 90 to 120 days late, or four payments past due |
| 5 | At least 120 days overdue, but not yet rated 9 |
| 7 | Making regular payments under a consolidation order or similar arrangement |
| 8 | Repossession |
| 9 | Bad debt, placed for collection, or moved without leaving a forwarding address |
So an R1 is a credit card paid on time, and an I9 is a loan written off or sent to collections. The balance and limit on revolving accounts are also what credit utilization is calculated from.
Inquiries
A hard inquiry is recorded when you apply for credit and a lender checks your report; it can lower your score. A soft inquiry, such as checking your own report, doesn’t affect your score and isn’t seen by lenders. Equifax keeps lender credit checks for 3 years and TransUnion for 6 years. See how long a hard inquiry stays.
How long negative items stay
Negative items drop off after set periods. Late or missed payments stay up to 6 years, judgments 6 years at Equifax (longer at TransUnion in some provinces), and a debt management plan 2 years after completion, according to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. Bankruptcies and consumer proposals have their own periods by bureau and province, set out in how long bankruptcy and consumer proposals stay on your report.
What to check for
- Accounts you don’t recognize, or addresses you’ve never lived at, which can be signs of identity theft.
- Late payments you made on time, or balances that are wrong.
- Debts included in a bankruptcy or consumer proposal still showing as owing.
- Negative items older than the periods above.
Errors are disputed with the bureau that shows them, and separately with the other bureau if both do; how to dispute a credit report error walks through it. If you suspect fraud, see fraud alerts and credit freezes.
Fixing errors on your report
An error on your credit report can cost more than it looks. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) notes that errors may make it harder to get credit cards or loans, lead to higher interest rates, or be a sign of identity theft or fraud. It also sets out your right to fix them: “You have the right to dispute any information on your credit report that you believe is wrong. Credit bureaus must correct errors for free.” (FCAC, checking your credit report for errors and fraud)
An unexplained fall in your score is often how an error first shows up (why a credit score drops covers the other causes). This guide, part of our credit score guides, walks through the process from finding the error to escalating a dispute that doesn’t go your way.
Step 1: Get your reports from both bureaus
Equifax and TransUnion keep separate files, so an error can sit on one report and not the other, or on both if the lender reports to both. Each bureau sends your report at no charge, online, by mail or by phone, and requesting your own copy is a soft inquiry with no effect on your score. The online and mail routes for each bureau are listed in how to check your credit score for free.
Read every section of both: personal information, each account (open and closed), the inquiries, and any public records or collections. How to read your credit report explains the layout and the payment codes.
Step 2: Identify the exact error
The FCAC’s checklist of what to look for:
- mistakes in your personal information, like a wrong address or date of birth
- errors in credit cards and loans
- incorrect payment history, such as a payment marked late that you made on time
- accounts you didn’t open, which might be a sign of identity theft
- negative information still showing after the maximum time it’s allowed to stay on your report
| Error type | What it looks like on the report |
|---|---|
| Account not yours | A lender name or account number you don’t recognize |
| Paid debt showing unpaid | A balance or “in collections” status after you paid in full |
| Wrong payment history | A late payment in a month you paid on time, which counts against you like a real missed payment |
| Wrong credit limit | A limit lower than your real one, which makes your credit utilization look higher |
| Duplicate account | The same debt listed twice |
| Outdated negative information | An item older than its retention period |
| Wrong personal information | An address, name spelling or date of birth that isn’t yours |
For the outdated-information check, late or unpaid credit cards and loans can stay for up to 6 years, and other items have their own periods; Equifax vs. TransUnion compares the retention periods at the two bureaus.
An account you don’t recognize can mean someone applied for credit in your name. In that case the FCAC also lists contacting the lender, asking both bureaus for a fraud alert, and reporting the fraud to the National Fraud Reporting System.
Step 3: Gather your documents
The FCAC’s advice is to “collect any receipts, statements and other documents that prove there’s a mistake.” Equifax’s dispute page gives examples of what it may ask for: two pieces of valid government-issued ID, a recent proof of address, a letter from the lender confirming the status and details of the account, release letters from lenders or collection agencies, and proof that an account was opened through identity theft (Equifax, dispute your credit report).
| Error type | Supporting documents |
|---|---|
| Paid debt showing unpaid | Bank record of the payment; the lender’s paid-in-full or settlement letter |
| Account not yours or opened by fraud | Your statement that it isn’t yours; a police report if fraud is suspected |
| Wrong payment history | Statements or bank records showing the payment date |
| Wrong credit limit | A statement or letter from the lender showing the actual limit |
| Duplicate account | Both entries marked to show they are the same debt |
| Outdated negative information | The date of the original late payment or default |
Step 4: File the dispute with each bureau
Each bureau has its own dispute form, and the FCAC’s instruction is to use those forms to report the error. A dispute filed with one bureau doesn’t change the other bureau’s file.
Equifax takes disputes online or by mail, free of charge. Online, it emails you a form to submit with your documents; it accepts at most three attached files, so several pages of documents can go in a single PDF. By mail, you print the form and send it with copies of your documents. Including the Equifax reference number from your report helps it find the item.
TransUnion has its own dispute form and instructions on its website; the FCAC’s page on errors links to both bureaus’ dispute instructions.
Sending copies rather than originals, and keeping a record of what you sent and when, gives you a paper trail if you need to escalate later.
Sample dispute letter
A letter or written explanation is most useful when it names the exact item and the exact correction.
[Your full name]
[Your address]
[City, province, postal code]
[Date]
[Equifax Canada / TransUnion Canada]
Consumer Relations
Re: Dispute of inaccurate information on my credit report
I am writing to dispute inaccurate information on my credit report.
My name is [full name] and my date of birth is [date of birth].
[Reference number from your report, if available]
DISPUTED ITEM
Lender: [lender name]
Account number: [last 4 digits]
What is wrong: [for example, "This account was paid in full on
[date]. The report still shows a balance of $[amount] in collections."]
Correction requested: [for example, "Update the status to paid with a
$0 balance and remove the collection notation."]
Enclosed: [list each document]
Please send me the results of your investigation and a copy of my
updated credit report.
[Signature]
[Printed name]
[Phone number and email]
A vague dispute (“this is wrong”) gives the bureau little to check. A specific one ties a named account to a named error and to the document that proves it.
Step 5: What happens during the investigation
The FCAC describes the process: the bureaus “will examine your claim with the lender or organization that reported the information. If they agree that there’s an error, the credit bureaus will correct the information.” Equifax says it processes disputes “in about 15-20 days for online submissions and 20-25 days for mailed submissions,” and sends a confirmation letter with the results, by email for an online dispute or by mail for a mailed one.
If the lender says its information is correct, the bureau keeps it on your report. In some provinces, the FCAC notes, credit bureaus must send a copy of your revised report to organizations that recently requested it.
Step 6: Contact the lender directly
Alongside the bureau dispute, you can go to the lender, card issuer or collection agency that reported the information. The FCAC says this “may be able to speed up the process”: you ask the lender to check its files and send the updated information to the credit bureaus. Equifax notes that a business handling a dispute directly will investigate, send you the results, and notify Equifax of any changes. A written confirmation from the lender that it has corrected its reporting is useful evidence if the bureau file doesn’t change.
Step 7: If your dispute is rejected
Escalate within the bureau or lender
The FCAC’s first step is to ask to speak with someone at a higher level. If the lender is a federally regulated financial institution, it must have a complaint procedure that includes access to an external complaints body; the FCAC explains how to file a complaint with your bank.
Add a consumer statement
You can add a short statement to your credit report explaining your side. The FCAC says it’s free, and that “The credit bureaus set the number of words allowed in your statement. This may vary depending on your province.” Equifax’s limit is 800 characters, sent to it in writing with your identification. Lenders reviewing your report may consider the statement; it doesn’t remove the item.
A factual statement is the most useful kind, for example: “Account ending [1234] with [lender] was paid in full on [date]. I have proof of payment and dispute the balance shown.”
Complain about the bureau
“The Federal government doesn’t regulate credit bureaus,” the FCAC notes. A complaint about how Equifax or TransUnion handled a dispute starts with the bureau itself and then goes to your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office.
Accurate information can’t be disputed away
A dispute fixes information that is wrong. If a late payment really happened, the bureau keeps it when the lender confirms it, and it comes off only when its retention period ends. Late or unpaid credit cards and loans stay for up to 6 years; how long bankruptcy stays on your credit covers insolvency records. How much a successful correction lifts your score depends on the item removed and on the rest of your file; what hurts your credit score explains which items weigh most.
Paying someone to repair your credit
Every step above is free, and the bureaus’ dispute systems are built for consumers to use directly. A company that charges to “repair” credit uses the same dispute process. Since accurate information stays until its retention period ends, a promise to remove accurate negative items, or to guarantee a particular score, is one that no one can keep, and a suggestion to apply for credit under a different identity number is identity fraud.
When it’s worth checking
- Before a big application such as a mortgage or car loan, so there’s time to fix an error first. Improving your score before a mortgage covers the run-up.
- After a score drop you can’t explain; why did my credit score drop lists the usual causes.
- When you’re building or rebuilding, to confirm new accounts are reporting to both bureaus (building credit from scratch).
- After a data breach or lost ID, to catch fraud early.
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on September 25, 2026. How we check facts.
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: How long information stays on your credit report