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Check your own credit record

You can get your credit report for free. If your information is wrong, you can get your record corrected.

Request your credit report

There are 3 credit reporting agencies in New Zealand: Centrix, Equifax and illion. You can get a free credit report from any of these 3 agencies.

Each agency has their own process and timeframe — check the timeframes before choosing which agency to apply with.

Note: You can pay a fee if you want to get the report faster.

Choose the credit reporting agency from the links below:

  • Centrix — scroll down their website to the ‘Apply for your personal credit report’ section
  • Equifax — scroll down on their website to the products section and select ‘Get my report in 10 business days’
  • illion — on their website select ‘Get started’.

How credit reports and scores work — sorted.org.nz

Check your credit report

Check that the information on your credit record is correct. Look for things you did not request or did not give permission for. 

If you’re concerned about someone accessing your credit record fraudulently, you can put a freeze on your record — see Freeze your credit record.

Credit accounts that you never applied for

A credit account is where an organisation gives you credit that you then have to make payments for. For example: loans, credit cards, power bill accounts, buy now pay later loans.

Check that all the credit accounts on your record are things you applied for. If you do not recognise an organisation’s name, check your records or search the name to see if they have another name you do not know.

Missed payments you did not know about

Check if any accounts have missed payments reported as this can affect your credit score. A missed payment is when you do not pay an organisation as agreed. For example: you missed 1 or more payments on your credit accounts.

If you think the information is wrong, contact the credit provider and discuss. They will investigate and if the information is wrong they must correct the data.

Defaults you did not know about

Check that any listed credit details are correct. Credit defaults occur when you miss several payments with a credit provider and the account has been referred to a debt collection agency.

Credit defaults can impact your credit score. If the information is wrong you should contact the organisation listed with the credit default. They will investigate and if the information is wrong, they must correct the data.

Credit enquiries you never approved

When you apply for credit accounts (for example: loans, credit cards, power bill accounts) organisations usually ask your permission to access your credit report (do a credit check).

Check that the only enquiries on your credit report are ones you have given permission for.

The report is not correct

If you believe there is something wrong on your credit report, contact the credit reporting agency to query it and have it corrected — see Get your credit record corrected.

Get your credit record corrected

You need to contact each of the 3 credit reporting agencies and ask them to correct your information — each company has their own procedure for doing this.

  • Centrix — Contact them directly to query your record
  • Equifax — Go through their credit disputes process
  • illion — Log in to query your record

If any of your personal information is wrong, for example your address, you can ask them to update that as well.

Your rights when requesting a correction

The Privacy Commissioner’s website explains your rights when correcting your information.

How do I correct my credit report? — Te Mana Mātāpono Matatapu Privacy Commissioner

Freeze your credit record

If your information may have been stolen, you can request to freeze your credit record — this is called a ‘Credit file suppression’. This means your credit record cannot be accessed and makes it harder for someone to get credit under your name.

You need to request the ‘freeze’ with each credit reporting agency. You can apply to one agency and choose to have that agency pass on your suppression request to the other 2 agencies instead of you contacting all 3 separately.

Request a credit file suppression (freeze):

If you need to apply for credit

During the freeze, the credit reporting agency cannot release your credit record to anyone.

If you need to get your record, you can ask the credit reporting agency to release the information.

The request must:

  • be in writing
  • name the organisation you want the credit record released to. 

The credit reporting agency will then release the information to that organisation.

More help for victims of scams and identity theft

If you believe your information may have been stolen or released without your agreement, there is help available.

Who to contact for more help

If you need more help or have questions about the information or services on this page, contact the following agency.

Utility links and page information

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