How Much Does It Cost to Check Your Credit File?
Before you apply for a mortgage, loan or credit card, it is sensible to look at what lenders will see. Adverts for credit monitoring can make this sound like something you must pay for. It is not. The core information on your credit file is free to view, and paid services sit on top of it.
The Short Answer: Your Credit File Can Be Checked for Free
Credit reference agencies are companies that collect credit histories on behalf of lenders. The three main ones in the UK are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and each must let you see the information it holds about you. The statutory credit report, the basic record of your credit history that lenders use, once carried a £2 fee under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. The main agencies now provide it without charge. Experian also offers a free account with your score and report on its app, and Equifax offers a free Basic account that includes its statutory report. The true cost of checking your file is a few minutes of your time.
The Statutory Credit Report: What Each Agency Gives You
A statutory credit report shows what the agency holds about you, which is the information lenders use when assessing applications. It does not include a credit score. The process differs slightly by agency:
- Experian: apply online or by post. The report usually takes up to 7 working days to arrive, and if you choose the online option a passkey is posted to you within 5 working days. Give all your addresses from the past 6 years so you see everything a lender would.
- Equifax: register for its free Basic account to view the report online, or request a paper copy, which is posted within a calendar month at the longest.
- TransUnion: handles requests through its own process, so check its website for the current details.
Because each agency keeps its own data, it is worth looking at all three.
What Paid Credit Score Subscriptions Charge
The paid market is straightforward to price up:
| Service | Free option | Price after the free period |
|---|---|---|
| Experian free account | Score and report on the app | Nothing |
| Experian CreditExpert | 30-day trial, new customers only | £14.99 a month |
| Equifax Basic account | Statutory report online, alerts once a month | Nothing |
| Equifax Identity Watch | 30 days free | £7.95 a month |
| Equifax Credit Report & Score | 30 days free | £14.95 a month |
| Equifax Family & Friends Plan | 30 days free | £22.95 a month |
Over a year, those paid prices come to roughly £95, £180 and £275 respectively, against nothing for the free accounts. Each paid plan starts with a 30-day trial and Equifax lets you cancel at any time. Experian notes that identity verification can take up to 5 days, which shortens the trial window.
Watch out
Free trials roll automatically into monthly billing once they end. Set a calendar reminder a few days before the 30 days are up if you only want the free period.
What Paid Services Add Beyond the Free Report
The statutory report is data only. Subscriptions, and to a lesser extent the free accounts, add:
- A credit score, a number that summarises how an agency views your creditworthiness.
- Alerts when your file changes. Equifax sends these up to once a day on paid plans, against once a month on its free Basic account.
- Access to historical reports, so you can see how your file has changed over time.
- Identity monitoring and extras, including a digital 12 month tastecard for the main subscriber on Equifax paid plans.
- Human help, such as UK call support for questions about your report and score.
Some subscriptions bundle comparison services for loans and cards; Experian acts as a credit broker rather than a lender there and does not cover the whole market.
One reassurance applies at every price: viewing your own file is a soft search, meaning it is not visible to companies, and you can do it as often as you like with no impact on your score.
When Paying Might Make Sense, and When It Will Not
Paying can earn its keep in a few situations: you want near-daily alerts after a fraud scare, you are making several credit applications in a short space of time and want to track changes closely, or you value being able to phone someone. What it will not do is improve your score on its own. Scores move when the underlying information changes, for example as missed payments age or errors are corrected, not because someone is watching them.
If you are preparing for a mortgage, the free report does the same job as a paid one: read it, correct anything wrong and hold off on new applications.
How Often to Check Without Spending a Penny
Look before any significant application, and periodically otherwise. Timing matters because negative records last: missed or late payments, bankruptcies, individual voluntary arrangements and court judgments stay on your report for at least six years, so spotting a mistake early leaves more time to put it right. As you read, check:
- Your personal details and address history.
- Each account listed, and whether payment records are accurate.
- Financial connections, such as a joint mortgage or bank account, since a linked person’s history can be taken into account when you apply.
If you find a genuine payment problem on your file, our guide to missing a personal loan payment explains arrears, defaults and your rights. Whether certain household accounts appear at all is a separate question; see do utility bills affect your credit file.
- Representative APR Explained: Why Your Loan Rate Might Be Different: useful once your file is tidy, since the rate you are offered can differ from the advertised one.
- Mortgage Agreement in Principle: What It Tells You and What It Doesn’t: where your credit file fits when you start house hunting.
- How Lenders Work Out How Much You Can Borrow for a Mortgage: what lenders weigh beyond the file itself.
What to know
- Each of the three main credit reference agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, lets you check your file for free, so paid subscriptions are optional extras rather than a necessity.
- Paid plans cost £7.95 to £22.95 a month at Equifax and £14.99 a month at Experian after 30-day free trials, adding up to roughly £95 to £275 a year.
- Checking your own credit file is a soft search, is invisible to companies and can be done as often as you like with no effect on your score.
- Paid extras include a credit score, alerts up to once a day, historical reports and phone support; none of them improve your score by themselves.
- Check your file before any major application, since negative records such as missed payments stay on it for at least six years.
Your questions
Does checking my own credit file affect my score?
No. Looking at your own information is a soft search that is not visible to companies, and the agencies confirm you can do it as often as you like.
Do I have to pay to see my credit score?
No. Experian shows a free score and report through its app, and Equifax offers a free score through its app alongside its free Basic account.
What happens if I forget to cancel a free trial?
The trial rolls into the monthly subscription automatically. Equifax charges £7.95 to £22.95 a month depending on the plan and Experian charges £14.99, though you can cancel at any time.
Will paying for a subscription improve my credit score?
Not directly. Your score changes when the information on your file changes, such as missed payments ageing off or errors being corrected, not because you are watching it.
This guide explains how UK borrowing works in general terms and isn’t financial advice. Rates, rules and lender criteria change, so check the details with the lender, GOV.UK or the Financial Conduct Authority before you decide. For advice on your own circumstances, speak to an FCA-authorised mortgage or financial adviser. If you borrow against your home, it may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments.
