Requesting your credit file

How do I request a copy of my credit report / file?

A history of all information on file at a credit reporting agency about a particular individual or business. By law, consumers are entitled to receive one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, but may request and pay for as many as they choose. Requesting one's own credit report does not decrease the score. You may obtain a copy of your report by using the following methods.

Various Methods

Although there are many ways to order your credit report, such as by phone, fax or e-mail, the easiest and safest methods are by mail or by Internet.

Here is a summary of those methods to request your credit report and their respective characteristics:

Methods	Advantages	Disadvantages
Mail	Free of charge	Credit score is not provided Can take some time to receive
Internet	Almost instant report Option to get credit score	Fee charged

By mail — free of charge

If you make your request in writing and send it by mail, the credit-reporting agencies will provide you, by mail, with a free copy of your report. It is important, however, that in your request you include a copy of two pieces of I.D. Contact the credit-reporting agencies to find out which pieces of I.D. are acceptable. You will find the coordinates for each agency below.

Online — some fees apply

You can also order your credit report through the reporting agencies' websites. This method is faster since you will receive your credit report online only a few minutes after you made the request. However, credit-reporting agencies charge a fee for providing you with an online copy of your credit report.

Equifax Canada: Consumers may obtain a copy of their credit report, plus credit score, and a score analysis on-line in Canada, for a fee. They provide consumers on-line, real-time access to their credit information. Consumers provide personal information during the order process for their credit information so that their identity can be verified.
TransUnion: Consumers are asked to provide information that confirms their identity, plus valid credit card payment information, when applicable. Following a confirmation of their information, consumers may view their TransUnion Personal Credit Report & Score online. Ordering online is available to current or former residents of Canada. Fees may vary by province

Credit Report Samples — what do they look like?

If you want to know what a credit report looks like and what it contains, you can visit the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada's publication entitled Understanding Your Credit Report and Credit Score for detailed information.

Coordinates for each credit reporting agency

Here are Canada's two major credit-reporting agencies:

Equifax Canada
Tel: 1-800-465-7166
Fax: 514-355-8502

TransUnion Canada
Tel: 1-866-525-0262 (except in Quebec)
Tel: 1-877-713-3393 (Quebec residents)
Fax: 905-527-0401

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