Equifax, Experian and TransUnion: the three credit bureaus explained

What is a credit bureau?

A company that collects information on how you borrow and repay and sells it as credit reports. The CFPB also calls them credit reporting companies.

Credit bureau, credit reporting company, consumer reporting agency: the CFPB uses all three names for the same kind of business ^[1]. They gather information from thousands of lenders, from public records such as bankruptcies, and from collection agencies ^[1]. Typical entries include loan amounts, credit limits, balances, whether you paid on time, accounts sent to collection and late payments ^[1].

The Fair Credit Reporting Act sets the rules. Among them, a bureau can only give your report to someone with a permissible purpose listed in the law ^[1]. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are the three nationwide bureaus ^[5].

Why are my credit reports different at each bureau?

Lenders aren't required to report to every bureau. Some report to one or two, some to none, so each bureau can hold different accounts.

The CFPB says creditors aren't required to report to every credit reporting company ^[2], and Equifax says some report to only two bureaus, one, or none at all ^[4]. The FTC puts it another way: each bureau may get its information from different sources, so one report may not match the other two ^[3]. NerdWallet's guide to the bureaus says the same ^[19].

Equifax suggests asking your creditors which bureaus they report to ^[4]. Because the data differs, scores built from each report can differ too; how credit scores work covers the scoring side.

How do I contact Equifax, Experian and TransUnion?

By phone or through each bureau's website. Equifax is (888) 378-4329, Experian (888) 397-3742 and TransUnion (800) 916-8800, per the CFPB.

Those are the direct numbers on the CFPB's company list ^[6][7][8]. For Spanish, choose option 8 at Equifax and option 2 at TransUnion ^[6][8]. The table further down links each bureau's dispute, freeze and fraud alert pages.

To order your free reports, skip the bureaus' own numbers. The FTC says to use AnnualCreditReport.com or (877) 322-8228 instead of contacting the bureaus individually ^[3].

How do I dispute something with one bureau?

Online through that bureau's dispute page, or by phone or mail. It's free, and the bureau generally has 30 days to investigate.

Equifax disputes run through a free myEquifax account, and Equifax says you'll get results within 30 days ^[9]. Experian takes free online disputes ^[12]. TransUnion takes them online, by phone or by mail, and says they're free ^[15]. If an error shows up at more than one bureau, dispute it with each one. The full process, deadlines and mailing addresses are in how to dispute a credit report error.

Do I have to contact all three bureaus to freeze my credit or add a fraud alert?

For a freeze, yes: each bureau freezes only its own report. For a fraud alert, no: the bureau you contact tells the other two.

A freeze at Equifax doesn't touch your Experian or TransUnion reports; Equifax says you contact those bureaus directly ^[10]. Experian and TransUnion both say their freezes are free ^[13][16].

A fraud alert is easier. Contact any one bureau and it passes the request to the other two ^[11][14][17]. An initial alert lasts one year. An extended alert lasts seven years and needs an identity theft report, such as one filed with the police or the FTC ^[11][14]. Taking one off is not automatic, though. Experian says you have to remove an alert at each bureau yourself ^[14].

Are there other credit bureaus besides the big three?

Yes. Specialty reporting companies keep files on things like rentals, bank accounts, jobs and insurance claims, and the CFPB keeps a list of them.

The CFPB says specialty companies collect your employment history, your transaction history with a business, or your repayment history for a specific product or service ^[18]. Their reports can draw on bank account use including bounced checks, rental history including evictions, insurance claims, employment, and medical records or payments ^[18]. You might not know a file exists until you're turned down for a job, lease, insurance or checking account ^[18].

The CFPB's list groups them like this ^[5]:

• Employment screening
• Tenant screening
• Deposit account and payments screening
• Personal property insurance
• Medical
• Low-income and subprime
• Supplementary reports
• Telecom and utilities
• Retail
• Gaming and sports betting

The CFPB says the list is current as of January 2025, is built from the companies' own descriptions and doesn't cover every company ^[5]. You request each specialty report separately. Most companies on the list give one free every 12 months, and others may charge ^[20].

How do I get my reports from all three bureaus for free?

At AnnualCreditReport.com, by phone at (877) 322-8228, or by mail. Online, you can check each bureau's report free once a week.

The bureaus made weekly free reports permanent, the FTC says, and federal law separately entitles you to one free report from each every 12 months ^[3]. Checking your own report doesn't hurt your score ^[21]. Our AnnualCreditReport.com guide walks through the online, phone and mail options and the look-alike sites to avoid.