A credit freeze blocks most lenders from pulling your credit report, so it's hard for anyone to open new credit in your name. It's free by law. Credit monitoring doesn't block anything; it alerts you when something changes on your report. A freeze prevents, monitoring detects, and many people use both.
The difference at a glance
| Credit freeze | Fraud alert | Credit monitoring | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Blocks most new creditors from seeing your report | Tells lenders to verify your identity before opening credit | Alerts you to changes on your report |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free or paid, depending on the service |
| Where to set it up | Each bureau separately: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion | Any one bureau, which tells the other two | A bureau, bank, card issuer or monitoring company |
| How long it lasts | Until you lift it | One year, or seven years with an identity theft report | As long as you're enrolled |
| Affects your score? | No | No | No |
How to freeze your credit
- Freeze at all three bureaus. A freeze at one doesn't apply to the others.
- Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
- Experian: experian.com/freeze
- TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-freeze
- Create an account or PIN at each one, and store it somewhere safe.
- When you apply for credit, lift the freeze first. Online or by phone, the bureau has to lift it within one hour. You can lift it for a set time or for one lender.
You can also freeze credit for a child under 16, and for someone you're a guardian for.
What a freeze doesn't do
- It doesn't stop charges on accounts you already have. Watch your statements.
- It doesn't block every check. Your current creditors, debt collectors and government agencies can still see your report in some cases.
- It doesn't stop other kinds of identity theft, like tax refund fraud or medical identity theft.
Freeze vs. lock
A "credit lock" is a product some bureaus offer through their own apps. It works much like a freeze, but its terms come from the company's agreement rather than federal law, and some locks come with a paid plan. A freeze is free and its protections are set by law.
When monitoring helps
Monitoring tells you after something happens: a new account, a hard inquiry, an address change or a new late payment. That matters because a freeze doesn't cover your existing accounts. Paid services may add alerts from all three bureaus, identity restoration help and insurance for some costs.
Before you pay, check what's free. You can get your credit reports free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com, and many banks and card issuers include basic monitoring.
If your information was in a data breach
- Freeze your credit at all three bureaus.
- Change passwords on any affected accounts, and turn on two-step sign-in.
- Check your reports and statements for anything you don't recognize.
- If someone used your information, report it at IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.