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Home › Pay › Common problems › Credit score and credit report services
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Credit score and credit report services

Many websites offer credit reports, scores or monitoring for a monthly fee, often after a free trial. Yet federal law gives you free credit freezes, and the three national credit bureaus offer free weekly credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. This page explains what is free, what you might pay for, and how to cancel.

Common problems to watch for

  • A 'free score' sign-up that starts a paid monitoring trial
  • Look-alike sites that resemble the official free credit report site
  • Paid 'locks' marketed as better than the free credit freeze
  • Fear-based ads about identity theft to sell monitoring plans
  • Cancel options available only by phone or hard to find online

Had one of these happen? Telling others what you were charged helps them avoid it.

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Free and low-cost alternatives

AnnualCreditReport.comThe official site, authorized by federal law, for free credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Free reports are available weekly.
Free credit freezeFederal law lets you freeze and unfreeze your credit for free at each of the three national credit bureaus.
IdentityTheft.govThe FTC's free site helps you report identity theft and get a step-by-step recovery plan.
Your bank or cardMany banks and credit card companies show a credit score free to their customers. Check your online account.

Availability depends on your device and model. AblePro has no relationship with any company named here.

What fair pricing looks like

Credit reports and credit freezes are free, so paying monthly for them alone rarely makes sense. If a paid service offers extras, compare them against what you can do yourself for free before paying.

Before you pay

  • Get your free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com first.
  • Decide if a free credit freeze meets your needs.
  • Check if your bank or card already shows your score.
  • Read when a free trial converts to paid.
  • Confirm how to cancel online before signing up.

How to cancel

  1. Sign in to the service and look for membership, billing or subscription settings.
  2. If online cancel is not offered, contact the company in writing and keep a record.
  3. Cancel before any free trial ends to avoid the first charge.
  4. Your credit freezes stay in place even if you cancel a paid monitoring service.

Step-by-step cancel guide for iPhone, Android and PayPal →

Common questions

How often can I check my credit report for free?

The three national credit bureaus offer free credit reports every week through AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site. Checking your own report does not hurt your credit score. Look for accounts you do not recognize and dispute errors with the bureau that reported them.

Is a credit freeze better than paid monitoring?

They do different things. A freeze blocks most new lenders from seeing your report, which helps stop new accounts in your name. Monitoring only alerts you after something happens. Freezes are free by law at each bureau, and you can lift them when you apply for credit.

Is my credit score included in the free report?

Free credit reports show your accounts and history, but usually not a score. Many banks and credit card companies show a free score to customers. There are several scoring models, so numbers can differ between sources. Paying for one specific score is usually not necessary.

General consumer information, not legal or financial advice. Reports reflect the experiences and opinions of their writers, not AblePro, Inc. We check reports against our posting rules but do not verify them.