How To Freeze & Unfreeze Your Credit
Before applying for a new credit card, you’ll likely need to unfreeze your credit with all three major bureaus. Don’t worry—it’s free and only takes a few minutes when you know where to go!
🔐 What You Need to Know:
You must unfreeze all 3 credit bureaus before applying to avoid getting rejected.
Freezing and unfreezing your credit is always free—don’t fall for upsells like “credit locks” or “identity monitoring.”
Most bureaus let you set a start and end date for temporary unfreezing.
| Credit Bureau | Online Steps | Phone Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experian |
• Login • Set up username & password • After login, paste: experian.com/security-freeze |
855-246-9409 888-397-3742 |
• Called a “Security Freeze” • Ignore upsells like “Credit Lock,” “Monitoring,” etc. • 100% Free |
| Equifax |
• Login • Set up username & password • Click “Freeze” → “Manage Freeze” • Select “Temporarily lift” and set dates |
888-836-6351 888-298-0045 |
• Allows 6 free credit reports/year |
| TransUnion |
• Login • Set up username & password • Click “Credit Freeze” (top left) |
833-395-6938 |
• Called a “Credit Freeze” • Online preferred — phone system unreliable |