Canadian Credit Report Online

You have access to the information that lenders see about you, therefore a Canadian Credit Report is available by personal request (which is free) or directly online (requires a fee).

The process you must follow in Canada to obtain free credit reports remotely is to download a credit report request form online, then send it to the reporting agency directly.

Alternately you can call either of the the two largest Canadian credit reporting agencies to request an application be sent to you by mail. Once you have mailed in the application, the credit reporting agency will then mail your report to you. It is recommended that you get your report from both agencies to ensure accuracy.

• Equifax Canada Inc. 1 800 465 7166 or
• Trans Union of Canada 1 800 663 9980

You can also obtain a copy of your credit report, credit score and score analysis online in Canada ...but for a fee.

Equifax Canada (www.econsumer.equifax.ca) can provide your with online, real-time access to your credit information. You must provide personal information during the order process so that Equifax can verify your identity. Once the verification is complete your credit report will be immediately delivered electronically. The information collected online may be used later to provide relevant notifications and special information to you.

Note: Sometimes different words used that refer to the same thing which can be confusing. The terms "credit file", "credit report", "consumer credit report", "consumer credit file", or "credit profile" are used interchangeably and generally refer to the information that is contained in an individual's credit file. Very simply the term "credit file" refers to the active file in the reporting agency's database, and "credit report" refers to the copy of that file provided to you.

To properly read your report, you should make yourself  familiar with the North American Standard Account Ratings system ('R' Ratings) to clearly understand the information contained in your personal credit information.

General overview of the sections of a consumer credit report:

• Personal Identification
Key identification information: your name, address, birth date and Social Insurance Number (SIN). Providing your SIN number is optional and voluntary in Canada.

• Inquiries
Individuals or organizations who have requested your credit information over the past three years.

• Public Record Information
Details about secured loans, bankruptcies and / or judgments against you.

• Third-Party Collection Agency
Details of dealings with any collection agencies trying to settle a debt.

• Trade Information
Your credit transactions and whether or not payments are being made. Each of these "trade" items is evaluated by the credit grantor, not the reporting agency. The evaluations are based on 'R' Ratings from 'R0' to 'R9'

• Consumer Statement
This is where you can add a brief comment about any information in your file. For example, if you have an R9 rating, you may want to explain that you suffered a setback due to illness, temporary unemployment or other extenuating circumstances.

Please Note:

You do not need to pay a third party to obtain, discuss, review or make changes to your credit report. You have the right in Canada to access your personal credit information and to make changes to your file if there is an inaccuracy or if you want to include a mitigating comment.

It is impossible for any third party to make changes in your file if the facts are correct. Some individuals and companies claim they can "fix" bad credit files for a fee, but this is simply not correct. If your file includes accurate, negative information about you, that information cannot be changed. Your credit file information can only be changed when an inaccuracy has been recorded in it for some reason.

For more information on credit reports generally, or to choose from a variety of related products and services, choose from the following:

Reports | Monitoring | Scores | 3-in-1 | Debt Help