What errors might be on your credit file, and how do you fix them?
Your credit report is a record of how you have managed borrowing and financial commitments over time. It is held by credit reference agencies (CRAs) and shared with lenders when you apply for credit. This guide focuses on identifying what your file contains and taking action when something is wrong.
A typical UK credit report includes:
- Your personal details: name, date of birth, current and previous addresses.
- Electoral roll registration: lenders use this to confirm your identity and address.
- Credit accounts: credit cards, loans, mortgages, overdrafts, and some utility or mobile phone contracts. Each account shows balances, limits, and payment history.
- Payment history: whether you paid on time, made partial payments, or missed payments entirely.
- Defaults and county court judgments (CCJs): these stay on your file for six years from the date they were recorded, as set out under the rules applied by all three UK CRAs and confirmed by Experian's public guidance.
- Credit searches: a record of every time a lender or other organisation has looked at your file.
- Financial associations: if you have a joint account or joint mortgage, your file may be linked to that person's credit history. If the relationship has ended and you no longer share finances, you can apply to each CRA for a financial disassociation, which removes the link. Citizens Advice and the ICO both explain how this process works.
Note that utility accounts (gas, electricity, water) do not always appear on credit files because not all utility providers are members of the credit account information sharing schemes used by the CRAs. Some Open Banking-based data enrichment services and schemes such as the Rental Exchange (which reports rental payments to Experian and Equifax) do allow certain non-credit payments to be reflected on a file, so it is worth checking whether your provider participates.
Why does it matter which agency a lender uses?
There are three main credit reference agencies in the UK: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Each holds a separate file on you. Not every lender reports to all three.
That means your credit history can look slightly different depending on which agency a lender checks. An account that appears on your Experian file may not appear on your TransUnion file at all. This happens partly because lender membership of data-sharing arrangements, such as CAIS (Credit Account Information Sharing), is voluntary and varies by institution, as Experian's CAIS documentation confirms. A lender that only subscribes to one CRA's CAIS scheme will only report account data there, which is why the same account can be invisible on a rival agency's file.
It is worth checking your report at all three agencies. Under UK law you are entitled to a free statutory credit report from each CRA at any time, a right confirmed by Citizens Advice.
If you want to find out which CRA a specific lender uses before applying, a useful first step is to check the lender's FAQ page or the small print on any eligibility checker they offer. The MoneySavingExpert credit club and eligibility tools often indicate which agency is searched, and it can help to compare this information across a few sources before submitting a full application.
What is the difference between a soft search and a hard search?
This is one of the most important things to understand before applying for credit.
A soft search leaves a mark on your file that only you can see. Lenders cannot see it. It does not affect your credit score. Soft searches are used for eligibility checks, pre-approval quotes, and some background checks by existing lenders.
A hard search is recorded on your file and is visible to other lenders for 12 months, as noted in Experian's guidance on credit searches. Multiple hard searches in a short period can signal to lenders that you are actively seeking credit, which some may treat as a risk indicator. One exception worth knowing: if you are rate-shopping for a mortgage or secured loan, some CRAs may recognise a cluster of similar searches made within a short window as a single event rather than multiple applications. However, each CRA's treatment of rate-shopping clusters can differ, and the specific rules may change. It is worth checking directly with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion for their current positions, and confirming with each lender before applying.
If you are comparing loans or credit cards, using an eligibility checker that runs a soft search is a safer way to see your likely options before you commit to a full application. MoneyHelper and Citizens Advice both explain this distinction clearly.
Why it matters if your file has errors, and what to do about them
Errors on a credit file are more common than many people expect. According to a 2022 investigation by Which?, around one in three people who check their report find at least one mistake. An incorrect address, a missed account closure, or a financial association with someone you no longer share finances with can all affect how a lender views your application.
A worked example: suppose a default from a joint account with a former partner is still showing as active on your TransUnion file, even though the account was settled three years ago. That entry could suppress your score at any lender who checks TransUnion, even if your Experian and Equifax files are clean.
If you spot something wrong, here are the practical steps:
Three-step dispute process at a glance 1. Raise a dispute with the relevant CRA using its online portal. 2. If unresolved, add a Notice of Correction (up to 200 words) to the entry. 3. If still unresolved, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge.
- Raise a dispute directly with the CRA. Each agency has an online dispute portal: Experian's Dispute Centre, Equifax's dispute form, and TransUnion's dispute service. Under data protection law, the CRA is required to investigate and respond within 28 days of receiving your request, as set out in ICO guidance on your right to rectification.
- Add a Notice of Correction. If a dispute is not resolved to your satisfaction, you can ask the CRA to add a Notice of Correction, a short statement (up to 200 words) that appears alongside the entry and explains your version of events. Lenders who see the entry must read the notice before making a decision. The ICO guidance on Notices of Correction sets out your rights and the process in more detail.
- Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service. If the CRA does not resolve the complaint, you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge.
This article focuses specifically on what your credit file contains and how to act on errors within it. For a broader explanation of how credit scores are calculated and what may influence them over time, see our companion guide linked below.
If you are dealing with problem debt alongside credit file concerns, free and impartial help is available from StepChange and Citizens Advice.
What to read next
For a full explanation of how credit reports work, how scores are calculated, and what steps may help improve your position over time, read our guide:
- Credit reports and scores: covers how scores are calculated and what factors influence them over time, complementing the file-level detail in this article.
- Bad credit loans: what are your options?: if you have already reviewed your file and are considering borrowing, this guide explains the types of products typically available.
Sources
- MoneyHelper, guidance on checking your credit report and understanding credit scores.
- Citizens Advice, guidance on soft searches, hard searches, and disputing credit file errors.
- Experian, information on what is included in a UK credit report, the six-year retention period, hard search visibility, rate-shopping clustering, and CAIS membership.
- Equifax, information on credit file data and how it is used.
- TransUnion, information on credit data held in the UK.
- Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), guidance on the 28-day dispute response timeframe, the Notice of Correction process, and consumer rights under data protection law.
- StepChange, free debt advice and support for people dealing with problem debt.
- Which?, 2022 investigation into credit report errors.