The main three UK Credit Reference Agencies are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. They report both public and credit-related information about individuals, from a variety of sources. This information (known as your Credit Report) will be provided to prospective lenders, landlords and employers upon request to help them verify your identity and, in the case of lending, determine your creditworthiness and likelihood of defaulting on payments.

As the Credit Reference Agencies are separate organisations, they record and update information independently from one another. As such, your information at each agency will likely be different, meaning you have separate Credit Reports – one from each agency.

How do I see the information that the Credit Reference Agencies hold about me?

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The three main Credit Reference Agencies’ addresses are listed below:

TransUnion Limited (formerly Callcredit), Consumer Services Team, PO Box 491, Leeds LS3 1WZ

Equifax Limited, Customer Service Centre, PO Box 10036, Leicester, LE3 4FS

Experian Limited, Customer Support Centre, PO Box 8000, Nottingham, NG80 7WF

Where do the Credit Reference Agencies get their information?

Credit Reference Agencies get their information from numerous sources, including payment data from lenders and publicly available information, such as the Electoral Roll and court records, from local councils and the Registry Trust. This information collectively makes up your Credit Report.

When you consent to a credit check, your Credit Report data is then shared with the lender using the principles of reciprocity, which encourages the responsible use of data to prevent identity theft, fraud and money laundering while reducing the likelihood of lenders losing money as a result of defaulted payments.

What information do they hold?

The information held by Credit Reference Agencies covers a wide range of details that can help establish your identity and the health of your credit history. This includes (but is not limited to) your name, any loans or credit accounts in your name, Financial Associations, defaults, Electoral Roll listing and judgments against your name.

Can anyone else can see my information?

No. Unless they have your permission to do so, no one can access the information found on your Credit Report.