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How to Unfreeze Your Credit

Last Updated: December 10, 2024

5 min read

Table of contents

Key Points:

A credit freeze restricts who can access your credit report.
You may need to unfreeze your credit to apply for new credit.
It is free to freeze and unfreeze your credit report.

If you’re concerned about fraud or identity theft, a credit freeze can prevent someone from accessing your credit report. However, if you want to apply for a new credit card or a loan, a creditor will need access to your credit report to see if you qualify. To permit a credit check, you will have to unfreeze your credit report if you previously placed a credit freeze on your credit file.

But why and how do you do a credit freeze (or unfreeze)?

Is freezing a credit report the same as freezing a credit card?

Freezing your credit report and freezing a credit card are not the same thing. A credit report freeze, or credit freeze, prevents access to your credit report and against someone opening new credit accounts in your name, while a credit card freeze prevents most new transactions on a card.

You may want to freeze your credit report if an identity thief uses your social security number to open a new account or if a data breach exposes your information. Alternately, you can do a credit card freeze if you lose a specific credit card.

What is a credit freeze?

A credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, restricts who can access your credit report. When you freeze your credit, it prevents you and others from opening a new credit account for as long as the freeze is in place. The purpose is to prevent any new credit accounts from being opened fraudulently in your name. You may decide to do a credit freeze if you’ve experienced credit card fraud or identity theft.

Anyone can freeze their credit report. To place a credit freeze, you need to contact each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax^®, Experian^®, and TransUnion^®. Freezing your credit is free, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and will not hurt your credit score.

If someone uses your personal information, like your social security number, to open a new credit account or take out a personal loan, your credit scores may go down temporarily. However, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each credit reporting agency to remove inaccurate information from your credit file that resulted from credit fraud.

What is a credit card freeze?

If you misplace your credit card and you want to look for it before canceling, your credit card issuer may allow you to use a credit card freeze. For instance, if you think you left your credit card at the grocery store, you may be able to freeze your account until you have a chance to find it.

Did you know?

A freeze prevents anyone from using your credit card without having to report it as lost or stolen. With Discover, you can freeze your account in seconds with an on/off switch either on the mobile app or website to prevent new purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers.¹

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There is no cost associated with freezing your credit card, and as soon as you find your credit card, you can unfreeze it.

When to unfreeze your credit report

A credit freeze typically lasts until you unfreeze your account. If you want to apply for a new loan or credit card, you will need to unfreeze your credit. A frozen credit report won't allow the lender to review your credit history and determine if you qualify for a new account. When you want to unfreeze your credit report, you have two options.

Unfreeze your credit temporarily

If you’ve experienced fraud or your personal information has been stolen, you may want to use a temporary unfreeze. This is also called “thawing.” A temporary thaw allows a creditor to access your otherwise frozen credit for a select amount of time, so they can run a credit check. You can contact the credit reporting agency to schedule a specific period that you would like to unfreeze your credit.

Unfreeze your credit permanently

If you feel confident that your credit is secure and there has been no fraudulent activity, you might want to permanently unfreeze your credit with each major credit bureau.

Credit freeze vs. credit lock

A credit freeze and a credit lock both block access to your credit report. However, while a credit freeze is free, a credit lock is a service that’s typically offered as part of a paid credit monitoring service offered by a credit bureau. With a credit freeze, you can keep it in place for as long as you want. A lock will last only while you pay for the service. The main advantage of a credit lock is that you can lock and unlock your credit report yourself online, so you don’t have any wait, as you might with a credit freeze.

How to unfreeze credit with the major credit bureaus

To unfreeze your credit report, contact the credit bureau(s) where you originally froze your credit. You can typically reach the major credit reporting agencies by phone, online, or by mail.

How long does it take to unfreeze your credit?

Credit bureaus are required by law to lift a freeze within one hour if requested by phone or online, according to usa.gov. If you mail in your request, the credit reporting agencies have up to three days after the request is received.

What does it cost to unfreeze a credit report?

By law, it’s free to freeze and unfreeze your credit report whenever you want.

If you’ve been the victim of credit card fraud or identity theft, a credit freeze is a consumer protection tool that can help. A credit freeze is a free and convenient way to prevent someone from reviewing your credit report. If lenders need access to your credit file to approve you for new credit, you can request a temporary thaw. If you feel that you’re no longer at risk, you may want to request a permanent unfreeze.

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