How Do I Check Equifax Credit Score?

You can view your Equifax score online in under five minutes by creating a free account on Equifax's consumer portal.

1. Go to Equifax's free score page and click 'Get your free Equifax score'.
2. Type your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, and current address; Equifax verifies these details instantly.
3. Answer two or three credit‑history questions; if a credit freeze is active, use the 'instant verification' prompt to proceed without lifting the freeze.
4. After verification, the dashboard shows your Equifax score alongside a snapshot of your Equifax credit report.
5. Turn on email or app alerts now; the next section explains how to sign up for continuous monitoring and live score updates.

You can request your free Equifax credit report at AnnualCreditReport.gov. The process takes only a few minutes and you get a full report, not just a score.

• Open the website, click 'Request your credit reports,' and select Equifax from the three bureau options.
• Create a temporary account using your email, then answer security questions that match the personal data Equifax has on file.
• Verify your identity with a single document upload (photo ID or recent utility bill) - the upload is encrypted and used only for this request.
• Choose 'Free report' and download the PDF; you'll see the Equifax credit report, including account details, inquiries, and public records.
• Save the file securely; you may request a new free report once every 12 months, or more often if you've been denied credit or are a victim of fraud.

(Next, see 'Check Equifax score through your bank or credit card app' for instant score access without leaving the banking portal.)

You can view your Equifax score instantly through most bank and credit‑card mobile apps that offer a free credit‑score feature. After logging in, locate the 'Credit Score' or 'Account Insights' section; if your institution partners with Equifax, the displayed number is your Equifax score, updated monthly or weekly, and it does not replace the full Equifax credit report you obtain at AnnualCreditReport.gov.

• Open your bank or card app and tap the menu for 'Credit Score,' 'Free Credit Score,' or similar.
• Confirm you're opting in to the service - you may need to answer a few security questions (e.g., last 4 of SSN).
• Verify the source; most apps label the score as 'Equifax,' 'Equifax VantageScore 3.0,' or 'Equifax FICO® Score.'
• Review the score; many apps also show a trend line and factors influencing changes.
• If the app shows a different bureau, check the settings or contact customer support to see if Equifax data are available.

For a quick overview of which banks provide an Equifax score, see Banking apps that show your credit score.

Equifax offers a paid monitoring service that pushes live updates of your Equifax score straight to your phone or email.

To enroll, follow these three steps:

• Visit the Equifax credit monitoring service page, click 'Start Free Trial,' and create an account with your name, Social Security number, and a secure password.
• Choose a plan (monthly at $19.99 or annual at $99) and enter payment information; the first 30 days are free, after which the fee recurs automatically.
• Download the Equifax app or enable email alerts; you'll receive instant notifications whenever your Equifax score changes or a new hard inquiry appears.

Using monitoring doesn't replace the free Equifax credit report you can request from AnnualCreditReport.com (see section 2), but it gives you real‑time score insight while you continue to track how lenders view the version covered in the next section.

Most free apps show the 'Equifax credit score' as VantageScore 3.0; it's the only consumer‑facing model Equifax can share without a FICO license, and it helps you track changes but isn't the version lenders pull. Equifax score models explained.

Lenders use the FICO Score that Equifax generates for them - typically FICO Score 8 for credit cards and auto loans, and FICO Score 9 or the older FICO 2/5 for mortgages. These scores also range 300‑850 but apply different weighting rules, and they are the numbers that drive loan approvals and interest rates.

The Equifax score tells lenders how risky you are: higher numbers unlock more loan options and lower interest rates, while lower numbers shrink choices and raise costs. Scores 720 and above typically earn the best rates, 660‑719 qualify for most credit products with moderate rates, and anything below 660 often triggers higher rates or denial (Equifax's score range guide).

For a 30‑year mortgage, a borrower with a 780 score might lock in a 3.1 % APR, whereas a 640 score could push the APR to 4.5 % or require a larger down payment. An auto loan at 710 may be offered at 5 % APR; at 600 the same loan could climb to 8 % or need a co‑signer. Credit‑card issuers often give 0 % intro offers to scores 750+, but charge 20 %+ interest to those around 620.

Lenders base these decisions on the Equifax score version discussed in the previous 'know which Equifax score version lenders actually use' section.

The Equifax score refreshes automatically each night after the latest creditor data lands in the system, so you may see a new number as soon as 24‑48 hours after a payment, loan, or hard inquiry posts. The Equifax credit report itself only changes when a lender files an update, which most creditors do within 30 days of the activity; some report weekly, others monthly.

To see exactly when updates occur, log into your MyEquifax dashboard and open the 'Activity History' tab - each entry lists the date and time the score was recalculated and when the report file was amended.

The free report you download from Equifax explains its update schedule also displays a 'Date of last update' stamp at the top of the report. If you subscribe to Equifax monitoring, you'll receive email or app alerts the moment a new tradeline is added, letting you track changes in real time.

You can view your Equifax score even while a credit freeze is in place by logging into your Equifax account with the PIN or password you received when you placed the freeze. Once signed in, the dashboard shows the current Equifax score instantly; no freeze removal is required.

If you also need the full Equifax credit report, use the same PIN to request a temporary lift - choose a 24‑hour or one‑time lift, then download the report. The lift automatically expires, keeping your freeze intact after you've viewed the details. For step‑by‑step instructions, see the Equifax credit freeze guide.

Next, ensure you follow the identity‑verification steps outlined in the following section so that Equifax accepts your documents without delay.

When Equifax requests documents, upload them only through its official, encrypted portal and follow these secure steps.

1. Open a browser, type https://www.equifax.com exactly, and confirm the padlock icon - this guarantees a HTTPS‑protected connection.
2. Log in with your username and password, then enable any offered multi‑factor authentication; this adds a second layer of protection.
3. Navigate to the 'Identity Verification' section and click the built‑in 'Secure Upload' button; the file transfer is encrypted end‑to‑end.
4. Submit only the documents Equifax explicitly lists - typically a government‑issued photo ID and a recent utility bill. Redact unrelated data such as full Social Security numbers or bank account details.
5. Verify the request's legitimacy: genuine Equifax emails come from an @equifax.com address and never contain unsolicited attachment links. For phishing tips, see the Federal Trade Commission's guide on identity‑theft emails.
6. Keep digital copies of everything you submit, then monitor your Equifax credit report for any unexpected activity.
7. If a credit freeze is active, temporarily lift it via the same portal before uploading documents, then reinstate the freeze afterward to maintain maximum security.

Dispute errors on your Equifax credit report quickly by filing an online dispute as soon as you spot a mistake.

After you've downloaded your free report from AnnualCreditReport.gov, follow these three steps:

• Log in to the Equifax online dispute portal and select the item you want to challenge;
• Upload supporting evidence (billing statements, court documents, or ID copies) that proves the entry is inaccurate;
• Submit the claim and keep a copy of every file and confirmation number for your records.

Equifax must investigate within 30 days and will update the report if the dispute is validated. If you prefer, you can also call 1‑800‑Equifax‑1 or mail a completed dispute form, but the online route is fastest and provides real‑time status updates, which ties neatly into the next section on verifying your identity safely when Equifax asks for documents.

To see your Equifax score while living abroad, log into the Equifax international portal, create an account with your passport number and foreign address, upload a scanned ID and proof of residence, then purchase the one‑time credit‑score report which also includes the full Equifax credit report; the free annual‑report service from AnnualCreditReport.com is limited to U.S. residents, so overseas users must either buy directly from Equifax or use a U.S.-based monitoring service that accepts a non‑U.S. mailing address,

but the safest route is the official Equifax international credit score portal, which provides the same FICO®‑based Equifax score lenders see and updates it monthly.