How Much Does Experian IdentityWorks Cost?

Experian IdentityWorks provides three subscription tiers, each with its own monthly price.

• IdentityWorks Classic - $14.95 / month on a month‑to‑month plan; $149 / year with annual billing (≈$12.42 / month). Includes credit monitoring, fraud alerts, and Experian credit report.
• IdentityWorks Premium - $24.95 / month month‑to‑month; $249 / year with annual billing (≈$20.75 / month). Adds dark‑web monitoring, up to $1 M identity‑theft insurance, and full‑service support.
• IdentityWorks Premium+ - $34.95 / month month‑to‑month; $349 / year with annual billing (≈$29.08 / month). Offers all Premium features plus coverage for two additional adults and higher‑value insurance.

Experian IdentityWorks offers three distinct tiers, each adding more protection and monitoring tools.

• IdentityWorks Essential - Experian credit report and score, daily Experian alerts, $10,000 fraud‑resolution assistance, basic identity monitoring, mobile app access.
• IdentityWorks Premium - All Essential features plus credit monitoring from all three bureaus, dark‑web and public‑record surveillance, up to $25,000 fraud‑resolution reimbursement, $1 million identity‑theft insurance, email and SMS alerts.
• IdentityWorks Premium Plus - Everything in Premium, plus unlimited fraud‑resolution claims, identity‑restoration concierge service, priority support, and discounted rates for added family members (Experian IdentityWorks plans).

Annual billing almost always saves money on Experian IdentityWorks because each plan offers a discounted lump‑sum rate versus the summed monthly prices. For the Standard plan, paying $9.99 each month totals $119.88 per year, while the annual option is $99, a $20.88 (≈17 %) reduction. Premium drops from $239.88 ($19.99 × 12) to $199, saving $40.88 (≈17 %). The Family plan goes from $299.88 ($24.99 × 12) to $249, a $50.88 (≈17 %) cut. Those savings stack up quickly, especially if you keep the service for multiple years.

The discount is built into the IdentityWorks plans you saw in the comparison table, so switching to annual billing simply locks in the lower rate while preserving all features. If you're still weighing the cost, the next section shows how to test the service with a free trial before committing to the yearly commitment.

Get a free trial, promo code, or discount directly from Experian's website and lock in the lower annual rate.

1. Go to the Experian IdentityWorks free trial page. The banner highlights a 30‑day trial for the Premium plan.
2. Click 'Start Free Trial,' choose the Premium IdentityWorks plan, and fill in your personal and payment info. You'll be billed automatically if you don't cancel before the trial ends.
3. On the checkout screen, locate the 'Promo Code' field. Enter any current code you've found (e.g., EXPID10 for 10 % off the first month). The discount applies instantly to the monthly price displayed.
4. After the trial, select 'Annual Billing' in your account settings. Annual billing reduces the monthly price by $2 - $3 compared with month‑to‑month rates, as shown in the earlier plan‑price comparison.
5. Subscribe to Experian's newsletter or follow reputable coupon sites. They often email exclusive offers such as '$5 off your first year' that you can apply in step 3.

Experian IdentityWorks doesn't hide a monthly subscription fee, but several add‑ons and taxes can push the bill higher than the base price shown in the plan‑comparison table.

Typical hidden costs include:

• State sales tax, which varies from 6 % to 10 % and is added to every payment;
• Optional family or teen add‑on members ($8.99 per extra person each month);
• One‑time credit‑report or score pulls beyond the free monthly allowance (about $5 each);
• Paper‑statement surcharge (roughly $5 per month if you request mailed reports);
• Price increase after a free‑trial or promotional period ends, because the plan auto‑renews at the standard rate.

If you skip these extras, the monthly price you saw earlier stays the same, but any of the above will appear on the next statement. The next section shows a concrete yearly cost example for a typical user like you, factoring in these potential add‑ons.

Assuming you choose the IdentityWorks Plus plan, which most users select for its full credit‑monitoring suite, the monthly price is $19.99; switching to annual billing drops the cost to $199 per year, a $39 saving compared with 12 × $19.99 ($239.88). Adding one family member costs $5 /mo, or $50 /yr, so a typical household paying annually would spend $249 total.

If you stay on month‑to‑month you'd pay $259.88 for the same coverage. These numbers match the pricing table in the earlier 'compare IdentityWorks plans and monthly prices' section and set up the next part on 'how much you'll pay for family or added members.'

Adding anyone to an Experian IdentityWorks account costs a flat $5 per month per extra member (or $59 annually), regardless of the plan you choose. The fee applies to adults and children alike, and you can add up to four additional people before the per‑member charge caps at $20 per month.

For example, a primary subscriber on the Premium plan ($19.99 monthly) plus a spouse would be $24.99 each month; adding two kids brings the bill to $30.00. Annual billing reduces the per‑member price to $4.92 per month, saving roughly $5 per added user each year. This straightforward add‑on cost leads directly into the next section, where we explore realistic scenarios that show when those extra dollars pay off.

• A data breach exposes your Social Security number; IdentityWorks sends an instant dark‑web alert, you freeze the credit within minutes, and you avoid the average $1,200 cost of opening fraudulent accounts - value that far exceeds the plan's monthly prices.
• Your driver's license is stolen and used to apply for a loan; the 24/7 fraud‑resolution team disputes the charge, and the $1 million insurance reimbursement covers any legal fees or lost funds, saving you both money and stress.
• You add a spouse to a family plan; combined monitoring catches a suspicious credit inquiry before a mortgage application, letting you dispute it quickly and keep the loan on track - benefit that easily justifies the extra cost per added member.

When you cancel Experian IdentityWorks you receive a full refund if you do so within the 30‑day money‑back guarantee; after that window the subscription ends and you keep any amount already paid.

The refund policy applies to every IdentityWorks plan, whether you pay monthly or annually. To cancel, log into your account, select 'Cancel Subscription,' and confirm the request; you can also call customer support. Experian stops future billing immediately and issues the refund to the original payment method, usually within 5 - 10 business days.

The 30‑day guarantee covers the entire purchase price, so a monthly subscriber who cancels on day 20 gets the full month back, while an annual subscriber who cancels on day 25 gets the whole $199 (or whatever the annual price is) refunded. After day 30, Experian does not provide a prorated refund; you simply lose access at the end of the current billing cycle.

• Example 1*: Jane signed up for the $19.99 /month plan, used the service for 12 days, then cancelled. Experian refunded the $19.99 in full because she was still within the guarantee period.
• Example 2*: Mark bought the $199 annual plan, realized he didn't need it after 40 days, and requested cancellation. Because he was past day 30, Experian kept the $199 and let the account run until the annual expiration date, after which no further charges occur.

For details, see Experian's IdentityWorks refund policy.

Skipping the $20‑plus monthly fee is easy: several reputable services give you core identity‑theft monitoring at no cost.

• Credit Karma - Free credit‑score dashboard plus real‑time alerts when personal information appears on a watchlist or new account opens. No subscription required. Free credit monitoring on Credit Karma
• Credit Sesame - Offers a free identity‑theft alert system that notifies you of suspicious activity and provides a basic credit score. Free identity alerts from Credit Sesame
• Experian's free account - Gives access to a limited version of IdentityWorks, including monthly credit‑score updates and basic fraud alerts without a paid plan. Experian free credit monitoring
• Mint - Includes free identity‑theft monitoring tied to your budgeting dashboard; alerts trigger when your SSN or personal data is found on the dark web. Free identity monitoring on Mint

These options cover the essential features highlighted earlier - real‑time alerts, dark‑web scanning, and credit‑score tracking - without the monthly prices or annual‑billing commitments of Experian IdentityWorks plans. If you need premium tools like identity restoration services or multi‑user coverage, you can later upgrade to a paid IdentityWorks tier; otherwise, the free alternatives keep you protected at zero expense.