Frequently asked questions

A credit score is a 3-digit number that shows how likely you are to be accepted for credit. Before a lender agrees to lend you money, they need to understand how likely you are to pay it back. To do this, they look at your credit score which is provided by a credit bureau like Experian. The credit score ranges from 300 to 900, 900 being the highest. Higher the credit score, greater are the chances of your loan approval.

When you apply for a credit card or a loan, lenders like banks and non-banking finance companies check your credit score to see whether you have the ability to repay the credit. If you have a higher credit score, you are entitled to receive preferential pricing and get discounts on the interest rate. Moreover, a high credit score gives you the additional power to negotiate for a better rate of interest on loans.

Your credit score is calculated after taking into consideration factors such as payment history, credit utilization, credit age, credit type, total credit accounts, etc. It is advised to check your credit score on your own before applying for a loan. You can check your credit score for free here.

If you don’t have a credit score, it’s usually down to one of these two reasons:

• You don’t have any credit history, i.e., you have not taken a credit card or a loan till now
• Your credit history is too old, i.e., you have not used credit in the past 10 years

The lender’s primary objective is to determine whether you are a good or bad credit risk. Your credit scores are only one factor used to assess your credit stability and ability to pay back a loan. The other factors that lenders look at make up your financial profile. These include your credit history, payment history, income and overall financial situation.

A credit inquiry is a request by an institution for Credit Report Information from a credit-reporting agency. They are classified as either a hard inquiry or a soft inquiry.

Hard inquiries (also known as ‘hard pulls’) generally occur when a financial institution, such as a lender or credit card issuer, checks your credit when making a lending decision. They commonly take place when you apply for a loan or a credit card.

Soft inquiries (also known as ‘soft pulls’) typically occur when a person or company checks your credit as part of a background check. This may occur, for example, when a credit card issuer checks your credit without your permission to see if you qualify for certain credit card offers. Your employer might also run a soft inquiry before hiring you.

The first step a bank takes when you apply for a new credit card or a loan is to make a hard credit inquiry. A hard enquiry might temporarily lower your credit score.

A credit history gets established as soon as you take your first credit card or loan.

The lender of your credit shares information with the credit bureaus. Essentially, the lenders keep Credit Information Companies up-to-date about your credit habits.

A default occurs if the lender decides to close your account because you’ve missed payments.

A default can occur regardless of how much money you owe, whether it’s a few rupees or a few thousand. It usually happens if you’ve been missing payments over the course of three to six months, but this can vary depending on the lender’s terms. So, it’s important to keep track of when you are due and make payments on time.

Your credit score is calculated taking into consideration several factors such as your credit history, repayment behavior, and credit type, among others.

These are the main factors that impact your credit score:

• Payment History (High Impact)
  Making regular payments will have a good impact on your credit. Missing out on payments will lead to a decrease in your credit score.
• Credit Exposure (High Impact)
  Credit exposure or credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit you use with respect to the total limit you have at any given point. You should ideally use only up to 40% of your credit limit. Having a low credit utilization ratio suggests you can handle credit in a responsible way. Maintaining a high credit utilization ratio will bring your score down and will impact future loan approvals.
• Age of the Credit (Medium Impact)
  A long credit history works well for your credit score. It gives lenders such as banks and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) insight into your repayment pattern over the course of time. It reflects your experience in handling credit.
• Total Types of Account (Low Impact)
  It is better to have a good balance of secured as well as unsecured loans in your credit history. A home loan is an example of a secured loan while a credit card is an unsecured loan. A mixed credit helps boost your credit score.

You can access unlimited number of free credit reports throughout the year on Experian website.

Click here to get your free credit report instantly.

The data in the Experian Credit Information Report is based on the information provided to us by all our member banks, financial institutions and other credit grantors, therefore the concerned credit-granting organizations own the data in your Credit Information Report. We are not authorized to amend or change any data without the specific written consent of the lender who provided the information to us. Hence, please approach the respective bank to change your e-mail address.

The data in the Experian Credit Information Report is based on the information provided to us by all our member banks, financial institutions and other credit grantors, therefore the concerned credit-granting organizations own the data in your credit information report. We are not authorized to amend or change any data without the specific written consent of the lender who provided the information to us. Hence, please approach the respective bank to change your home address.

The data in the Experian Credit Information Report is based on the information provided to us by all our member banks, financial institutions and other credit grantors, therefore the concerned credit-granting organizations own the data in your credit information report. We are not authorized to amend or change any data without the specific written consent of the lender who provided the information to us. Hence, please approach the respective bank to change your name.

The data in the Experian Credit Information Report is based on the information provided to us by all our member banks, financial institutions and other credit grantors, therefore the concerned credit-granting organizations own the data in your credit information report. We are not authorized to amend or change any data without the specific written consent of the lender who provided the information to us. Hence, please approach the respective bank to change your date of birth.

You can raise a dispute through the dispute raising mechanism available on the portal. Click here to login. Navigate to ‘Dispute’ section and raise a dispute. You can also refer to the user guide for step-by-step screenshots. Please raise a dispute and mention the account details that do not belong to you.

You can raise a dispute through the dispute raising mechanism available on the portal. Click here to login. Navigate to ‘Dispute’ section and raise a dispute. You can also refer to the user guide for step-by-step screenshots. Please raise a dispute and mention the account details in which the days are displaying incorrectly.

You can raise a dispute through the dispute raising mechanism available on the portal. Click here to login. Navigate to ‘Dispute’ section and raise a dispute. You can also refer to the user guide for step-by-step screenshots. Please raise a dispute and mention the account details in which the days are displaying incorrectly.

You can raise a dispute through the dispute raising mechanism available on the portal. Click here to login. Navigate to ‘Dispute’ section and raise a dispute. You can also refer to the user guide for step-by-step screenshots. Please raise a dispute and mention the account status that is incorrect.

You can raise a dispute through the dispute raising mechanism available on the portal. Click here to login. Navigate to ‘Dispute’ section and raise a dispute. You can also refer to the user guide for step-by-step screenshots. Please raise a dispute and mention the account number that does not belong to you.

You can raise a dispute through the dispute raising mechanism available on the portal. Click here to login. Navigate to ‘Dispute’ section and raise a dispute. You can also refer to the user guide for step-by-step screenshots. Please raise a dispute and mention the account details that are not reflecting in the report.

You can raise a dispute through the dispute raising mechanism available on the portal. Click here to login. Navigate to ‘Dispute’ section and raise a dispute. You can also refer to the user guide for step-by-step screenshots. Please raise a dispute and mention the account details against which account balance is incorrect.

Post raising the dispute or sending the information to us at Experian, in case you have not received a response from us at Experian within 5 days, please write to nodal.officer.india@in.experian.com

You can raise a query through the dispute raising mechanism available on the portal. Click here to login. Navigate to ‘Dispute’ section and raise a dispute. You can also refer to the user guide for step-by-step screenshots. Please raise a query and mention that you have forgotten your password.