You can lock your credit by signing up for a credit lock service through each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A credit lock restricts access to your credit report so that most lenders can’t pull it, which prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. However, a credit lock is a paid product, and a credit freeze does the same thing for free. Understanding the difference will help you choose the right option.
What Locking Your Credit Actually Does
When you lock (or freeze) your credit, you’re telling the credit bureaus not to share your credit report with new lenders. Since most creditors won’t approve a loan, credit card, or other account without first checking your credit, blocking that access stops fraudsters from opening accounts using your personal information.
Locking your credit does not affect your credit score itself. Your score continues to be calculated normally behind the scenes. It also doesn’t block activity on accounts you already have. Your existing credit card companies, mortgage servicer, and other current creditors can still access your report. What it blocks is new inquiries from lenders you haven’t authorized.
Credit Lock vs. Credit Freeze
A credit lock and a credit freeze accomplish the same basic goal: they restrict access to your credit report. The differences come down to cost, speed, and legal protection.
A credit freeze is free at all three bureaus. Federal law guarantees your right to freeze and unfreeze your credit at no charge. A credit lock, by contrast, is typically a paid feature bundled into a bureau’s identity protection subscription. Experian’s CreditLock, for example, comes as part of its IdentityWorks Premium plan at $24.99 per month after a seven-day free trial. Equifax and TransUnion offer their own lock products at varying price points.
The main advantage of a lock is convenience. Unlocking your credit through a lock service can be nearly instant, often done with a single tap in a mobile app. Unfreezing a credit freeze can also be done online or by phone and usually takes just a few minutes, though it may take slightly longer to go into effect. A freeze also carries a legal framework behind it, meaning the bureaus have specific obligations under federal law. A credit lock is governed by the terms of service you agree to with the bureau, which may offer fewer protections if something goes wrong.
For most people, a credit freeze provides the same protection at no cost. A lock makes sense only if you value the slightly faster toggle and don’t mind paying a monthly fee for it.
How to Freeze Your Credit for Free
Since a freeze is free and offers the same core protection as a lock, here’s how to set one up. You need to contact each of the three credit bureaus individually, because freezing at one bureau doesn’t affect the other two.
- Equifax: Visit the Equifax website or call their freeze line. You’ll create an account if you don’t already have one, verify your identity, and request the freeze.
- Experian: Go to Experian’s freeze page online or call. The same identity verification process applies.
- TransUnion: Visit TransUnion’s site or call to place your freeze.
Each bureau will give you a PIN or password that you’ll use later to temporarily lift or permanently remove the freeze. Store these in a safe place. If you lose them, you can still manage your freeze through the bureau’s online portal, but having them on hand makes the process smoother.
The entire process takes about 10 to 15 minutes per bureau, so plan on roughly 30 to 45 minutes total to freeze your credit at all three.
When to Temporarily Lift a Freeze
A frozen credit report will block legitimate applications too. If you’re applying for a mortgage, car loan, credit card, apartment rental, or even some jobs that require a credit check, you’ll need to temporarily thaw your freeze first.
Ask the lender or company which bureau they plan to pull from. You may only need to lift the freeze at one bureau rather than all three. You can request a temporary lift online or by phone, and you can often set it to automatically refreeze after a specific date. This way you don’t have to remember to turn the freeze back on.
Freezing a Child’s Credit
Children are common targets for identity theft because the fraud can go undetected for years. If your child is under 16, you can request a free credit freeze on their behalf. The process differs from the adult version, and each bureau has its own set of requirements, which typically include proof of your identity, proof of your relationship to the child, and documents verifying the child’s identity. Check each bureau’s website for their specific instructions on minor freezes.
The freeze stays in place until you ask the bureau to remove it, giving your child a clean slate when they’re old enough to start building credit on their own.
What a Lock or Freeze Won’t Protect Against
Locking or freezing your credit is one of the strongest tools against new-account fraud, but it has limits. It won’t prevent someone from making charges on a credit card you already have, since existing creditors retain access to your report. It also won’t stop someone from filing a tax return in your name, accessing your bank accounts, or using your identity in ways that don’t involve a credit check.
Your credit report can still be accessed by companies you already do business with, by debt collectors working on your existing accounts, and by certain government agencies. Pre-approved credit offers may also continue unless you separately opt out of those marketing lists.
For broader protection, pair a freeze with regular monitoring of your bank and credit card statements, and consider placing a fraud alert on your credit file. A fraud alert is free and tells lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new accounts. Unlike a freeze, a fraud alert placed at one bureau is automatically shared with the other two.