Credit locking: How can I freeze my credit report?

Quick answer: If you’re worried about identity fraud, you can protect yourself by ‘freezing’ or ‘locking’ your credit report with Experian. Experian’s CreditLock helps stop fraudsters from taking out credit in your name. You can ‘unfreeze’ your report at any time.

‘Freezing’ or ‘locking’ your credit report means blocking credit applications made in your name. It’s one way to protect yourself against identity fraud. Identity fraud is when someone pretends to be you to get money or credit. It can happen to anyone — three in four UK adults have been targeted for identity fraud and one in four have been victims of it.¹

This guide explains how credit locking works, and other ways to protect yourself from fraud.

¹ According to research by Walnut Unlimited commissioned by Experian, October 2025.

How do I lock my credit report?

You can lock your credit report with Experian CreditLock. CreditLock blocks credit applications that go through to Experian. This blocks most credit applications made in your name, including loans, credit cards and mortgages. If you lock your credit with Experian CreditLock, we’ll let you know about any blocked applications, which can help you spot signs of fraud.

You can use CreditLock if you upgrade your Experian account with an Identity Plus or CreditExpert subscription.

How does Experian CreditLock work?

Lenders run a hard credit check when they get an application in your name. If they use Experian and your report is locked, we’ll block the application. This stops it from being approved and affecting your credit score. We can’t block applications that go through other credit reference agencies.

We’ll alert you about any blocked applications, helping you spot signs of identity theft. If you’ve signed up for CreditExpert or Identity Plus, you’ll also get enhanced fraud support and web monitoring too.

What gets blocked by Experian CreditLock?

Locking your report stops most applications for credit, like:

• Loans
• Credit cards
• Mortgages
• Store cards
• Current accounts
• Mobile phone contracts

Locking your credit report with Experian CreditLock won’t block:

• Updates to your report and score
• Changes to your current credit limits
• Credit quotations and eligibility checks
• New applications for insurance, although it may block applications to pay in instalments
• Searches from utility companies, employers and landlords who can access your report

Credit and Fraud Expert

Our expert says

Identity theft can happen to anyone. Experian’s CreditLock is a simple way to protect yourself and helps stop fraudsters taking out credit in your name. John Webb, Experian UK

Are there other ways to protect my credit report?

There are other ways to protect your credit report, by adding notes on your credit report for lenders. These options don’t ‘freeze’ or lock credit, but they can help protect you from fraud.

Protective Registration from Cifas

Protective Registration adds a note on your report warning lenders you’re at higher risk of fraud. It doesn’t freeze, lock or block credit. If you have Protective Registration, you can still apply for credit, but lenders should carry out more checks to make sure it’s really you. This means credit applications may take longer, but you’ll have an extra layer of protection.

Protective Registration is offered by Cifas, a not-for-profit organisation working to stop fraud. It costs £30 for two years. You can remove it at any time, although your cancellation may take a few days to go through. Apply online using the official Cifas Protective Registration page .

Password Notice of Correction

A Notice of Correction (NoC) is a short note on your report for lenders. A password NoC tells lenders to contact you and ask for the password included in the note before approving credit. It doesn’t lock credit or prevent applications. This extra step can help protect you from fraud, although it can slow down your applications.

It’s free to add an NoC. To put one on your Experian Credit Report, go to Contact us , select ‘Fraud’ and then ‘I want to add or change the password for my Experian Credit Report’. You’ll need to contact the other credit reference agencies to add a note to the reports they hold for you.

How to do a credit ‘freeze’ with Experian

To lock your credit report, you’ll need an Experian account with Identity Plus or CreditExpert. Then follow these steps:

1. Open the Experian app or log in online .
2. Go to the ‘Report’ tab. It will show you if your report is locked or unlocked.
3. Use the ‘Unlock/Lock’ switch to change it to ‘Lock’.

Remember to unlock your report before you apply for credit. We’ll send you a monthly reminder if your report is locked. You can lock and unlock your report whenever you like — it won’t affect your score.

How can I unfreeze my credit report?

If you’ve locked your credit report with Experian CreditLock, you can unlock it at any time. Simply toggle the switch in your Experian account from ‘Lock’ to ‘Unlock’. Lenders won’t see that you’ve unlocked your report and it won’t affect your credit score.

How can I protect myself from identity theft?

Identity theft is when someone steals your personal information. These details may be used to access your bank accounts or apply for credit in your name. This can have a serious impact on your finances and your credit score. It can also make it harder to take credit out in the future. Below are some ways to help protect yourself from identity theft.

Avoid sharing personal information. Be careful what you share on social media. Avoid posting things like your address, when you’re on holiday, or information that might be used as ‘security answers’, like a pet’s name.

Use secure passwords. Use strong, unique passwords for every account, and never share them.

Lock your credit report. Limit criminals’ ability to take out credit in your name, like a loan or mortgage. Lock your Experian Credit Report with Identity Plus or Credit Expert.

Consider adding a credit note. A Notice of Correction can warn lenders you’re at higher risk of fraud and ask them to take extra steps before approving credit. If you’re worried that you are at a high risk of fraud, contact each credit reference agency to add an NoC. You could also ask Cifas for Protective Registration .

Know the signs. Learn the signs of identity theft and how to spot phishing, like an email pretending to be from your bank.

Act quickly in a data breach. If you find out that your data was included in a data breach, protect yourself by changing affected passwords and checking your accounts for anything that doesn’t look right.

Check your report. Download the Experian app to get your free report and credit score. Look for possible signs of fraud, like credit applications you didn’t make or an unexpected drop in your score.

Upgrade for extra protection. Get enhanced fraud support, web monitoring, fraud alerts and your daily Experian Credit Report when you upgrade your Experian account with Identity Plus or Credit Expert. Try it free for 30 days.*

*New customers only. Identity Plus is £10.99 a month and CreditExpert is £14.99 a month, after your free trial ends.

What should I do if I think I’ve been a victim of fraud?

There are several steps you can take if you’ve been a victim of fraud:

• Contact your bank. Do this as soon as you can so they can help secure your accounts.
• Contact the lenders involved. If you’ve had letters, emails or texts about an account you don’t recognise, tell the company straight away.
• Report it. Report Fraud will give you a crime reference number and advice on what to do next.
• Check your free credit report. Do this with all three UK credit reference agencies — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Look for potential signs of fraud, like applications you don’t recognise. We can help sort out fraudulent records on your Experian Credit Report if you contact us .

Frequently asked questions

How to check if my credit report is frozen?

If you think your credit report is frozen, you might have locked it with Experian. Open the Experian app or log in and go to ‘Report’ to see if your report is locked. Toggle the switch to ‘Unlock’ to ‘unfreeze’ your credit report. It’s also possible you applied for Protective Registration with Cifas — this doesn’t lock credit but adds a note to your report warning lenders you’re at higher risk of fraud. Check your report or contact Cifas .

Should I freeze my credit report?

It’s often sensible to lock or ‘freeze’ your credit report, especially if you’re at higher risk of identity fraud. For example, if your information has been leaked in a data breach. Locking your credit could also give you some everyday peace of mind. Just remember to unlock your credit before applying with lenders.

Will locking my credit report affect my score?

No. Locking your credit report won’t affect your score. Credit applications that are blocked while your report is locked won’t hurt it either.

How do I freeze my credit report with all three credit reference agencies?

In the UK, it’s not possible to lock or ‘freeze’ your credit report with all three credit reference agencies at once. You can lock your credit report with Experian if you have Identity Plus or CreditExpert. Check with other credit reference agencies to see if they offer similar services. Another option is Protective Registration with Cifas — this doesn’t freeze credit, but it warns lenders you’re at higher risk of fraud.

How much does Experian CreditLock cost?

Being able to lock your credit report is just one benefit of upgrading your Experian account to CreditExpert at £14.99 a month or Identity Plus at £10.99 a month.

CreditExpert includes personalised tips to help improve your score, along with daily updates to your score and report. Identity Plus includes enhanced fraud support, web monitoring, fraud alerts and your daily Experian Credit Report. A 30-day free trial is available for new customers. Find out which product is right for you.

Protect your credit report with Experian

Lock your credit report and more with Identity Plus. We’ll monitor your personal, financial and credit information around the clock. You’ll be the first to know if we see any suspicious activity. And if you have any fraud concerns or worries, our expert advisors will help sort things out.

New customers get a 30-day free trial. If it’s not for you, simply cancel any time you like. Identity Plus is £10.99 a month when your trial ends.