How to Check a Credit Report in Canada

A credit report is a snapshot of your credit history. It contains information about your borrowing and repayment activity over the last seven years. If you've taken out a loan or a credit card, it'll be on the report. If you've missed a payment, that will be on there, too. It's important to check your credit report on a regular basis to make sure there are no mistakes on it. Two credit bureaus hold Canadian credit reports: TransUnion and Equifax.

Instructions

TransUnion

1

Write to TransUnion and request a copy of your credit report. There are two addresses, one for residents of Quebec, the other for residents of all other provinces.

Quebec residents:
Centre De Relations Aux Consommateurs TransUnion
1 Place Laval Ouest
Suite 370
Laval, Quebec
H7N 1A1

All other provinces:
TransUnion Consumer Relations Department
P.O. Box 338, LCD1
Hamilton, ON
L8L 7W2

2

Include the following information: name, current address, previous address (if you've lived at your current address for less than two years), date of birth, Social Insurance number and signature.

3

Include a photocopy of your identification. The following are all acceptable as primary forms of ID: driver's license, Canadian passport, certificate of Indian status, birth certificate, permanent resident card, citizenship and immigration form, health card (excluding provinces of ON, MB, PEI), Old Age Security card, Department of National Defence card.

4

Include a secondary form of ID. The following are acceptable: utility bill indicating current address (within 60 days of issue), credit-card statement indicating current address (within 60 days of issue), signed credit card, CNIB card, Social Insurance card, T4 slip (current tax year), notice of assessments (current tax year), GST/HST refunds (current tax year), child tax benefits (current tax year). Between the two forms of ID, you must provide your name, current address, date of birth and signature.

5

Choose to request your credit report in person at one of the offices listed above. You will need to provide the same information as by mail.

Equifax

6

Write to Equifax to request your free credit report.

Equifax Canada Inc.
Box 190 Jean Talon Station
Montreal, Quebec
H1S 2Z2

7

Include the same information as for the TransUnion report. You will also need to fill in a request form, which is available on Equifax's website.

8

Choose to request your free Equifax credit report by calling 800-465-7166. You will need to provide the same information as you did in Step 2.

9

Access your credit report online. This will cost you $15.50 CDN, payable by credit card.