How to get and read your credit report

Reading your own credit report is the most direct way to see what lenders see. You can get a free full report once a year from each credit information company, and many people check one of them every few months by spreading the requests over the year.

Last reviewed on 19 October 2026.

Getting your report

  1. Open the website of a credit information company (links below). RBI requires each to show a link to the free annual report prominently on its home page.
  2. Ask for the free report and verify your identity as the company asks, usually with your PAN and a one-time password sent to your mobile number.
  3. Download or save the report. Keep it private: it contains your personal and account details.
  4. Repeat with the other companies. Each one's free report is separate.

What a report usually contains

  • Personal details: name, date of birth, PAN and other identifiers, addresses and phone numbers reported by lenders.
  • Accounts: each loan and card, the lender, the type of credit, the date it was opened, the sanctioned amount or limit, the current balance, any overdue amount and the status (for example active, closed, settled or written off).
  • Payment history: a month-by-month record for each account. "000" or "STD" usually means the payment was on time; a number shows how many days a payment was late (days past due).
  • Enquiries: which lenders looked at your report when you applied for credit, with the date and often the amount and type of credit.
  • Score: the company's credit score, with the scale it uses.

Words that matter

"Closed" means the account was repaid and closed. "Settled" usually means the lender accepted less than the full amount owed to close it, and lenders may view that less favourably than a closed account. "Written off" means the lender has recorded the amount as a loss; it does not mean the debt is cancelled.

What the RBI rules say

  • Every credit information company must give you one free full credit report, including your credit score, once in each calendar year, after checking your identity. [1]
  • Credit information companies must display the link to the free full credit report prominently on their website's home page. [2]

Rules referred to

  1. RBI circular: Free Annual Credit Report to Individuals (opens in a new tab) (RBI/2016-17/58, 1 September 2016)
    Each credit information company gives an individual one free full credit report, including the credit score, once a calendar year, electronically, after checking identity.
  2. RBI circular: Strengthening of customer service rendered by Credit Information Companies and Credit Institutions (opens in a new tab) (RBI/2023-24/73, 26 October 2023)
    Alerts when your report is accessed and when a default is reported, reasons for rejecting a correction request, a prominent free-report link on credit information companies' websites.

Finobazaar read these rules on rbi.org.in on 19 October 2026. Rules change: check the current text on the RBI website.

Important limitations

  • Report layouts and the words used differ between credit information companies; the report itself explains its codes.
  • This guide is general information. It does not promise any change in your credit score, an approval or a particular result.

Official resources

Addresses checked on 19 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to pay for my credit report?

Not for the free full report once a calendar year from each credit information company. They also sell subscriptions; read what you are signing up for before paying.

How often should I check my report?

There is no rule. Many people check at least once a year, before applying for a loan, and whenever they receive an alert they do not recognise.

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