Every individual in India can claim one free full credit report, including the credit score, once during each calendar year from each of the four credit bureaus, so you can legally check all four reports free every year without paying a rupee.
Quick answer: You are entitled to one free full credit report (FFCR) with score per calendar year from each credit bureau, CIBIL, Experian, Equifax and CRIF High Mark. This right sits in the RBI Master Direction on Credit Information Reporting. Request it on each bureau website. Because there are four bureaus, you can review your credit record four times a year for free.
The process is similar on every bureau website. Do it once a year on each, so you spread four free checks across the year.
India has four RBI licensed credit information companies. Each keeps its own record, and lenders do not always report to all four, so the reports can differ. Checking all four gives you the complete picture.
| Bureau | Commonly used report name | Free entitlement |
|---|---|---|
| TransUnion CIBIL | CIBIL Score and Report | One free full report per calendar year |
| Experian | Experian Credit Report | One free full report per calendar year |
| Equifax | Equifax Credit Report | One free full report per calendar year |
| CRIF High Mark | CRIF High Mark Credit Report | One free full report per calendar year |
Checking your own report is a soft enquiry. It does not lower your score. Only a lender pulling your report when you apply for credit is a hard enquiry, and too many of those in a short time can dent your score, as explained in hard enquiry without your consent.
The four bureaus are regulated under the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005. The free annual report entitlement is set by the Reserve Bank of India. The current rule book is the Master Direction, Reserve Bank of India (Credit Information Reporting) Directions, 2025, issued on 6 January 2025, which requires the bureaus to give every individual one free full credit report, including the credit score, once at any time during a January to December year.
The free full report itself is not a brand new idea. A version of it has existed since an earlier RBI circular, and the 2025 Master Direction consolidates the rules and adds fresh consumer protections described below. Treat the free report as a settled right you should use every year, not a limited offer.
The 2025 Master Direction did more than restate the free report. It added protections that matter when something goes wrong.
For these alerts to reach you, your correct mobile number and email must sit with the bureau and your lenders, so keep those updated.
A credit report is only useful if you actually check it. Focus on four things.
If you find a mistake, raise a dispute with the bureau online and with the lender that reported it. Keep proof of the date you complained, because the ₹100 per day clock starts if the fix drags past 30 days. For a wrong CIBIL entry, follow the steps in the CIBIL score dispute and correction guide.
Real-life example. Kashvi Pathak in Pune checked her free full report on all four bureaus in January. Three matched, but one showed a personal loan she had closed two years earlier still marked active with a ₹40,000 balance. She raised an online dispute with the bureau and the lender and saved a screenshot dated that day. The record was corrected six weeks later, past the 30 day window, so she was entitled to compensation of ₹100 for each day of delay beyond 30 days. Because she checked early in the year, the error did not derail a home loan she applied for in March.
Space your free checks so you keep an eye on your record through the year.
If you plan to raise an information request with a public authority or a regulator about how your data was handled, The RTI Playbook is a useful companion for framing evidence led complaints.
One free full credit report, including your score, per calendar year from each of the four bureaus. Since there are four bureaus, you can review your credit record four times a year at no cost.
No. Checking your own report is treated as a soft enquiry and does not affect your score. Only a lender pulling your report when you apply for credit is a hard enquiry.
TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, and CRIF High Mark. All four are licensed under the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005 and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.
The score is a single three digit number. The full report is the detailed record behind it, listing every loan and card, your payment history, and recent enquiries. The free annual entitlement covers the full report with the score.
Under the 2025 Master Direction, if your complaint is not resolved within 30 calendar days you are entitled to compensation of ₹100 for each day of delay beyond that period, payable by the bureau or the lender depending on who caused the delay.
Lenders do not always report to all four bureaus, and they update at different times. So one report may show an account or a recent payment that another has not yet recorded. Checking all four gives the fullest picture.
Bureaus are required to send an SMS or email alert when your report is accessed by lenders in specified cases, provided your correct mobile number or email is on record. An unexpected alert can flag an application made in your name.
The free full report gives you the same core record and score once a year. Paid subscriptions add features like unlimited refreshes and monitoring, but you do not need to pay to exercise your annual free entitlement.