How Do I Dispute an Error on My Credit Report?
Sending a dispute letter is one of the best ways to dispute an error on a credit report.
If you identify an error on your credit report, it's important to take action to have it corrected. The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recommends disputing the error with a credit-reporting company such as Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion.
To dispute an error on your credit report, follow these steps:
Write a dispute letter: Explain what you think is wrong and why, and include copies of documents supporting your dispute. Be sure to include your contact information, a report confirmation number if you have one, and a clear explanation of each mistake.
Send the dispute letter: You can send your dispute letter to the credit reporting company by mail, online, or phone. You can send it by certified mail and ask for a return receipt to have a delivery record.
Dispute with the information furnisher: If the error was caused by a company that provided information to the credit reporting company, such as your bank, you could also dispute the error with that company.
It's important to keep copies of your dispute letter and any enclosures for your records.
You can find more information about disputing errors on your credit report, including instructions and a template letter, on the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's website.
Credit Bureau Contact Information
This was the contact information available for these credit bureaus at the time of writing.
| Credit Reporting Company | Online Dispute | Mail Dispute | Phone Dispute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equifax | www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-dispute/ | Equifax Information Services LLC P.O. Box 740256 Atlanta, GA 30348 |
Phone number provided on credit report or (866) 349-5191 |
| Experian | www.experian.com/disputes/main.html | Experian P.O. Box 4500 Allen, TX 75013 |
Phone number provided on credit report or (888) 397-3742 |
| TransUnion | https://dispute.transunion.com | TransUnion LLC Consumer Dispute Center P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 |
(800) 916-8800 |
Example Dispute Letters
The CFPB includes a couple of sample dispute letters in Microsoft Word format. Here are versions of those letters that you can use to dispute credit report errors.
Sample Dispute Letter for Information Furnisher.
Sample Dispute Letter for a Credit Bureau.
Further Reading
Lot's of very good journalists, credit experts, and content marketers have also written about how to dispute errors on your credit report. While the approach is almost identical to what we are reporting here, it never hurts to read a few different sources.
- How to Dispute Credit Report Information via Experian.
- Dispute information on your Equifax credit report according to Equifax.
- Simply "Disputes" from the folks at TransUnion.
- Disputing Errors on Your Credit Reports from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
- How to Dispute Your Credit Report at All 3 Bureaus via American Express.