Credit reports aren't financial records that are given to everyone. Here's why you may be "credit invisible".
Your credit file is one of your most important financial records and it's often the main thing that will help or hinder your application for credit. However, not everyone will have a credit file. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 15,443,150 credit-active Australians in July 2013. These Australians will have engaged with credit providers by enquiring for credit or holding an account, and this activity will have been recorded on their report.
If you have attempted to order your credit report or apply for a credit account and found that your report didn't exist, you may be "credit invisible". Here's what it means and what you can do about it.
You haven't held a utility account
Utility accounts include phone (landline), gas, electricity and Internet accounts. These accounts are considered credit accounts and so are recorded on your credit file along with your repayment history. If you default on the account it will also be listed on your credit file.
You have never held a postpaid mobile phone account
If you have only ever held prepaid mobile accounts then these will not be listed on your credit file. Postpaid mobile accounts are ongoing contracts and require the provider (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and the like) to check your credit file in order for the contract to be approved.
You haven't made a credit enquiry
Applications for credit, whether or not they're approved, are listed on your credit file and includes all types of credit accounts. The lender will need to check your report to ensure the information on your application is accurate, and when the application is approved the account will be listed on your file.
Help! I have credit accounts but still no credit report!
If you have held credit cards, personal loans, utility accounts or even a mortgage and still do not have a credit report, it may mean that the credit provider you held those accounts with has not reported your accounts to a credit bureau. If you would like your credit activity reported to a credit bureau, just contact your credit provider and have them report the information to one of the credit reporting bureaus such as Experian, Equifax.
How can I develop a credit history?
There's no single surefire way of developing your credit history, but there are a few techniques you can consider. Remember to examine your own personal financial situation before choosing the path for you:
- Switch to a postpaid mobile phone. Compare your phone plan options and consider switching to a postpaid phone contract. You may be able to take advantage of more competitive prices for your handset.
- Get a low-cost credit card. There are a number of low-interest credit cards you can consider to build up your credit history, there is also no annual fee credit cards you can opt for. Just ensure you pay back your balance in full each month.
- Apply for a personal overdraft. If you don't want a credit card, a personal overdraft could also be an option to consider. This is a line of credit that is attached to your bank account and allows you to overdraw your balance up to a certain limit.
Curious about your credit score? Find out now for free.
I am confused as to why I don’t have a credit score.
I’ve had 2 mortgages, credit cards and am a home owner with all the usual utility accounts.
Why am I off the radar?
Hi Jeffrey!
Thanks for your message and fo contacting finder.
I see how frustrating this is for you. Thing is, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 15,443,150 credit-active Australians in July 2013. These Australians will have engaged with credit providers by enquiring for credit or holding an account, and this activity will have been recorded in their file.
If you have attempted to order your credit file or apply for a credit account and found that your report didn’t exist, you may be “credit invisible”. It probably is because (1) You have never held a postpaid mobile phone account (2) You haven’t made a credit enquiry.
You may want to to go directly to Equifax to ask about this. Please note that we are not affiliated with any company we feature on our site and so we can only offer you general advice.
Hope this helps!
Best regards,
Nikki
I have been living overseas for the last 25 years and just moved back to Australia. Haven’t had any credit cards etc so just wondering how i could get a credit score
Thanks
James
Hi James,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder.
You can get a free credit score through our page here. Just to remind you though that you’d need to sign up for a finder account first and use your valid Australian driver’s licence for your ID when getting the score.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
May
Hi why can’t i get my credit score
Hi Katie, thanks for your inquiry.
Can you please tell us what error you are encountering when trying to get your credit score? Please refer to the troubleshooting section of our credit score page for basic diagnosis.
Thanks,
Jonathan
Opened a joint account with my husband the bank couldn’t verify me as i have no credit history in my present name as we married 11 months ago
Hi Kelli,
Thanks for your inquiry.
You can try to get your free credit report from Equifax directly. Please go to this page then click on ‘Get your free credit report button and it will direct you to Equifax official site.
Best regards,
Rench
Do you know if I am still able to borrow up to $5000 if I have no credit file, somehow I seem to be “invisible “?
Hi Tiff,
Thanks for reaching out to us.
There are instances that we may not have a record of your credit score. You may also request a free credit report from Equifax. You may go on this page for helpful info.
You can make use of our loan calculator on this page to give you an idea on how much you can borrow. While on this page you may compare $5000 loans.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Rench
Why don’t I have a credit score I have a utility bill in my name and I have a joint credit card
Hi Patricia,
Thank you for your inquiry.
If you’re having difficulty in getting your score through finder, you may be guided by this page on How To Get Your Credit Score.
If it still doesn’t work, you may want to try getting your Free Credit Report as an alternative.
If you were referring to not having a credit file in the first place, you may want to check with your utility provider and credit card provider if they can advise on your records being reported to a credit bureau.
Should you require further assistance, you may message us on our 24/7 Live Chat Service found on the bottom right of our pages.
Best,
Maria
I have been renting for many years and paid many Utility bills and post paid mobile, I have a credit card and have so for 20 years approx. So not sure why I have no credit file.
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for reaching out to us.
In this kind of situation, you may get a free credit report from Equifax directly. You may go to this page and request your credit report from Equifax official site.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Rench
Hi my name is Emily
I have been married for 3 years. I have slowly been changing my maiden name over to my married name with my bank, phone account, insurance etc and some are joint accounts with my husband. I tried to look at my credit history and was told they have no file on me. Surely I am not the only person this has happened too? Was I suppose to link my maiden name and married name some how? Can you give me any hints, or do I have to start fresh and if so how, long will it take before I will have a credit history?
Hi Emily,
Thank you for your inquiry.
On some cases this is what’s happened if you used the name that Equifax doesn’t have on their file. It would be nice if you can create another Finder account with a different email, if you have one, and try again using the last name that appears on your driver’s license.
I hope this information has helped.
Cheers,
Harold
I had a credit score in September, and received an email saying that there was a new score available, but when I’ve filled in the information, now I apparently don’t have one? What’s happened?
Hi Johannes,
Thank you for your inquiry.
You may want to check the email you’ve received if it does come from the credit score provider you checked with last September.
If yes, it’s best to reach out to the provider directly to have your concern addressed accordingly.
Also, you may opt to review your credit history by Ordering Your Free Credit Report to see if there was anything that may have affected your credit score.
Best,
Maria
I have tried many times to find out my credit score only to be told I have not credit file. Yet I have had an active credit card for over 10 years…
Can you please help me with this issue?
Regards
Khara Maletta
Hi Khara,
Thanks for reaching out.
Here are some of the reasons why the result may say no credit file:
* You may not have enquired for credit or held a loan in the past.
* You may not have held a postpaid mobile account or a utility account.
* You may have not entered enough information for Equifax to locate your credit file.
* If you have moved in the past three years you need to enter two addresses and ensure your information is correct.
Please see more information on this page.
Cheers,
Joanne