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Your credit report contains information about your financial history including your personal details, credit accounts you've applied for, current credit limits in use or any accounts you've defaulted on. If you've never had a credit card, loan or other line of credit, you may not have a credit report or score. Most lenders and credit card issuers require cardholders to have a credit history, so it's important to build up a bit of history before you apply for any products.
If you're unsure where your financial history stands, you can order a free copy of your credit report and score through Finder to get started. In this guide you will also find more information as to why you have a blank credit report and what you can do to build your credit history.
Banks know your credit score, so why shouldn't you? The Finder app updates your score automatically each month and lets you know if it changes. Pop in your phone number below to get your download link.
By submitting your phone number, you agree to the Finder privacy policy and terms of use
As well as never having a credit card or loan, here are some of the common factors that could lead to a blank credit report:
Utility accounts include phone (landline), gas, electricity and internet. These are considered credit accounts and an enquiry will be recorded on your credit file if the provider runs a credit check. If you default on the account it will also be listed on your credit file.
Prepaid mobile accounts aren't listed on your credit report. Postpaid mobile accounts are ongoing contracts and are considered credit accounts so these can be listed on your report. If you're on a prepaid plan it could be worth considering switching to postpaid to establish credit history.
Applications for credit (such as a credit card or loan), whether or not they're approved, are listed on your credit file. 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.
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 or Equifax. If you check your score through finder, your report will be issued by Experian.
There's no single surefire way of developing your credit history, but there are a few simple methods you can consider. Remember to examine your own personal financial situation before choosing the path for you:
Curious about your credit score? Find out now for free.
Get your credit score and comprehensive report now!
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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. 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.
I’m sorry to hear that you are unable to get your scores. Can you please tell us what error you are encountering when trying to get your credit score? You may want to 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. Simply press the ‘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 Finder.
There are instances that we may not have a record of your credit score. You may instead request a free credit report from Equifax.
You can make use of our loan calculator to give you an idea on how much you can borrow. While you may compare your options from our list of $5000 loans and no credit check personal loans. These pages have a comparison table you can use to see which lender suits you. When you are ready, you may then click on the “Go to site” button and you will be redirected to the lender’s website where you can proceed with the application or get in touch with their representatives for further inquiries you may have.
Before applying, please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria and read through the details of the needed requirements as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you. You can also contact the provider if you have specific questions.
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 Finder.
In this kind of situation, you may get a free credit report from Equifax’s official site. Yo
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 to Finder.
Sorry to hear about this. You may want to check with your credit card issuer if they’ve reported your details to Equifax. If you are holding a credit card now but don’t have a credit report, it may mean that the credit provider 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.
Cheers,
Joanne