How to Freeze Your Credit (All 3 Bureaus + ChexSystems)

Last updated: October 27, 2026

To freeze your credit, place a free freeze separately with each of the three nationwide credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) online or by phone. It's free, doesn't affect your credit score and lasts until you lift it. Also freeze ChexSystems, which banks use to approve new checking and savings accounts, and keep the PIN or password each one gives you.

Quick answer: A credit freeze stops anyone (including you) from opening new credit in your name. Freeze at Equifax (equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze or 1-888-298-0045), Experian (experian.com/freeze/center.html or 1-888-397-3742) and TransUnion (transunion.com/credit-freeze or 1-888-909-8872). Each freeze only covers that bureau, so you need all three. Also freeze ChexSystems (chexsystems.com/security-freeze/place-freeze or 800-887-7652). By law, online or phone freezes must be placed within one business day. It's free to place and lift, doesn't affect your score, and lasts until you lift it. Save every PIN or password. When applying for credit, find out which bureau the lender uses and lift only that one (within one hour online or by phone), then refreeze.

Every fact below comes from official FTC, CFPB and USA.gov pages, the three credit bureaus' freeze pages, ChexSystems' official security freeze information, and the FTC's Equifax complaint and Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024, accessed October 27, 2026. Maya Brooks and all records shown in the video are fictional.

#Watch: How to freeze your credit

If 406,110 reports of new credit card fraud in one year (FTC Consumer Sentinel 2024) sounds like a reason to freeze, this video walks through all four freezes step by step, the PIN you'll need to save, and the gap a freeze leaves wide open.

#What does a credit freeze actually do?

The FTC says while a freeze is in place, "nobody can open a new credit account in your name." That includes you.

It's free to place, and free to lift. It doesn't affect your credit score. And it lasts until you lift it.

#The Equifax breach: 145.5 million Social Security numbers

Think your number is safe? In 2017, attackers stole approximately 147 million names and dates of birth, 145.5 million Social Security numbers, and 99 million physical addresses from Equifax. A credit bureau.

#Anyone can freeze, any time, for any reason

So the FTC says you don't have to wait for a breach. Anyone can freeze their credit, any time, for any reason.

#Credit lock vs freeze: freezes are free

One trap. Credit bureaus also sell credit locks. The CFPB says locks are no more effective than freezes, and freezes are free.

#How do I freeze my credit with all three bureaus?

A freeze only works at the bureau you freeze. So you need all three. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Each one, separately.

#Step 1: Freeze Equifax

Go to equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze. Create a free account, confirm your identity, and choose freeze.

You can also call: 1-888-298-0045 (toll-free number from the FTC's credit freeze article).

#Step 2: Freeze Experian

Go to experian.com/freeze/center.html. Create a free account, confirm your identity, and choose freeze.

You can also call: 1-888-397-3742.

#Step 3: Freeze TransUnion

Go to transunion.com/credit-freeze. Create a free account, confirm your identity, and choose freeze.

You can also call: 1-888-909-8872.

#Step 4: Save each PIN or password

You'll usually get a PIN or a password to lift it later. The FTC says you'll need it to place or lift the freeze. Save all three somewhere safe.

#How long does a freeze take?

By law, a freeze you request online or by phone must be placed within one business day. By mail, within three business days. (CFPB, USA.gov)

#The freeze nobody tells you about

Credit bureaus cover loans and credit cards. But when you open a checking account, banks often check a different file. It's called ChexSystems.

#What is ChexSystems?

The CFPB lists ChexSystems as a consumer reporting company that reports checking account applications, openings, and closures. It will freeze on request, and you're entitled to one free report every 12 months.

#ChexSystems freeze: free and separate

ChexSystems says its freeze "is designed to prevent approval of checking, savings, credit accounts, loans, or other services from being approved in your name without your consent."

You can place it free through the ChexSystems consumer portal, or by phone at 800-887-7652. It sends you a PIN.

#Freeze credit for children under 16

Got kids? The FTC says parents and guardians can freeze credit for children under 16, for free. Some bureaus want that request by mail.

#How do I unfreeze (lift) my credit freeze?

Need a loan or a new card? The FTC says find out which bureau the lender will check, lift only that one, then freeze it again when you're done.

#Lifts happen fast

The CFPB says online or phone lifts must happen within one hour.

#Lifting is free

Just like placing a freeze, lifting one is free. Log into the bureau's site with your PIN or password and lift it temporarily or permanently.

#Credit freeze vs fraud alert: what's the difference?

A fraud alert is different. You contact one bureau, and it tells the other two. The FTC says lenders have to verify it's you. But they can still see your report.

A fraud alert lasts one year. A freeze lasts until you lift it.

#Does a credit freeze stop people-search sites from showing my info?

No.

#The gap a freeze leaves open

A freeze locks your credit file. It doesn't touch what people-search sites sell about you.

The FTC says with just your name or phone number, someone can buy a report with your age, date of birth, current and previous addresses, and family members.

That's exactly the detail an impostor needs.

#Opt out site by site, for free

You can opt out of people-search sites one by one, for free. But the FTC warns your information can reappear when public records change.

#How many reports of credit card fraud in 2024?

Four hundred six thousand, one hundred ten.

That's how many people told the FTC, in 2024, that someone opened a new credit card in their name. Not their old card. A brand new account. (FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024)

Total identity theft reports in 2024: 1.1 million.

#Quick recap: freeze all four

1. Freeze Equifax (equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze or 1-888-298-0045)
2. Freeze Experian (experian.com/freeze/center.html or 1-888-397-3742)
3. Freeze TransUnion (transunion.com/credit-freeze or 1-888-909-8872)
4. Freeze ChexSystems (chexsystems.com/security-freeze/place-freeze or 800-887-7652)
5. Save every PIN or password somewhere safe
6. When you apply for credit, ask which bureau the lender uses and lift only that one (within one hour online or by phone)
7. Refreeze after the application is done

Then the part a freeze can't do.

#Credit freezes don't remove your data from people-search sites

UndoLeak erases your data from data brokers and keeps it off.

Start with a free scan at undoleak.com.

#Related guides

A credit freeze stops new accounts. But your Social Security number, address and birthday are already public on people-search sites.

• What to do after a data breach: Found your email in a breach? First hour, first day, first week steps, including when to freeze
• How scammers use data brokers: The public detail that makes identity theft easy
• How to remove personal information from the internet: Step-by-step guide to opting out of people-search sites
• Why data comes back after you opt out: The public records cycle that refills listings

Have you frozen all four yet? A freeze is free and you do it yourself. UndoLeak doesn't freeze credit. But we erase the detail people-search sites sell about you, which is exactly what an impostor needs.