Experian Changed How Online Credit Freezes are Managed: What You Need to Know

by Kyle Kerskie | Jun 1, 2022

Last Updated:

Jun 1, 2022

Experian’s site has updated to stay up to date with the other credit bureau’s systems. In order to manage your freeze with Experian, you’ll now need to make an online account. Read the blog or listen to the podcast to learn more.

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In this episode, Carrie talks about the importance of the update to Experian’s website that requires users to make an online account.

Things you’ll learn in this episode

What this means for managing your freeze
Will you need an account if you already have a freeze?
Where to go to create your account
Will you still need your old freeze PIN?
Why you need to make sure your activating a freeze and not a lock

Equifax and Transunion have previously made the change to have online accounts for managing freezes and now Experian will be joining them as well. These online accounts are a step in the right direction for easier accessibility.

Prior to the update, what you needed to manage your Experian freeze was some personal information and a PIN. Now you just need your username. password, and online access.

On top of this, instead of having to input your personal information every time you wanted to lift the freeze, you now only have to log in to turn it either on or off.

How secure are these new accounts?

In terms of security, this new online account doesn’t seem offer more or less protection compared to the old system, but you should still make an account though for these reasons:

It makes managing a freeze quick and easy
If you do have a freeze in place already- you will have to make an account at some point so might as well do it ahead of time
It prevents/lessens the possbility of a bad guy making an account using your information.

Make sure you have a freeze not and NOT a lock

If you are creating an account for a freeze, make sure you know the difference between a credit freeze and a credit lock. A credit freeze is mandated by federal law, but locks are NOT. So, there is potential for things to slip through under the protection of a lock.

Not to mention that freezes are FREE. You do not have to pay to active a freeze, but depending on the bureau, (specifically Experian) they may charge you for a credit lock with the promise of more protection. Realistically, a freeze is all you need when it comes to protecting your credit.

What if I have a freeze already?

If you had a freeze on Experian prior to this update, you will need to make an account to be able to manage your freeze online from here on out.

Another option you have, is that you can still use your old PIN number from the previous freeze by calling Experian’s number at (888) 397-3742 to lift it.

However, I wouldn’t rely on calling to manage your freeze, as they could get rid of this method in the future.