Choose the free report route
Request a document from each bureau if you want to check both files. A single Equifax download is not a TransUnion disclosure, or vice versa. FCAC recommends checking both. Checking your own report does not affect your credit rating. FCAC
| What you need | Official route and result |
|---|---|
| Your Equifax report | Start at Equifax's free credit score and report page, linked from FCAC's guide. Follow the provider's current instructions for the free report and save the document. |
| Your TransUnion report | Start at TransUnion's Consumer Disclosure page, then its online disclosure route. The free monthly Consumer Disclosure gives you a view or download of the complete file, including inquiries. |
| Both files | Complete each route, then label your saved documents with the bureau and retrieval date. |
A score is a number, not the full file. FCAC says Equifax makes a free score available across Canada. TransUnion says its Consumer Disclosure includes a score and score factors for Ontario and Quebec residents. If you want account and inquiry details, make sure you received the report or disclosure, even if a score appears first. FCAC · TransUnion
Monitoring means ongoing alerts about changes. It does not replace reading a current full report. If you reach an offer asking for payment details, check what it sells before continuing. Return to the free route through the official links above instead of assuming the paid offer is required. A score, report and alert service answer different questions.
Save the document, then check what you got
Use a device and connection you trust. Follow the bureau's identity steps on its official site; the questions may differ by provider. Enter identifying information only in the bureau's own flow. Neither this article nor Romii collects it. A link in an unsolicited message is not a reliable route to your credit file.
Once inside, download the report itself. Check its bureau name, date, your identifying details and whether it shows the file sections you came to inspect, such as accounts or inquiries. A dashboard score or an alert summary is not the same document. Keep the download private because it can contain sensitive personal and account information.
If online access fails, use an official fallback
An unsuccessful identity check does not require a subscription. FCAC lists a free mail request to either bureau using its current form and photocopies of two pieces of identification. TransUnion's disclosure instructions say to send photocopies, never original ID, and that providing a Social Insurance Number is optional. Obtain the current form and mailing address from the bureau's official page before mailing anything.
FCAC also lists Equifax: 1-800-465-7166 and TransUnion: 1-800-663-9980. Check its current contact instructions before calling. Some provinces have an in-person route; confirm the official office and its requirements before travelling.
If the online flow stops, note the bureau, the step where it stopped and any reference number, without recording your ID answers in a message. You can ask the bureau: “I need my free credit report. Online identity checking stopped at [step]. Which free alternative can I use, and where are your current instructions?” Use the verified bureau contact route and keep ID images out of ordinary email or chat.
Read both files before putting them away
Check your personal details, listed accounts, payment history and accounts you do not recognize. Note the exact entry, bureau and report date, then gather records showing what you believe is correct. FCAC's guide to checking errors explains how to contact the bureau and lender. This article is a route to the document and that official process; it cannot tell you whether a particular entry is wrong.
A report does not predict loan approval or promise a score change. If you later need to weigh borrowing costs, compare small borrowing options as a separate decision.