A free credit score in Canada comes from one of three places: a credit bureau directly, a free score site that licenses bureau data, or a bank’s online banking. This page starts with the official routes described by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), the federal regulator that publishes consumer guidance on credit reports, then compares nine free options by the facts each provider states on its own page: which bureau, which scoring model, how often it updates and whether checking touches the score. Provider pages were read on October 11, 2026. This page is general education, not financial advice, and it does not rate or rank the providers.
How do you check your credit score for free in Canada?
Equifax shows a free credit score online in all provinces and territories, and TransUnion shows one free to Ontario and Quebec residents, according to FCAC. Free score sites and several bank apps cover everyone else.
How to read this table: FCAC's summary of what each bureau offers for free. Sign-up and identity checks happen on each bureau's own site.
| Credit bureau | Online credit score | Score by phone or mail |
|---|---|---|
| Equifax Canada | Free in all provinces and territories | Free on request, for example by phone or by mail, with the required identification |
| TransUnion Canada | Free for residents of Quebec or Ontario, as part of the Consumer Disclosure | Free on request for residents of Quebec or Ontario, with the required identification |
Source: Getting your credit report and credit score — checking does not affect your rating (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — free online report from both bureaus (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — what the online report allows (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion's name for the report (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by mail (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — mail request form and identification (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by phone (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — in person (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — score update frequency (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax score is free everywhere (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion score is free in Quebec and Ontario (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — non-electronic score (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — other companies and paid services (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — banking apps (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — fraud warning (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — checks before sharing information (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — data resale (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — secure websites (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit report is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — report update frequency (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit score is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — different formulas (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the score a lender sees (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the two bureaus (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — Canadian credit activity only (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — checking your own report or score (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — fraud detection (FCAC); Improving your credit score — hard inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — soft inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — requesting your own report is a soft inquiry (FCAC). In effect from July 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
In sentences: Equifax’s online score is free in every province and territory, and a non-electronic score can be requested for free, for example by phone or by mail. TransUnion’s score is free for people who live in Quebec or Ontario, as part of the Consumer Disclosure, and those residents can also request it in non-electronic form. FCAC adds that credit bureaus update a credit score at least once per month.
The bureaus’ own pages line up with that. Equifax Canada says consumers can access its consumer credit report and score at no charge, as required by consumer reporting legislation, with the online score updated once per month. TransUnion offers online access to view and download a free monthly Consumer Disclosure, and the score appears for residents of Ontario and Quebec, whose consumer disclosures include a score and score factors. TransUnion explains that this is a matter of legislation in those two provinces.
FCAC then points to two more groups. “Other companies may also offer your credit score for free,” it says, and “some may ask you to sign up for a paid service to get your score.” It also notes that some federally regulated financial institutions provide free credit scores through their banking app. Borrowell and Credit Karma are the two free score sites compared here; CIBC, BMO, Scotiabank, RBC and TD are the bank routes.
Free credit score options compared
| Feature | Bureau | Score or model named | Updates (as stated) | Effect of checking (as stated) | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equifax Canada | Equifax | a proprietary credit model developed by Equifax Canada | once per month | FCAC: checking your own score doesn't affect it | Free in all provinces and territories, per FCAC |
| TransUnion Consumer Disclosure | TransUnion | Not named on the Consumer Disclosure page | Free Consumer Disclosure available monthly online | your own requests to view your credit file have no impact on your credit score | residents of Ontario and Quebec, whose consumer disclosures include a score and score factors |
| Borrowell | Equifax | the Equifax Risk Score | weekly updates on how your score has changed | you can check your credit score at any time without hurting it | no credit card or SIN is required |
| Credit Karma Canada | TransUnion | the TransUnion CreditVision Risk Score | every 7 days | a soft inquiry | about two minutes to sign up, with no credit card information requested |
| CIBC CreditView | TransUnion | the CreditVision Risk Score | Not stated for the score | no charge, and using it will not impact your credit score | CIBC Online Banking and CIBC Mobile Banking App users |
| BMO Credit Coach | TransUnion | Not named on the page | Not stated | a soft inquiry, which will not affect your credit score | by signing in to BMO online or mobile banking, at no cost |
| Scotiabank | TransUnion | Not named on the page | Check as often as you want | accessing your TransUnion Credit Score will not impact your credit score | customers signed up for online or mobile banking with Scotiabank |
| RBC | Not named on the page | Not named on the page | Not stated | free, with no impact on your score over time | your credit score and credit report, after completing an enrolment process |
| TD CreditView Dashboard | TransUnion | Not named on the page | on a weekly basis | checking the score on the CreditView Dashboard does not affect your credit score or your report | TD app users; TD says the feature is not available on EasyWeb |
Sources: each provider's own page, read October 11, 2026, plus FCAC for the Equifax row. 'Not stated' and 'not named' mean the page read did not say; the provider may publish it elsewhere.
The table in sentences, provider by provider.
Equifax Canada. The bureau’s free product shows a credit report and a credit score, each updated once per month. The score comes from a proprietary credit model developed by Equifax Canada, which Equifax describes as similar to scores usually communicated to lenders who request it, but provided for your own educational use. The same score is available by mail, by phone or in person directly from Equifax Canada. The free product also includes a Credit Lock for Quebec and Ontario residents only. Equifax sells paid monitoring subscriptions on the same page, so the free option is the one labelled as the consumer credit report.
TransUnion Canada. TransUnion’s free route is the Consumer Disclosure, its name for the full credit report: online access to view and download a free monthly Consumer Disclosure. A score is part of it only for residents of Ontario and Quebec, whose consumer disclosures include a score and score factors. The disclosure is also available free of charge by mail or in person. On its support pages TransUnion says your own requests to view your credit file have no impact on your credit score. TransUnion’s support pages also promote a separate product, TransUnion Credit Monitoring; residents of other provinces who want a free TransUnion-based score have the free sites and bank routes below.
Borrowell. Borrowell offers an Equifax Canada credit score and credit report for free, and names the score it shows as the Equifax Risk Score. It promises weekly updates on how your score has changed, says you can check your credit score at any time without hurting it, and says no credit card or SIN is required. The trade-off is stated on the same page: Borrowell matches members with financial products from over 75 partners, so product offers are part of the account.
Credit Karma Canada. Credit Karma shows the TransUnion CreditVision Risk Score, with TransUnion updates available every 7 days. It describes checking your own credit there as a soft inquiry, and says sign-up takes about two minutes to sign up, with no credit card information requested. Its site footer notes that the site may be compensated through third party advertisers.
CIBC CreditView. CIBC provides the service with TransUnion and shows the CreditVision Risk Score, alongside a score simulator and alerts. CIBC says there is no charge, and using it will not impact your credit score. It is reached from CIBC Online Banking or the CIBC Mobile Banking App.
BMO Credit Coach. BMO’s tool is powered by TransUnion and reached by signing in to BMO online or mobile banking, at no cost. BMO’s is the only bank page read that uses the term soft inquiry: Credit Coach is a soft inquiry, which will not affect your credit score.
Scotiabank. Scotiabank offers a TransUnion credit score, as often as you want, at no additional cost and with zero impact to your score. It is open to customers signed up for online or mobile banking with Scotiabank, and the bank says accessing your TransUnion Credit Score will not impact your credit score.
RBC. RBC’s how-to page says viewing the score is free, with no impact on your score over time, and that customers see your credit score and credit report, after completing an enrolment process in the RBC Mobile app or RBC Online Banking. The page does not name the bureau or the scoring model, so neither is stated here.
TD. TD offers the TransUnion CreditView Dashboard in the TD app, with score history, a score simulator and alerts. The score is refreshed on a weekly basis. The check is free, and TD says checking the score on the CreditView Dashboard does not affect your credit score or your report. TD’s page notes the feature is in the TD app only, not on EasyWeb, and does not name the scoring model.
How do you get a free credit report from Equifax and TransUnion?
Both bureaus give a free credit report online, by mail, by phone and, in some provinces or territories, in person, according to FCAC. The online version can be downloaded or printed.
How to read this table: Phone numbers are as printed on FCAC's page. Request forms and office locations are on each bureau's own site.
| Route | How it works | What FCAC says |
|---|---|---|
| Online | Sign up on each bureau's own site to view, download or print the report. | Free from both Equifax and TransUnion, with information updated every month. TransUnion calls its report a Consumer Disclosure. |
| By mail | Fill out the bureau's request form and mail it with photocopies of 2 valid pieces of identification. | Both bureaus will mail a free copy of the credit report. |
| By phone | Call Equifax Canada at 1-800-465-7166 or TransUnion Canada at 1-800-663-9980, answer identity questions and follow the instructions. | A phone request leads to a free copy of the report by mail. |
| In person | Visit an Equifax or TransUnion office with at least 2 valid pieces of identification. | Available in some provinces or territories only. |
Source: Getting your credit report and credit score — checking does not affect your rating (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — free online report from both bureaus (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — what the online report allows (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion's name for the report (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by mail (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — mail request form and identification (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by phone (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — in person (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — score update frequency (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax score is free everywhere (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion score is free in Quebec and Ontario (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — non-electronic score (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — other companies and paid services (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — banking apps (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — fraud warning (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — checks before sharing information (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — data resale (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — secure websites (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit report is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — report update frequency (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit score is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — different formulas (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the score a lender sees (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the two bureaus (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — Canadian credit activity only (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — checking your own report or score (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — fraud detection (FCAC); Improving your credit score — hard inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — soft inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — requesting your own report is a soft inquiry (FCAC). In effect from July 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Step by step, using FCAC’s description:
- Online. Sign up on the bureau’s own site. Both bureaus let you download or print the report and see information updated every month. TransUnion’s version is called the Consumer Disclosure.
- By mail. Fill out the bureau’s request form and mail it with photocopies of 2 valid pieces of identification. Each bureau mails back a free copy.
- By phone. Call Equifax Canada at 1-800-465-7166 or TransUnion Canada at 1-800-663-9980, answer the identity questions and follow the instructions.
- In person. In some provinces or territories, bring at least 2 valid pieces of identification to an Equifax or TransUnion office.
The mail and phone routes work without creating an online account. Equifax and TransUnion are separate companies that each create their own report, which is why FCAC describes getting a report from both.
What is the difference between a credit report and a credit score?
A credit report is the record of how you have used credit; a credit score is a 3-digit number calculated from that record, according to FCAC. The report holds the detail and the score summarizes it.
| Item | What it is | How often bureaus update it |
|---|---|---|
| Credit report | A summary of how you have used credit in the past (your credit history). | At least once per month by the credit bureaus. |
| Credit score | A 3-digit number that comes from the credit report and shows how likely you are to repay money you borrow. | At least once per month by the credit bureaus. |
Source: Getting your credit report and credit score — checking does not affect your rating (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — free online report from both bureaus (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — what the online report allows (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion's name for the report (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by mail (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — mail request form and identification (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by phone (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — in person (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — score update frequency (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax score is free everywhere (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion score is free in Quebec and Ontario (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — non-electronic score (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — other companies and paid services (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — banking apps (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — fraud warning (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — checks before sharing information (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — data resale (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — secure websites (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit report is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — report update frequency (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit score is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — different formulas (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the score a lender sees (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the two bureaus (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — Canadian credit activity only (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — checking your own report or score (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — fraud detection (FCAC); Improving your credit score — hard inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — soft inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — requesting your own report is a soft inquiry (FCAC). In effect from July 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
The distinction has practical consequences. FCAC says the two bureaus “track your credit history and create your credit report and score,” and that checking the report regularly may help detect signs of fraud or identity theft. A score alone cannot do that: an unfamiliar account or inquiry shows up as a line on the report, not as an explanation beside the number. Most of the free options above include the report as well as the score. Equifax, TransUnion, Borrowell, Scotiabank and RBC each mention a report on the pages read, and Credit Karma lists free credit reports among its features.
Does checking your credit score lower it?
No. FCAC states that checking your own credit report or score doesn’t affect your credit score. What can lower a score is a hard inquiry, which happens when you apply for credit. The credit card approval odds checker gives an estimate before an application goes in.
| Type of inquiry | Effect | Examples FCAC gives |
|---|---|---|
| Hard inquiry (hard hit) | Appears on the credit report, is visible to anyone who views it and affects the credit score. | Credit card, mortgage, credit and loan applications; some rental and employment applications. |
| Soft inquiry (soft hit) | Appears only on the version of the report you can see and does not affect the credit score. | Requesting your own credit report; a company updating its records for an account you already hold with it. |
Source: Getting your credit report and credit score — checking does not affect your rating (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — free online report from both bureaus (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — what the online report allows (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion's name for the report (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by mail (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — mail request form and identification (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by phone (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — in person (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — score update frequency (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax score is free everywhere (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion score is free in Quebec and Ontario (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — non-electronic score (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — other companies and paid services (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — banking apps (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — fraud warning (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — checks before sharing information (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — data resale (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — secure websites (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit report is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — report update frequency (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit score is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — different formulas (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the score a lender sees (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the two bureaus (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — Canadian credit activity only (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — checking your own report or score (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — fraud detection (FCAC); Improving your credit score — hard inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — soft inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — requesting your own report is a soft inquiry (FCAC). In effect from July 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
FCAC lists requesting your own credit report as an example of a soft inquiry, the kind that appears only on the version of the report you can see. Each provider on this page makes its own statement to the same effect. TransUnion says your own requests to view your credit file have no impact on your credit score. Borrowell says you can check your credit score at any time without hurting it. Credit Karma calls a check of your own credit a soft inquiry, and BMO calls Credit Coach a soft inquiry, which will not affect your credit score. CIBC, Scotiabank, RBC and TD each say on their pages that their service does not affect the score.
The line to watch is between looking at a score and acting on a product offer shown beside it. Viewing the score is the soft check. Applying for a credit card or loan from an offer inside a free score account is an application for credit, and FCAC lists credit card, mortgage, credit and loan applications as hard inquiries.
Why is your credit score different on Borrowell, Credit Karma and your bank app?
Scores differ because each service draws on a different bureau and scoring model, and because they update on different schedules. FCAC says bureaus and lenders “use different formulas to calculate your score, but they don’t share the exact details.”
Three sources of difference can be read directly from the provider pages:
- Bureau. Equifax’s own product and Borrowell use Equifax data. Credit Karma, CIBC, BMO, Scotiabank and TD use TransUnion. The two bureaus keep separate files.
- Model. Borrowell shows the Equifax Risk Score. Credit Karma and CIBC show the CreditVision Risk Score from TransUnion. Equifax’s own free product uses a proprietary credit model developed by Equifax Canada.
- Timing. Equifax’s free score is updated once per month, Borrowell sends weekly updates, Credit Karma refreshes every 7 days, and TD’s dashboard refreshes on a weekly basis. Two services read on different days can show different numbers from the same file.
There is a fourth difference that no free tool removes. FCAC says “the credit score you see may be different than the score a lender sees,” because a lender may give more weight to certain information. Equifax says its free score is similar to scores usually communicated to lenders who request it, but provided for your own educational use. This page does not publish score bands for that reason; the planned explainer on what counts as a good credit score in Canada covers how lenders read the number.
Which free credit score route fits which situation?
No single route covers everything; the match depends on which bureau’s file you want to see, how often, and whether you already bank with one of the five banks. Matching features to situations, using only what the providers publish:
- A score from the source, without product offers. Equifax Canada’s free product comes from the bureau itself, in every province and territory.
- Both bureaus for free. One Equifax-based route (Equifax itself or Borrowell) and one TransUnion-based route (Credit Karma, or a CIBC, BMO, Scotiabank or TD login) show both files.
- Frequent updates while working on a file. Borrowell, Credit Karma and TD’s dashboard each update weekly; Scotiabank says customers can check as often as they want.
- No new account anywhere. Customers of CIBC, BMO, Scotiabank, RBC or TD already have a score inside their bank’s online banking or app; the comparison of Canada’s largest banks covers the accounts themselves.
- No SIN at sign-up. Borrowell says no credit card or SIN is required.
- The full report in the mail, no online account. FCAC’s mail and phone routes to Equifax and TransUnion.
- Living in Ontario or Quebec. The TransUnion Consumer Disclosure includes a score and score factors for residents of those two provinces.
The pieces combine: the full report from each bureau shows every account and inquiry line, while one Equifax-based score and one TransUnion-based score show movement on each file between reports.
Are free credit score sites safe?
The nine options on this page are the bureaus themselves, five banks and two free score sites, each reached at its official address. The risk FCAC warns about is imitation: fraudsters may pretend to offer free credit reports or scores to steal personal and financial information.
| Before you sign up |
|---|
| Research the company to make sure it is legitimate. |
| Carefully read its terms of use and privacy policy. |
| Check how it will store and use your information. |
| Find out if it will sell your data to third parties. |
| Check that the website is secure: the address starts with https, not http. |
Source: Getting your credit report and credit score — checking does not affect your rating (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — free online report from both bureaus (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — what the online report allows (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion's name for the report (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by mail (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — mail request form and identification (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — by phone (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion phone number (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — in person (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — score update frequency (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — Equifax score is free everywhere (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — TransUnion score is free in Quebec and Ontario (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — non-electronic score (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — other companies and paid services (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — banking apps (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — fraud warning (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — checks before sharing information (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — data resale (FCAC); Getting your credit report and credit score — secure websites (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit report is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — report update frequency (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — what a credit score is (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — different formulas (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the score a lender sees (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — the two bureaus (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — Canadian credit activity only (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — checking your own report or score (FCAC); Credit report and score basics — fraud detection (FCAC); Improving your credit score — hard inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — soft inquiries (FCAC); Improving your credit score — requesting your own report is a soft inquiry (FCAC). In effect from July 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
FCAC also explains the commercial side plainly: some businesses may collect and sell personal information to a third party, and “if they do, you might receive unexpected offers for products and services.” The free score sites say how they are paid on their own pages. Borrowell matches members with financial products from over 75 partners. Credit Karma’s footer says the site may be compensated through third party advertisers. Offers shown inside those accounts are marketing, and a displayed likelihood of approval is not a lender’s decision.
One more detail from the bureau’s page: Equifax’s free product includes a Credit Lock for Quebec and Ontario residents only.
What to do after checking your score
The score is the headline; the report is where action happens. Three follow-ups, in order of how often they matter:
- Read the report for errors. Unfamiliar accounts, addresses or inquiries are raised with the bureau that holds the file. Scotiabank’s page, for example, tells customers to report errors to TransUnion.
- If there is no file yet. FCAC says a bureau creates a credit report when a person first borrows money or applies for credit, and that bureaus only collect information about credit activity in Canada. Newcomers and students often start with a first card: the guide to credit cards for people with no Canadian credit history and the list of student credit cards in Canada compare starter options, and the planned comparison of secured credit cards in Canada covers cards backed by a deposit. Newcomers setting up banking at the same time can compare bank accounts for newcomers.
- If balances are the issue. FCAC lists how much debt you owe and whether you carry a balance among the factors that affect a score. The credit card payment calculator shows how long a balance takes to clear at a given payment, and the planned credit builder planner maps out the steps.
Common mistakes when checking a credit score
- Paying for a score that is free. FCAC notes some companies ask people to sign up for a paid service to get a score. Equifax’s free product sits beside paid subscriptions on the same page, and TransUnion promotes a separate Credit Monitoring product beside its free Consumer Disclosure.
- Checking one bureau only. Borrowell shows Equifax data and Credit Karma shows TransUnion data; a problem on one file may not appear on the other.
- Treating the free number as the lender’s number. FCAC and Equifax both say a lender may see a different score.
- Watching the score and never opening the report. FCAC ties fraud detection to the report, not the score.
- Assuming an offer inside a score app is a soft check. Viewing a score is; applying for credit is not.
- Expecting a TransUnion score on the free disclosure outside Ontario and Quebec. TransUnion includes the score for residents of those two provinces.
- Giving details to an unknown “free score” site. FCAC’s checks above come first.
How this list was put together
YieldMaple read FCAC’s pages on getting a credit report and score, credit report basics and improving a credit score (each dated July 1, 2026), then read each provider’s own page on October 11, 2026 and recorded only what was stated there, with the exact wording saved for each fact. Where a page did not name a bureau, a scoring model or an update schedule, the table says so instead of filling the gap from other sources. No provider supplied information or paid to be listed, and there are no affiliate links on this page. The list is not exhaustive: other banks, credit unions and apps also show free scores, and leaving one out is not a judgment about it. Features change, so the provider’s own page is the final word on what it offers today.