​Credit reporting and your credit history

The information held on your credit report 

When applying for personal or business credit, the type of information held on your credit report is similar. Let’s take a look at what you can expect to find covered in your report.

Personal information

Personal information includes your:

• full name
• date of birth
• gender
• address (current and last two known addresses)
• employer details
• driver's licence number.

Public record information

Information from courts and government agencies such as:

• court judgements about any unpaid credit
• bankruptcy details, or if you’ve offered or entered into a debt agreement.

Credit provider supplied information

This includes:

• any loan enquiries you or someone acting on your behalf has made in the last five years (including names of credit providers you have applied for credit with)
• details of any debt you might have, including:
  • name of credit provider
  • date account opened
  • current limit of account
  • type of credit account
  • date account closed
  • 24-month repayment history information, indicating whether you have made regular on time payments.
• any defaults and debts that are overdue by 60 days or more.

Recent changes were made to the credit reporting system, opens in new window. In addition to reporting repayment history information, credit providers must also report financial hardship information to credit reporting bodies when an account is under an agreed financial hardship arrangement. This arrangement may be temporary or permanent.

Financial hardship information includes the following:

• financial hardship indicator, which shows whether the arrangement was temporary or permanent
• repayment history information in relation to the financial hardship arrangement, which indicates whether the terms of the arrangement were met. 

If you want to know more details about credit reporting  and how information is recorded on your credit file, visit Credit Smart, opens in new window for more information.

What is a credit report used for? 

A credit provider (like a bank, utility company, or internet service provider) can ask for a credit report supporting your application for a new loan or service contract.

This report helps providers decide if you're likely to default on your repayments or not. It'll be an important factor in their decision – but keep in mind it’s not the only thing they use to assess your credit application.

The information held on your credit report is summarised to reflect a number known as a credit score. This score is used as an indication on how likely you may be to pay back your debt.  

If you would like to know more about credit scores and how they are calculated, visit Credit Smart, opens in new window for more information.

Who can access your credit report? 

You can request a free credit report at least once a year from the credit reporting body your provider deals with. The report usually takes a few days to arrive.

Checking your credit report gives you an opportunity to identify any mistakes and have them corrected. If you notice any incorrect information on your report you can have this investigated. Our article Your credit report: access, corrections and complaints explains the process.

Reviewing your report can also alert you to identity theft. Identity theft is where other people use your information for financial gain. For example, someone might run up debts on your credit card or try to apply for credit in your name. The Australian Government Department of Communication have some helpful tips about avoiding identity theft, opens in new window.

If you’re looking to access a free credit report, these are the credit reporting bodies we share information with:

• illion, opens in new window
• Equifax, opens in new window
• Experian, opens in new window.

Your information is safe

Credit providers and credit reporting bodies have a legal responsibility under the Privacy Act to keep your information secure. If you think someone is incorrectly accessing or using your information, you can make a complaint and have it investigated. Our article Your credit report: access, corrections and complaints explains the process.