Every New Zealander is entitled to a free credit report once per year from each of the three NZ credit reporting agencies. Most people never check — and that’s a mistake. Here’s exactly how to get yours.
Request your free credit report at: centrix.co.nz (Centrix), equifax.co.nz (Equifax NZ), and checkmycredit.co.nz (Illion). Free once per year from each agency. Online requests are typically processed instantly or within 5 business days. You need a valid NZ photo ID.
Your Free Credit Report Entitlement
Under the Credit Reporting Privacy Code 2004, every person has the right to access their credit information held by any NZ credit reporting agency at no charge — at a minimum, once every 12 months.
You can request your report more frequently, but agencies may charge a fee for additional requests within 12 months (typically $15–$30 per additional report).
The Three NZ Credit Reporting Agencies
| Agency | Website | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| Centrix | centrix.co.nz | Most used by NZ mortgage lenders |
| Equifax NZ | equifax.co.nz | Consumer and commercial credit |
| Illion | checkmycredit.co.nz | Business credit and some consumer lenders |
Why check all three? Different lenders query different agencies. Each agency may hold different information. A default recorded with Equifax but not Centrix will show up only if the querying lender uses Equifax. To get a complete picture, request from all three.
How to Get Your Centrix Report
Website: centrix.co.nz/consumers
- Go to centrix.co.nz and find the “Consumer” or “Credit Report” section
- Select “Request my free credit report”
- Complete the online form with your:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Current and previous NZ addresses
- Email address
- Upload identity documents (see below)
- Submit — online reports are typically available instantly or within 1–5 business days
Centrix is the agency most commonly used by NZ mortgage lenders — prioritise this one if you’re preparing for a home loan application.
How to Get Your Equifax NZ Report
Website: equifax.co.nz → “My Equifax” → “Request your free report”
- Create a My Equifax account (or log in if you have one)
- Verify your identity online
- Request your free credit report
- Download or receive by email
Equifax NZ also offers paid credit monitoring subscriptions ($9–$20/month) — these are optional and not required to get your free annual report.
How to Get Your Illion Report
Website: checkmycredit.co.nz
- Go to checkmycredit.co.nz
- Select “Get my credit report”
- Verify your identity
- Receive your report online
What ID Do You Need?
Most agencies require at least one of:
| ID type | Accepted |
|---|---|
| NZ driver licence | Yes — number and version required |
| NZ passport | Yes |
| Overseas passport | Sometimes — vary by agency |
| NZ birth certificate | Sometimes — check agency requirements |
Some agencies require additional confirmation of address. If your online request can’t be verified automatically, you may need to send certified copies of documents by post.
How Long Does It Take?
| Method | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|
| Online with automatic ID verification | Instant to same day |
| Online — manual ID review required | 1–5 business days |
| Postal request | 5–10 business days |
What Does a Free Credit Report Include?
Your free credit report includes:
- Personal identification information on file
- All credit accounts (open and closed)
- Repayment history (under CCR)
- Credit enquiries (last 5 years)
- Defaults on file
- Court judgments
- Bankruptcy information
- Directorships
Some paid services offer credit monitoring (alerts when something changes) or more detailed analysis — these are not required for most people.
Paid Credit Monitoring: Is It Worth It?
Services like Equifax’s subscription monitoring notify you of changes to your credit report — useful for detecting identity theft early.
Worth it if:
- You’ve been a victim of identity theft before
- You’re actively preparing for a mortgage and want to monitor changes
- You want alerts for new credit enquiries in your name
Not needed if:
- You’re monitoring your own report annually
- You have no specific concern about identity theft
The free annual report is sufficient for most NZers.
What to Check When You Get Your Report
Go through the report systematically:
1. Personal Information
- Is your name, date of birth, and address history correct?
- Any addresses you don’t recognise? (Could indicate identity fraud)
2. Credit Accounts
- Do you recognise all listed accounts?
- Are any accounts listed that you didn’t open? (Identity theft flag)
- Are closed accounts showing as closed?
3. Payment History
- Are any payments incorrectly marked as late?
- Are all payments you’ve made reflected accurately?
4. Defaults
- Are there any defaults you weren’t aware of?
- Are any listed defaults incorrect (wrong amount, wrong creditor, already settled)?
5. Credit Enquiries
- Do you recognise all listed enquiries?
- Any enquiries you didn’t authorise? (Could indicate someone applied for credit in your name)
6. Court Judgments and Insolvency
- Any judgments you weren’t aware of?
What to Do If You Find Errors
If anything on your report is incorrect:
- Document the error — note which agency, what’s wrong, and what it should say
- Gather evidence — statements, payment records, letters
- Submit a formal dispute to the agency in writing
- See how to dispute your NZ credit report for the full process
Checking Before a Mortgage Application
If you’re planning to apply for a home loan within 12 months:
- Request all three reports now
- Allow at least 6 months to address any issues found
- Pay off any outstanding defaults — even if they stay on the report for 5 years, “paid” status improves lender sentiment
- Avoid applying for new credit in the 6 months before applying for a mortgage
Next Steps
- What’s on your credit report NZ — understand what you’ve received
- How to dispute your credit report NZ — fix errors
- How to improve your credit report NZ — build a stronger history
- Defaults on NZ credit reports — understand and address defaults