Credit Score for FREE

One of the four recognized credit bureaus in India is CRIF Highmark. It was founded in 2007, as Highmark, and in 2014 CRIF acquired a majority stake in the company, changing the name to CRIF Highmark.

The company offers both personal and business credit scores to measure an individual’s or a company's creditworthiness.

Like the other credit bureaus, CRIF Highmark gives individuals a range of credit scores that are expressed as a three-digit number between 300-900 (with 900 being the highest score possible).

This score is based on a person’s history of repaying bills, credit usage, loans and more. It is said to represent their “creditworthiness” or the likelihood that they will repay a debt in a timely manner.

When a person has a good credit score, it shows banks and other lending institutions that you show responsible credit behaviour, and they will be more likely to approve your application for a loan or credit card.

Having a good CRIF score (one between 700 and 900) can be very beneficial. As banks and other lending institutions use these scores to determine the person’s “creditworthiness,” they can help them decide whether or not they approve any loan applications.  Some other benefits include:

• You might qualify for increases in your credit limits
• You might get lower interest rates on your loans and credit cards
• You might get approved for home loans, or car loans more easily
• You might get more power to negotiate the terms of your loans

According to the Reserve Bank of India, all the credit information companies have to allow users to check credit scores online and provide one free credit report each year. You can check your CRIF credit score online easily with the following steps:

• Step 1: Open the CRIF portal here
• Step 2: Click on the “Get Your Score Now” button
• Step 3: You will be asked to enter your email address to proceed
• Step 4: After entering your email address, you will be directed to a page where you need to fill in your details. These include: your full name, date of birth, mobile number, address, and Aadhaar or PAN number.
• Step 5: Once you review and submit this information, you will be asked one security credit question, which will be based upon your records.
• Step 6: If you answer the security credit question correctly, your CRIF credit report will be available to you for download.

Once you have completed this process, you can check your credit score, which is calculated from the credit report. This can be done as often as you want to.

However, as mentioned above, you can check your credit report for free only once a year. If you want to check it more frequently, you can do so with a payment of ₹399 (including GST) from CRIF Highmark.

Since having a good credit score is important, as it can help banks and other lenders decide in your favour, here are some ways you can improve your CRIF credit score:

• Make prompt and timely repayments on your credit, bills, and loans
• Ensure that your credit utilization ratio is kept under 30%. For example, if your credit limit is ₹10,000, try not to use more than ₹3,000.
• Limit your hard credit inquiries, such as applying for credit cards, loans, etc.
• Unless it is absolutely necessary, don’t cancel your old credit cards and accounts. This is because older cards can assure lenders that you have been paying your bills on time.
• Review your credit report regularly so that you can correct any errors or mistakes
• Check your CRIF Highmark credit score regularly so that you can track any improvements.

CRIF Highmark also offers additional services for companies, like providing a business credit score. A business credit score is a measure of a company’s creditworthiness. It is calculated in a similar way to personal credit scores, taking into account:

• Business History
• Payment History 
• Loan History
• Past Searches, etc.