Credit glossary

Credit lock

Definition

A bureau product that blocks access to your credit report much like a freeze, but under the product's terms rather than the freeze statute.

Experian, for example, describes its CreditLock as blocking inquiries on your Experian file, with alerts and on-off scheduling added, and it sits inside a paid membership. The legal difference is the point. A freeze carries statutory deadlines: one business day to place by phone or online and one hour to lift. A lock's rules, including what happens if the app is down, come from the enrollment terms.

The CFPB says locks are no more effective than security freezes, which are free and guaranteed by law. Locks often come bundled with credit monitoring or identity protection plans, so read what you're paying for. If you already have a lock and want a freeze instead, TransUnion lets you replace one with the other in its online service center.

Guides that go deeper

Credit freeze vs. fraud alert vs. credit lock: what each one stopsA freeze blocks new-credit pulls by law, a fraud alert only adds an ID check, and a lock is a bureau product with its own terms. How to pick the right one.

Sources

What is a credit freeze or security freeze on my credit report?, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
15 U.S.C. 1681c-1(i): Security freeze, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Security Freeze Center, Experian
Credit Freeze, TransUnion

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