Your credit history (2024)

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Introduction

Your credit history is information about your loans. It includes detailssuch as:

• The type of loans
• The amount of the loans
• The outstanding amount
• Any missed payments

This information is listed in a credit report.

Credit reports are available for lenders (such as banks and credit unions)to check when they are considering applications for loans.

Credit reports are held by the Central Credit Register (CCR). The CentralCredit Register does not give a credit score or credit rating. Your lenderdecides on your loan application based on their own lending policy.

You can request a copy of your own credit report online or apply by post.

If you are applying for an overdraft, mortgage, credit card or other type ofloan, you can check your credit report before you apply. It can help you spotany missed payments you are not aware of or mistakes in your credit report.

You can get incorrect information corrected. You also have the right to adda statement to your credit report to explain any special circ*mstance.

This page outlines how lenders use your credit record, what information ison it and how you can check it.

How lenders use your credit record

When you apply for a loan or other type of credit, such as a credit card,overdraft, hire purchase or personal contract plan (PCP), the lender can useyour credit history when deciding whether or not to lend to you.

The information on your credit report can be used to decide:

• Whether to lend to you
• How much to allow you to borrow
• How much interest to charge you

Lenders may check your credit report when you:

• Apply for a new loan
• Apply to have your existing loan restructured
• Have arrears on an existing loan
• Have gone over the limit of a credit card or overdraft

Under EUlaw, lenders must assess your creditworthiness before agreeing to give youa loan. Creditworthiness means your ability to repay the loan. This assessmentmust be based on the information you provide as part of your loan application,and also on the information in your credit report.

When you apply for a loan, the lender must check the Central Credit Registerif the loan is for €2,000 or more.

Lenders can also check the Central Credit Register if the loan applicationis for under €2,000 or:

• You have requested a re-structure of an existing loan
• There are arrears on an existing loan or a breach of a limit on a credit card or overdraft

Your consent is not required for lenders to check the Central CreditRegister.

Separately, you may be required to give the lender permission to check yourcredit history on another database. Usually, this consent is part of yourcontract or agreement when you first apply for a loan, so you may not noticethat you are giving consent.

What happens if you are refused a loan?

If you are refused a loan because of information in your credit report, thelender must tell you this.

This applies to personal consumercredit agreements for amounts between €200 and €75,000. It does notapply to mortgages.

What is the Central Credit Register?

The Central CreditRegister provides credit reports to borrowers and lenders. It is a databasethat stores personal and credit information on loans of €500 or more. It isoperated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

The Central Credit Register started to record loans from 30 June 2017. Itkeeps a record for 5 years after the last payment for a loan is made.

The Central Credit Register does not decide whether you get a loan. Lendersuse the credit report to assess your loan application before making a decision.They may also take into consideration your income and expenses, such as rentand utilities. Different lenders have different criteria for approvingloans.

The Irish Credit Bureau

The Irish Credit Bureau (ICB) provided a credit rating service until 30September 2021. It was a private organisation owned by its members, mainlyfinancial institutions. The ICB deleted its records after it stopped providingthe service.

What information is on the Central Credit Register?

Loans for €500 or more are included on the Central Credit Register.

From June 2017, it includes:

• Credit cards
• Mortgages
• Overdrafts
• Personal loans

From 31 March 2018, it includes:

• Local authority loans
• Moneylender loans
• Business loans

From 30 June 2019, it includes:

• Hire purchase agreements
• Asset finance
• Personal contract plans (PCPs)

What loans are not included?

The following information is not included on the Central Credit Register:

• Utility bills
• Pawnbrokers’ records
• Income and salary information
• Courts Service records – such as information about instalment orders or attachments of earnings
• Insolvency Service of Ireland records (such as information about debt relief notices, personal insolvency or bankruptcy)
• Deposit accounts
• Tax liabilities

What information about me is held on the database?

Personal information on the database includes your:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Current and previous addresses
• Personal public service number (PPSN)
• Gender
• Eircode
• Telephone number

Credit information includes:

• Type of loan (for example, credit card, mortgage, overdraft, personal loan)
• Name of the lender
• Amount of the loan
• Outstanding balance
• Number of overdue payments, if any
• Date of next payment
• Amount of next payment

Your credit report

You can request your credit report free of charge at any time (a limit maybe put on excessive free requests).

You can go to the Central Credit Register website to see a samplecredit report and explanation of terms (pdf).

Is there a rating or score on my credit report?

Credit scoring or credit rating is a technique which summarises your creditstatus at a particular point in time.

The Central Credit Register does not score or grade credit reports. Yourlender will make a decision on your loan application based on their own creditpolicy.

Who else can access my credit report?

Only lenders can access your credit report.

No-one else, such as employers or landlords, can access your credit reporton the Central Credit Register without your consent.

How do I know who has looked at my report?

Your credit report shows each time a lender has viewed your information andthe reason they did so. This is called a ‘footprint’. It means that youknow who has looked at your credit report and when.

Request a change to your credit report

If you believe there is inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date information inyour credit report, you can apply to amend the information held on the CentralCredit Register (pdf).

You can get more information in the factsheet Howto request an amendment to information on my credit report (pdf).

If you believe you have been impersonated by another person, you can place anotice of suspected impersonation on your report.

Add a statement to your credit report

You can adda personal statement to your credit record to clarify it (pdf). This isknown as an ‘explanatory statement’.

For example, if you have had significant expenses due to relationshipbreakdown, bereavement, illness or another cause, you may add these details toyour record.

The statement must be factual, relevant to the information in the creditreport, and under 200 words. It should not contain information that couldidentify another individual (such as their name or workplace).

The statement is added to your credit report and it can be viewed when yourdata is accessed. However, lenders do not have to take your statement intoaccount when assessing you for a loan.

COVID-19 payment breaks

Up to 30 September 2020, lenders could grant a payment break of up to 6months for businesses and personal customers, due to COVID-19. If you agreed aCOVID-19 payment break with your lender, it will not be identified on yourcredit report and no missed payments will be shown.

How to check your credit report

You can get a copy of your credit report by applyingonline to the Central Credit Register or by emailor post.

As part of the application, the Central Credit Register will need proof ofyour identity: your name, address and Personal Public Service Number (PPSN).This is to make sure your data protection rights are protected.

If you are applying by email, you must print, sign and scan your completedapplication form and then attach it (with scanned copies of your identificationdocuments).

If you are applying by post, you will need to enclose proof of your identitywith your signed application form.

Where to apply