Credit Lock vs. Credit Freeze

Both locking and freezing your credit with all three major consumer credit bureaus will stop creditors from accessing your credit file for most applications. That means would-be fraudsters will have a tough time opening new financial accounts in your name.

However, a credit lock provides more flexibility than a credit freeze, as it’s quicker to place and lift a lock.

	Credit Lock	Credit Freeze
Overview	Credit Karma members who have are a part of the Credit Lock beta program can instantly lock and unlock their TransUnion credit report. However, locking your credit report with 1 bureau won’t lock it across all bureaus. To lock your credit directly with the 3 major consumer credit bureaus, you can contact the bureaus directly: TransUnion TrueIdentity: https://www.transunion.com/product/trueidentity-free-identity-protection 1-888-909-8872 Equifax Lock and Alert™: https://www.equifax.com/personal/products/credit/credit-lock-alert/ 1-888-298-0045 Experian: Contact them by phone or see their website for information about their credit lock services.	To freeze your credit, you can contact each of the major consumer credit bureaus: TransUnion: https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze 1-888-909-8872 Equifax: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ 1-888-298-0045 Experian: Contact them by phone or see their website for information about their credit freeze services.
Price	For Credit Lock beta members, it’s free to lock your TransUnion credit report through Credit Karma! TransUnion TrueIdentity is free through their site. Equifax Lock & Alert™ is free through their site.	A federal law passed in September 2018 made it free for you to freeze and unfreeze your credit with all 3 major consumer credit bureaus.
How long does it last?	Credit Lock through TransUnion and Equifax will stay enabled until you choose to unlock. Members who lock their TransUnion credit report through Credit Lock beta can disable the credit lock on their TransUnion credit report at any time. The lock will last as long as your Credit Karma account is active.	Most states will allow a credit freeze to stay in place indefinitely until you remove it. In other states, a freeze will expire after 7 years.
How long does it take to go into effect?	Changing the lock status directly with the credit bureaus can be instant if done online, but may take longer if done via phone. For the Credit Lock beta program, locking and unlocking your TransUnion credit report through Credit Karma is instantaneous.	Unfreezing your credit may be a longer process as you’ll need to contact the bureau directly. You may need to provide certain information, such as a PIN, to the bureau in order to have the freeze lifted.
Will my credit scores be affected?	Locking your credit will not directly impact your credit scores. However, your credit scores may still change while your credit is locked.	Freezing your credit will not directly impact your credit scores. However, your credit scores may still change while your credit is frozen.