Your credit history

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

• The type of loans
• The amount the loans were for
• The amount remaining
• Any missed payments

This information is listed in a credit report.

Lenders can get a credit report when they are deciding on loan applications.

Credit reports are held by the Central Credit Register (CCR). The Central Credit Register does not give a credit score or credit rating. Your lender decides 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 of loan, you can check your credit report before you apply. It can help you spot any 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 add a statement to your credit report to explain any special circumstance.

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

When you apply for a loan or other credit, the lender can use your credit history when deciding whether or not to lend to you.

Examples of credit include:

• Credit cards
• Overdrafts
• Hire purchase
• Personal contract plans (PCPs)

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

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

Lenders may check your credit report when you:

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

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

Lenders can also check the Central Credit Register if you apply for a loan 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

The Credit Reporting Act 2013 sets out the rules for the Central Credit Register.

Consent

Lenders do not need your consent to check the Central Credit Register.

If the lender wants permission to check your credit history on another database they may need your permission. Usually, this consent is part of your contract or agreement when you first apply for a loan, so you may not notice that 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, the lender must tell you this.

This applies to personal consumer credit agreements for amounts between €200 and €75,000. It does not apply to mortgages.

The Central Credit Register provides credit reports to borrowers and lenders. It is a database that stores personal and credit information on loans of €500 or more. It is operated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

The Central Credit Register started to record loans from 30 June 2017. It keeps 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. Lenders use the credit report to assess your loan application. They may also take into consideration your income and expenses, such as rent and utilities. Different lenders have different criteria for approving loans.

The Irish Credit Bureau

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

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)

The information about the loan includes the:

• 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

What debts 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
• COVID payment breaks

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

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 (PPS) number
• Gender
• Eircode
• Telephone number

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

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

Is there a rating or score on my credit report?

Credit scoring, or credit rating, is a technique that summarises your credit status at a particular point in time.

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

Who else can access my credit report?

Only lenders can access your credit report.

No-one else can access your credit report on the Central Credit Register without your consent, for example, employers or landlords.

How do I know who has looked at my report?

Your credit report shows each time a lender has viewed your information and the reason they did so. This is called a ‘footprint’. It means that you know 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 in your credit report, you can apply to change it.

You can find out more in the factsheet How to request an amendment to information on my credit report (pdf).

If you believe you have been impersonated by someone else, you can place a notice of suspected impersonation on your report.

Add a statement to your credit report

You can add a personal statement to your credit record to clarify it (pdf). This is known as an ‘explanatory statement’.

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

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

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

You can get a copy of your credit report by applying online to the Central Credit Register or by email or post.

As part of the application, the Central Credit Register will need proof of your identity: your name, address and Personal Public Service Number (PPSN).

If you are applying by email, you must print, sign and scan your completed application form. Attach it to your email along with your identification documents.

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