CIBIL vs. Experian vs. Equifax vs. CRIF High Mark

Credit Information Companies (CICs), also known as Credit Bureaus are specialized financial institutions, licensed by the Reserve Bank of India, to collect and maintain data related to the credit information of individuals, companies and commercial enterprises in India. This consumer information is subsequently used by these credit bureaus to generate credit reports/score of individual borrowers and credit ranks of companies. At present there are four leading credit bureaus or Credit Information Companies in India as discussed further:

• TransUnion CIBIL
• Equifax
• Experian
• CRIF High Mark

Despite performing similar functions, there are some key differences between the four Credit Bureaus which are discussed in detail below:

TransUnion CIBIL

TransUnion CIBIL Limited (Formerly known as Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited) is a renowned Credit Information Company (CIC) that maintains credit information of over 1000 million individuals and businesses worldwide. In India, TransUnion CIBIL is considered as one of the most trusted credit bureaus. Its members include all major banks, financial institutions, Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) and NBFCs. TransUnion CIBIL maintains one of the largest consumer credit information and generates CIBIL score that helps in measuring the creditworthiness of consumers. It also generates Credit Information Reports (CIR) and CIBIL Commercial Reports and CIBIL Ranks for commercial enterprises.

Equifax

Registered as a Credit Information Company (CIC) in India since 2010 and headquartered in Mumbai, Equifax India is a joint venture between Equifax Inc., USA and seven leading financial institutions in India. Equifax India collates credit information of individuals and commercial entities, as provided by the financial institutions. The credit information of consumers is further presented in form of Credit Information Reports (CIRs) and Credit Scores that is calculated and generated by using a specific algorithm. Equifax also manages a separate credit bureau to cater to the increasing lending and regulatory needs of Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs).

Experian

In 2010, Experian became the first credit bureau to receive a license under the new Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act (CICRA) 2005. Experian India offers its own Experian credit report and score for use by both individuals and companies. It offers information, marketing services and analytical tools to individuals and commercial enterprises to make informed credit decisions.

CRIF High Mark

Headquartered in Mumbai, CRIF High Mark claims to be India’s first full service credit bureau which offers comprehensive credit information for all borrower segments across India including retail consumers, MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) as well as commercial and microfinance borrowers. Besides, providing credit reports and credit scores, this credit bureau also offers analytics, insights, data management and related software solutions to banks, MFIs, NBFCs, Housing Finance Companies, Insurance Companies Telecom service providers, etc.

Comparison between TransUnion CIBIL, Equifax, Experian & CRIF High Mark

The following table compares some of the key aspects of the four credit bureaus currently operating in India:

FAQs

Q. Why is there a difference in the credit score generated by different credit bureaus for the same individual?

Ans. Each bureau has its own unique proprietary algorithm which it uses to calculate a person’s credit score and the exact breakup of these factors is not known. Thus even the same individual’s credit score varies from one credit bureau.

Q. Are Credit Reports and Credit Scores generated by all the four credit bureaus equally valid?

Ans. Credit Reports and credit scores generated by all four credit information companies are equally valid even though there might be a difference in the credit score generated by each of them. This is because lenders such as banks and financial institutions report the same information to all the credit bureaus. Moreover, all four credit bureaus – CIBIL, Equifax, Experian and CRIF Highmark are licensed by RBI.

Q. Who can access the Credit Report?

Ans. Consumers (individuals and commercial entities), Members (such as banks and financial institutions), insurance companies, collection agencies, government agencies, employers and telecom service providers can access credit reports in India.

Q. Can I avail a Credit Report for free?

Ans. Yes. You can avail your free credit report with monthly updates from multiple credit bureaus through Paisabazaar.com.

Q. What is the difference between credit score, CIBIL score and CIBIL rank?

Ans. Credit score is a 3-digit numeric summary of your credit history between 300 and 900 that is generated by any of the 4 credit bureaus operating in India. A credit score generated specifically by TransUnion CIBIL is known as a CIBIL score. While both credit score and CIBIL score are applicable to individuals, CIBIL Rank is applicable to commercial borrowers i.e. companies. CIBIL Rank acts as a summary of the credit history contained in a CIBIL Company Credit Report (CCR). CIBIL Rank is between 1 and 10 with 1 being best and 10 being worst.

Q. How often do creditors report credit information to credit bureaus?

Ans. Most creditors (banks and financial institutions) report changes/new credit information to credit bureaus on a monthly basis. After receiving this information, the credit bureaus update the information on an individual’s credit report.

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