How to Check Your CIBIL Score for Free (Step-by-Step)

You can check your CIBIL score for free on cibil.com: RBI rules entitle every individual with a credit record to one free full credit report, including the score, from each credit bureau once every calendar year (January to December). You will typically need your PAN, a mobile number and an email ID, and checking your own score never lowers it.

Key takeaways

• RBI requires each of India's four credit bureaus to give you one Free Full Credit Report (FFCR), with your score, once a calendar year.
• The free CIBIL report is on cibil.com. If you already used it in 2026, the next free one opens on 1 January 2027.
• Experian, Equifax and CRIF (formerly CRIF High Mark) must offer the same, so you can see up to four free reports a year.
• Checking your own score is a soft inquiry. It does not appear to lenders and does not affect your score.
• Only use the bureau's own website or a regulated platform. Never share an OTP with anyone who calls you about your score.

Your legal right to a free credit report

Since 1 January 2017, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has required every Credit Information Company (CIC) to give individuals one free full credit report a year. A CIC, often called a credit bureau, is a company licensed by RBI to collect repayment data from banks and NBFCs and turn it into reports and scores.

The rule is now part of RBI's Credit Information Reporting Directions. In plain terms, it says:

• The report must be available electronically, on request, after the bureau verifies who you are.
• It must include your credit score and be as detailed as the report lenders see.
• You get it once, at any time, during each January to December year.
• Every bureau must show the link to the free report on its home page.

Because there are four bureaus, you are entitled to four free reports a year, one from each. That matters, because the four rarely show the exact same number. We explain why in CIBIL score vs other credit scores.

What you need before you start

Keep these ready. The process takes 5 to 10 minutes if your details match what lenders have reported.

Item	Why it is needed
PAN	The main identifier bureaus use to match your records
Mobile number	For OTP verification; ideally the one linked to your loans or cards
Email ID	To create your login and receive alerts
Date of birth and address	Used to match and verify your identity
Loan or card details (sometimes)	If OTP matching fails, the bureau may ask questions about your accounts

Use the mobile number you gave your lenders. If the bureau cannot match you instantly, it may ask you to answer questions about your existing loans or upload identity documents, which takes longer.

Step-by-step: get your free CIBIL score on cibil.com

1. Go to the free CIBIL score page on cibil.com. Type the address yourself rather than tapping a link in an SMS or WhatsApp message.
2. Choose the free annual report option, not a paid subscription plan. The free report does not ask for payment.
3. Create an account with your name, email ID, password and mobile number.
4. Enter your PAN and the other identity details the form asks for.
5. Verify the OTP sent to your mobile number.
6. Answer any identity questions if the system asks for them.
7. Your CIBIL score and full report appear on the dashboard. Download the PDF for your records.

If you already have a myCIBIL account, log in and look for the free annual report option.

What if CIBIL shows "NH" or "NA"?

You will see NH (no history) or NA (not available) instead of a number when CIBIL does not have enough data to score you. It is not a negative mark in itself. It usually means you are new to credit, have had no active loan or card for a long time, or only hold add-on cards. Read what new-to-credit (NTC) means for your CIBIL score if this is you.

Free reports from the other three bureaus

The same RBI rule applies to Experian, Equifax and CRIF. Each has a free annual report link on its home page. The steps are similar: register, verify with PAN and OTP, and download.

Bureau	Score range	Free annual report
TransUnion CIBIL	300-900	Yes, once per calendar year
Experian	300-900	Yes, once per calendar year
Equifax	300-900	Yes, once per calendar year
CRIF (formerly CRIF High Mark)	300-900	Yes, once per calendar year

RBI requires all bureaus to calibrate scores on the same 300-900 scale, so the numbers are broadly comparable even though each bureau uses its own model.

A practical trick: stagger your free reports. Pull CIBIL in January, Experian in April, Equifax in July and CRIF in October. You get a free look at your credit health every quarter without paying anything.

Other free ways to see your score

Many banks, card issuers and loan marketplaces show you a credit score for free inside their apps. They get it from a bureau with your consent, and it counts as a soft inquiry, so it does not hurt your score.

On ClickPe, for example, checking your score and the offers you may be eligible for is a soft inquiry. It shows you where you stand before you decide to apply for a personal loan or a credit card.

Keep two things in mind with app-based scores:

• The app may show a score from Experian, Equifax or CRIF rather than CIBIL. Check which bureau it names.
• Some apps show only the score, not the full report with account-level detail. To spot errors, you need the full report.

Free annual report vs paid subscription

CIBIL and the other bureaus also sell paid plans that refresh your score more often and send alerts. Check current plan prices on the bureau's own site.

Feature	Free annual report	Paid subscription
Cost	Free	Paid, varies by plan
How often	Once per calendar year per bureau	Repeated access during the plan
Full report with accounts and enquiries	Yes	Yes
Affects your score	No	No

For most people, four free reports a year plus a free score in a banking app is enough. A paid plan makes sense only if you are actively repairing your score, tracking a dispute, or applying for a big loan such as a home loan and want to watch every change.

What to do after you see your score

Your score is just the summary. The report underneath is what lenders read. Once you have it, spend 10 minutes on these checks:

1. Personal details. Is your name spelled correctly? Are the PAN, date of birth and addresses yours?
2. Accounts. Do you recognise every loan and card? Are closed loans shown as closed?
3. Payment history. Are there late payments you do not remember?
4. Enquiries. Did you apply to every lender listed in the enquiry section?

If something is wrong, raise a dispute. Our guide on how to fix errors in your CIBIL report walks through the process and the RBI timelines. For a section-by-section walkthrough, see how to read your credit report.

A quick example

Ritu, a salaried employee in Pune earning ₹45,000 a month, pulls her free CIBIL report in March before applying for a personal loan. Her score is 712. In the report she finds a credit card she closed two years ago still shown as active with a small balance. She raises a dispute, the bank confirms the closure, and the account is updated. She now applies with an accurate report instead of one that suggests extra debt.

Stay safe while checking your score

Scammers use "free CIBIL score" offers to collect PAN details and OTPs. Protect yourself:

• Type the bureau's web address yourself. Do not trust links in unsolicited messages.
• The free annual report never asks for card details or payment.
• No genuine bureau or lender will call and ask you to read out an OTP.
• Be wary of anyone offering to "fix" or "boost" your score for a fee. Only the lender that reported the data can correct it.

If you suspect someone has opened a loan in your name, look at the enquiry and account sections of your report first, then contact the lender and the bureau.

How often should you check?

Lenders now report to bureaus four times a month, so your report can change within weeks. A sensible rhythm:

• Every quarter using your staggered free reports and app-based scores.
• Two to three months before any big application, such as a home loan or car loan, so you have time to fix errors.
• Right after closing a loan, to confirm it shows as closed and not settled.

If your score is lower than you hoped, our step-by-step plan on how to improve your CIBIL score is the next read.

FAQ

Is it really free to check my CIBIL score?

Yes. RBI requires TransUnion CIBIL to give you one free full credit report with your score once every calendar year. You do not need to pay or enter card details for this. Anything more frequent from CIBIL itself is a paid subscription.

Does checking my own CIBIL score reduce it?

No. When you check your own score, it is treated as a soft inquiry. Such checks are not lender enquiries and do not affect your score. Only enquiries made by lenders when you apply for credit can affect it.

I already used my free CIBIL report this year. What now?

You can get your free report from Experian, Equifax or CRIF instead, since each bureau gives one free report a year. Many banking and marketplace apps also show a free score through a soft inquiry. Your next free CIBIL report becomes available on 1 January.

Why does CIBIL say NH or NA instead of a score?

It means CIBIL does not have enough credit history to calculate a score. This usually happens when you have never had a loan or card, or have had no active credit for a long time. It is not a negative mark, but some lenders may want you to build a little history first.

Can I check my CIBIL score without a PAN?

PAN is the main identifier, and most people should use it. The bureau may accept other identity documents in some cases, but matching is more reliable with PAN. Use the same details you gave your lenders so your records are found.