Why you should check both illion and Experian credit reports on ClearScore

We're excited to announce that you can now see your illion credit score and report in your ClearScore account. This is in addition to your Experian credit score and report we’ve always shown you.

In Australia, there are three major credit bureaus that generate credit reports - illion, Experian and Equifax. The different credit bureaus will use their own scoring methods to decide your credit score. That’s why you might see one score from illion and a different one from Experian.

Checking multiple credit reports is a great habit to get into for lots of reasons. Let’s explore some of the main ones.

Different lenders will look at different credit reports

When you apply for credit - like a loan or credit card - the lender could look at any of your credit reports to help them make a lending decision. That means you should apply for credit when all of your reports are in the best possible position, because a better score could mean better offers.

So checking both your illion and Experian credit reports on ClearScore can help you avoid surprises or disappointments when applying for credit.

You get a more complete picture of how you're doing

By checking both your illion and Experian credit reports, you can get a more well-rounded understanding of your current position. You’ll have more information to help you see where you’re doing well and where you can improve because they use different parts of your credit history to make their reports.

You can easily identify errors in your credit report

Your credit report is the basis for your credit score, so it's important to ensure that it is accurate and up-to-date. By checking both your illion and Experian credit reports, it’s easier to cross reference them and identify any inconsistencies or errors they may contain. If you notice any mistakes, find out how to correct them here.

How to fix errors on your illion or Experian credit report

Genuine errors on a credit report can often be corrected, and it costs you nothing to ask for a correction. Under the Privacy Act and the Credit Reporting Code, both illion and Experian are legally required to investigate a correction request and fix anything that turns out to be inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or misleading. Here's how to work through it.

Common errors to look for

• Repayment history showing a missed payment in a month you actually paid on time

• Duplicate accounts - the same loan or card listed twice, doubling your apparent debt

• Credit enquiries you don't recognise, which can be a sign of fraud or identity theft

• Defaults listed for amounts under $150, or listed without the required notices being sent to you

• Closed accounts still showing as open, or credit limits that are higher than the ones you hold

• Identity mix-ups - someone else's file merged into yours because of a shared name or old address

• Old information that should have dropped off (under the Privacy Act 1988, most defaults come off after five years, credit enquiries after five years, and serious credit infringements after seven)

Step 1: Decide who to contact - the credit provider or the bureau

If the mistake is about a specific account - a payment marked late, a wrong limit, a default you dispute - go to the credit provider that listed it, because they own that data. If the mistake is about your personal details, a duplicated file, or information that should have expired, contact the bureau directly. You can lodge with either and they are obliged to consult each other, but going to the source is usually faster.

Step 2: Gather your evidence

• Bank statements or receipts showing the payment date

• Letters, emails or app screenshots confirming an account was closed or settled

• Your ID documents if the issue is a mix-up with another person's file

• A written note of dates, reference numbers and who you spoke to

Step 3: Lodge a correction request with illion or Experian

Submit the request in writing, name the exact entry you're disputing, explain why it's wrong, and attach your evidence. Keep a copy. You do not need to pay a credit repair company to do this for you - the process is free and you can run it yourself.

How long a correction takes and what happens to your score

Under the Privacy Act 1988, the bureau or credit provider generally has 30 days to investigate and respond, and they must tell you the outcome in writing. If more time is genuinely needed they must ask for your agreement to extend. Once an error is removed, your score is recalculated at the next update - a wrongly listed default or a cluster of enquiries you never made can be the single biggest drag on a score, so the change can be significant.

What to do if the correction is refused

If your request is knocked back, ask for the reasons in writing. You can then escalate free of charge to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), which handles complaints about credit providers and credit reporting bodies that are AFCA members, or to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) for privacy complaints under the Privacy Act 1988.

Does correcting an error on one bureau fix it on the other?

Not automatically. illion, Experian and Equifax hold separate files, so an entry corrected on your illion report can still be sitting on your Experian report. Check both, and lodge a request with each bureau that shows the error. If you spot a mistake, find out how to correct them here.

What’s the difference between illion and Experian?

Both illion and Experian are credit bureaus that generate credit scores and reports. However, they gather their credit data from different sources, meaning there could be differences in your credit reports.

Both provide valuable information, and having access to multiple scores and reports gives you a more comprehensive view of how you’re doing.

illion vs Experian vs Equifax: how the three Australian bureaus compare

Australia has three credit bureaus, and each one runs its own scoring model over its own pool of data. That's why the same person, on the same day, can have three different numbers. Here's how they line up.

Why the same person gets three different scores

Each bureau weights the same behaviours differently. One may put more emphasis on recent repayment history, another on how many accounts you hold or how recently you applied for credit. The scales aren't the same either - a 750 with Equifax sits near the bottom of its very good band of 735-852, while a 750 with Experian sits in the 700-799 very good band, because Equifax scores out of 1,200 while Experian scores out of 1,000. This also explains why chasing an 800 credit score in Australia isn't a single target: 800 is excellent territory on the illion and Experian scales, and very good on the Equifax scale.

Which bureaus you can see free on ClearScore

ClearScore shows you both your illion and Experian credit scores and credit reports, free, forever. Seeing two of the three gives you a much better read on how a lender is likely to view you than relying on one number alone.

Why one bureau may hold accounts the others don't

Credit providers choose which bureaus they report to, and many report to only one or two. A car finance arm, a buy-now-pay-later provider or a small personal lender might send your account to illion but not Experian - or the other way round. That's why an account can appear on one report and be completely absent from another, and why an enquiry from one application shows up in one place first.

How to check your reports

If you haven’t already, head to your ClearScore account and look at both your illion and Experian credit reports. Simply head to your 'Credit Report' page and use the ‘illion’ and ‘Experian’ tabs towards the top of the page to choose which score to look at. You can then use the ‘Reports’ section to take a deeper look at both your illion and Experian credit reports.

What to look for in your reports

Once you’ve checked both your illion and Experian credit scores, you can compare the reports. You should:

• Look for differences in the reports to identify any reporting errors

• Look for similarities in the reports, to identify areas you’re doing well and where you could improve

• Keep monitoring both scores and reports over time to stay on top of your creditworthiness

How to improve both your illion and Experian scores

The same handful of habits lift every credit score in Australia, because both illion and Experian are reading the same underlying behaviour - how reliably you repay, how much credit you're using and how often you're asking for more. Focusing on these habits can help how both reports look over time, though results vary and nothing is guaranteed.

Pay every account on time

Repayment history is the single biggest factor in both scores, and missed payments are the biggest killer of credit scores in Australia. Payments more than 14 days late can be recorded in your repayment history, and a default - a debt of $150 or more that's at least 60 days overdue, once the required notices have been sent - stays on your file for five years. Direct debits on the minimum payment for every card and loan are the cheapest insurance you can buy.

Lower your credit card limits and utilisation

Both bureaus see your total limits, not just your balances, and a high limit counts as debt you could draw down tomorrow. How balances and reported limits affect a score can vary by bureau, lender and individual credit file.

Space out credit applications

Every credit application leaves an enquiry on your file, and that enquiry stays there for five years. Several in a short window reads as financial stress, even if you were only shopping around. Leave a few months between applications, and use pre-approval or eligibility checks that don't leave a mark where you can.

Close accounts you no longer use - and when not to

Closing a dormant card removes an unused limit and tidies your file. But don't close your oldest account for the sake of it: length of credit history counts in your favour, so keep the long-standing account open and close the newer ones.

Check that positive repayment history is reaching both bureaus

Comprehensive credit reporting means on-time payments help you, not just late ones hurt you - but only if the provider reports them. If an account with two years of perfect payments appears on your illion report and not your Experian one, you're getting credit for good behaviour in only one place. Compare both reports and chase up anything missing.

Realistic timelines

• 30 days: enough to clear an overdue balance, reduce a card limit and have a corrected error removed. Expect a modest lift, not a transformation - anyone promising a 700 score in 30 days from a damaged file is overselling.

• 6 months: six consecutive months of on-time payments with low utilisation and no new applications is where most people see real movement, and it's a realistic runway for moving a score On good ground (500-699) into Looking bright (700-799).

• 2 years and beyond: moving from On good ground (500-699) into Looking bright (700-799) usually takes 12 to 24 months of consistent behaviour, and reaching Soaring high (800-1,000) generally needs several years of clean history, low utilisation and a settled mix of accounts.

Why one bureau may move before the other

Because your lenders report to different bureaus on different cycles, an improvement can show up on your illion score weeks before it appears on your Experian score, or vice versa. If one number moves and the other doesn't, give it another reporting cycle before assuming something's wrong - then check whether that account is actually being reported to both.

Summary

• ClearScore now shows you two credit scores and reports - from illion and Experian

• Checking multiple credit reports is a great habit to get into, it can help you improve your finances and safeguard your credit score

• You should compare your credit reports and look for similarities and differences

Check your credit scores

Check your illion and Experian credit scores in one easy-to-understand place, for free, forever. Sign up for ClearScore now.

illion and Experian credit reports: your questions answered

Which credit bureau do Australian lenders actually use?

There's no single answer - it's the lender's choice. Major banks often use more than one, car and equipment financiers frequently rely on illion or Equifax, and some fintech lenders use Experian. You generally won't know which report a lender will pull until you apply, so it pays to have both in good shape - though lenders also weigh your income, existing borrowing and whether the repayments are affordable.

Does checking my illion and Experian scores on ClearScore hurt them?

No. Checking your own scores and reports is a soft check. It's visible to you but doesn't affect your score and isn't used by lenders in their decision. You can check as often as you like.

Why is my illion score so much higher (or lower) than my Experian score?

Because the two bureaus hold different data and score it differently. One may not have an account or an enquiry the other does, and each weights repayment history, limits and applications in its own way. A gap between the two is normal - a very large gap is worth investigating, as it can point to an error or a missing account on one file.

Why can't I see my Equifax score on ClearScore?

ClearScore currently shows your illion and Experian scores and reports. Equifax is the third Australian bureau and you can request that report directly from them; you're entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each bureau.

Which score should I trust when applying for a car loan or mortgage?

Lenders may obtain different reports and make their own credit and affordability assessments, so your two scores can carry different weight depending on who pulls which report. Approval ultimately rests on the lender's own checks, including affordability.

How often do my illion and Experian reports update?

Most credit providers report account and repayment information monthly, so both reports refresh on a rolling monthly cycle. Different lenders report on different dates, which is why changes can appear on one report before the other.

What counts as a good score with illion and with Experian?

Both score out of 1,000. As a rough guide, 0-299 is below average, 300-499 is average, 500-699 is good, 700-799 is very good, and 800-1,000 is excellent. The band labels matter more than the exact number, because that's the level at which lenders tend to set their criteria.

Do both bureaus show the same defaults and enquiries?

Not necessarily. A default or enquiry only appears on a report if that credit provider reports to that bureau. It's common to find an enquiry on one report and not the other - another reason to check both rather than assume one tells the whole story.