What’s the difference between ClearScore and Experian?

At ClearScore, we work with Experian, one of the largest credit bureaus in South Africa. Experian South Africa is a registered credit bureau (NCRCB16) with the National Credit Regulator.

It’s one of the four credit bureaus in South Africa that is licensed to collect information about your borrowing habits, and put it into a credit report. When you apply for credit, you give lenders permission to check your credit report. This helps them decide whether to lend to you. ClearScore is not a credit bureau itself: it gives you access to the data that Experian holds on you. We do this for free, because we don’t think people should have to pay to access their own information.

Can ClearScore change the information on my report?

Because ClearScore shows you your Experian credit report, we can’t change any of the information ourselves. We simply show you the information Experian currently hold about you.

Need to raise a dispute? Contact Experian directly or through our contact form.

Can lenders see my ClearScore account?

Lenders can’t see your ClearScore account, and your ClearScore report won't directly affect your credit worthiness. However, your ClearScore account shows Experian data, which lenders do look at. For example, lenders can’t see the ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ factors in your ClearScore account in the exact way we have written them. When you apply for credit, lenders will go directly to Experian to look at your data rather than looking at how it appears in your ClearScore account. Bear in mind that your credit report is only one factor in a lender’s decision. They also look at the information on your application (e.g. job, salary, whether you’re a home owner) and any past dealings you’ve had with them.