FreeCreditScore.com is a consumer credit reporting site owned by ConsumerInfo.com.  Experian is the parent of both companies.  ConsumerInfo.com has been in operation since 1995 and serves more than 3.1 million members.

Experian is a major player in the credit industry and the company serves customers in more than 90 countries worldwide.
FreeCreditScore.com offers credit monitoring, credit score monitoring and a credit score centre where they explain how your credit score works and what factors affect it.

Try Before You Buy

FreeCreditScore.com offers a free 7-day trial membership when you order a free credit report.  When you sign up you will be required to provide your credit card details, and in order to verify your credit card you will be billed $1.  This fee will be reversed within a few days, so in fact you pay nothing for the trial membership.

If you do not intend to use the membership beyond the 7-day period, you must cancel your membership.  If you do not cancel, you will be charged $14.95 monthly.

During the free trial and full membership, FreeCreditScore.com will use your Experian information to calculate your credit score.  The score shown on the company’s home page, monthly statement and score center is also based on the information at Experian.

If you want FreeCreditScore.com to monitor your TransUnion and Equifax information you will need to pay a one-time fee for your Three-Bureau Report and Scores.

Full Membership Benefits

If you live in New York you are not eligible for the membership, but as a full member you have a number of benefits available to you:

PLUS score and Experian Credit Report:

The PLUS score ranges from 330 to 380 and it is a score model which was developed by Experian.  While it is not used by lenders for assessing your credit worthiness, it will give you an indication of your overall credit worthiness.

Daily alerts regarding changes to your credit:

One important step in fighting ID fraud is being aware of unauthorized activities.  The daily monitoring alerts will help you identify and address unauthorized transactions quickly.

Fraud Resolution Support:

FreeCreditScore.com staff is available to assist you if your cards have been stolen or lost.

Product Guarantee

If the products or services of FreeCreditScore.com failed, and you or any enrolled children fall victim to identity theft then the company will reimburse you for certain expenses incurred, subject to their terms and conditions.  The guarantee usually covers, stolen funds, legal fees, lost wages, private investigators and other miscellaneous charges.  For a full list, please read the extended terms and conditions to familiarize yourself with what is covered.

Additional Services

For added protection and an enhanced service, the following can be purchased alongside your membership:

ChildSecure:

This product is designed to protect your child’s credit. For an additional $6.95 per month, FreeCreditScore.com will alert you if anyone tries to apply for credit in your child’s name. Only children registered under the ChildSecure product would be protected and the product limits the number to five enrolments.

CardSafe:

This is a card registry product that allows FreeCreditScore.com to keep a log of your credit cards.  If your cards are lost or stolen then you don’t need to call all the credit card companies, one call to FreeCreditScore.com and they will do all the legwork for you.  CardSafe is available for $19.95 every year or just over $1.66 per month.

Support

As a member of FreeCreditScore.com , there are a number of methods to access support staff:

• You can email support@FreeCreditScore.com
• The customer care team is available to answer you queries at 1-877-300-2506.  The call centre is open Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday- and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time

Bottom Line

FreeCreditScore.com offers a basic credit monitoring service which you can build on by adding additional services for additional costs.  There are other services on the market which offer monitoring of all three bureaus for the price FreeCreditScore.com charges for Experian monitoring only.  At the end of the day you will need to decide if you need the basic service or if a more comprehensive product will better suit your needs.