Overview

Experian is one of the three national credit reporting agencies and, therefore, an authority in credit reporting and monitoring services. It employs over 17,000 people worldwide and had a net income in 2014 of $754 million. Experian Consumer Services, the credit reporting arm of the company, was started in 1993 and it's a BBB accredited business with an A+ rating. Experian also owns several other websites offering credit services, such as CreditScore.com, CreditReport.com, Consumerinfo.com, and FreeCreditReport.com.

What Services Does Experian Offer?

Experian provides full credit reporting and monitoring services. This includes unlimited access to Experian's credit report and a monthly statement with your FICO score. Customers can get one-time access to all three bureaus' credit reports and FICO scores; daily credit monitoring of your Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion credit reports, up to $1 million identity theft insurance, a score simulator, access to an online dispute tool and business-specific credit reporting and monitoring tools.

Unlike other credit reporting companies that only provide their proprietary credit scores, Experian gives users access to their FICO Score 8 credit score. This is a popular credit score many lenders use. Around 90 percent of lenders use FICO scores when assessing the credit eligibility of borrowers.

How Does Experian Work?

Experian offers three main credit products: Experian CreditWorks^SM, 3-Bureau Credit Report, and Experian IdentityWorks^SM. Experian CreditWorks^SM offers unlimited access to your Experian credit report and FICO score, email alerts on important changes to your credit file, $50,000 identity theft insurance and access to a team of fraud support specialists.

Experian IdentityWorks^SMIdentity Theft Protection offers gives users access to their Experian credit report, daily monitors their Equifax and TransUnion credit reports, provides email alerts on key changes to their credit file, scans the internet for personal information and checks its accuracy, includes a $1 million identity theft insurance and has a dedicated fraud support team. The 3-Bureau Credit Report gives a one-time snapshot of your credit file. This includes your three credit reports and FICO scores.

As with all credit reporting companies, users must confirm their register an account and confirm their identity before they can access credit scores and reports. This requires users to provide personal information, such as name, date of birth and Social Security Number.

How Much Does It Cost?

Experian's CreditWorks^SM costs $21.95 every month. When you order your $1 Credit Report & FICO^® Score, you will begin your 7-day trial membership in Experian CreditWorks^SM. If you don't cancel your membership within the 7-day trial period*, you will be billed $21.95 for each month that you continue your membership. You may cancel your trial membership anytime within the trial period without charge.

The Three-Bureau Credit Report and FICO Scores cost $39.95.

The Experian IdentityWorks^SM costs $9.95 a month. The Experian IdentityWorks Premium costs $19.99

Remember that Experian CreditWorks^SM and The Experian IdentityWorks^SM are subscription products, which means they will continue to charge you until you cancel them. 

Experian IdentityWorks^SM Disclosure: “When you order your Experian IdentityWorks^SM you will begin your free 30-day trial membership in Experian IdentityWorks^SM. If you do not cancel your membership within the trial period, you will be billed $9.95 each month ($19.95 if you choose the premium version) that you continue your membership. You may cancel your trial membership anytime within the trial period without charge.”

How is Experian Better/Worse Than Other Credit Reporting Companies?

Experian provides full access to credit reports, FICO scores and daily monitoring from the three main credit reporting agencies. It also provides access to business credit tools few other credit reporting companies include. Experian is one of the three national credit reporting agencies and a worldwide credit and risk assessment specialist. It has been in business for over 22 years and has an A+ rating with the BBB.