You’ve seen “checkmyfile” mentioned by a mortgage broker or turned up while searching for your credit report, and you want to know what it actually is before you hand over any card details. Checkmyfile is a UK subscription service that pulls your credit data from all three main credit reference agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, into a single report. This guide covers what it costs, how the free trial works, whether it’s safe to use, how checking it affects your credit score, and how to cancel if you decide it’s not for you.

What Is Checkmyfile?

Checkmyfile is a trading name of Credit Reporting Agency Limited, a company registered in England (company number 3719598) and based in Truro, Cornwall. It isn’t a credit reference agency itself. Instead, it collects the data that Experian, Equifax and TransUnion already hold on you and displays it in one combined report, so you don’t need three separate logins to see the full picture.

That matters because the three agencies don’t always hold identical information. A missed payment reported to Experian might not appear on your Equifax file, and lenders don’t all check the same agency before deciding whether to approve you. Checkmyfile’s report shows up to six years of credit history across all three, along with your electoral roll status, any linked financial associations with other people, and flags for potential fraud.

[Image: screenshot of a Checkmyfile credit report dashboard]

How Much Does Checkmyfile Cost?

New customers get a 7-day free trial, and the subscription costs £14.99 a month after that, according to the official checkmyfile.com pricing shown at the time of writing. You’ll need to enter payment card details to start the trial, and the subscription renews automatically each month unless you cancel it. The free trial only applies to new customers aged 18 or over who live in the UK.

Prices for subscription services change from time to time, so check the current figure on checkmyfile.com before you sign up rather than relying on any figure printed here or on a third-party site. Some older reviews online quote a 30-day trial or a slightly different monthly price, which reflects Checkmyfile’s previous pricing rather than what’s currently offered.

[Table: comparison of Checkmyfile’s free trial length and monthly price against free alternatives]

Is Checkmyfile Safe and Regulated?

Checkmyfile is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 690175, and it’s notified with the Information Commissioner’s Office under registration number Z6636832. Credit Reporting Agency Limited has traded under the Checkmyfile name since 1999, which makes it one of the longer-established multi-agency credit report services in the UK.

Being FCA-regulated doesn’t mean Checkmyfile guarantees a particular outcome, such as improving your credit score. It means the company is subject to the FCA’s rules on how it handles your financial data and communicates with you as a customer, in the same way banks and other regulated financial services firms are.

Does Checking Checkmyfile Affect Your Credit Score?

No, viewing your own credit report through Checkmyfile does not affect your credit score. When you check your own file, whether through Checkmyfile, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion or a free service like ClearScore, this creates what’s known as a soft search. Soft searches are only visible to you, never to lenders, and they have no impact on your ability to get credit in future.

This is different from a hard search, which happens when you formally apply for credit and a lender checks your full file. Hard searches are visible to other lenders and can affect your score if you make several applications in a short space of time. Checking your own report as often as you like, through Checkmyfile or anywhere else, doesn’t carry that risk.

How to Cancel Checkmyfile

Cancelling doesn’t require anything complicated, and Checkmyfile’s own help centre sets out a straightforward process. You can cancel at any point, including during the free trial, and you’ll keep access until the end of whatever period you’ve already paid for.

1. Log in to your Checkmyfile account and click your initials in the top-right corner of the page (or bottom-left on mobile).
2. Select the ‘Billing’ tab, where your current membership details are displayed.
3. Click ‘Cancel’ and follow the on-screen prompts to confirm.
4. Check for a confirmation email and secure message. If neither arrives, your subscription may not have been cancelled successfully.

If you’d rather not cancel online, you can email help@checkmyfile.com, send a secure message through your account, or call 01872 304050 during office hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Weekends and bank holidays are closed. Note that if you cancel while a dispute is still open, Checkmyfile says it will continue working on any dispute raised before you cancelled, even though your subscription access ends.

Checkmyfile vs Free Alternatives

Checkmyfile isn’t the only way to see your credit reports, and several genuinely free options exist if you’re happy checking each agency separately rather than in one combined view.

The trade-off is fairly simple. The free services each cover one agency and typically update monthly, while Checkmyfile brings all three together with daily updates and a dispute resolution service where qualified credit analysts help you challenge inaccurate entries, such as an old financial association with a former partner or housemate that’s dragging down your score. For a one-off check ahead of a mortgage application, some people use the free trial and cancel before the first charge; for ongoing monitoring across all three agencies, the paid subscription becomes the more practical option.

Is Checkmyfile Worth Paying For?

Whether it’s worth the £14.99 a month depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you’re preparing for a mortgage application, a broker will often want to see a Checkmyfile-style multi-agency report specifically because it shows what different lenders might see across all three agencies, rather than a single-agency snapshot that could miss something. In that context, even a short paid subscription can be genuinely useful.

If you just want a general sense of your credit score for peace of mind, the free single-agency services cover that need without a subscription. The gap tends to open up when your finances are more complicated, for example if you’ve had accounts with several lenders, a joint account with a partner, or you suspect fraudulent activity on your file, since Checkmyfile’s combined view makes discrepancies between agencies easier to spot.

What to Do Next

• Checkmyfile combines your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit reports into one report, updated daily, for £14.99 a month after a 7-day free trial.
• It’s authorised and regulated by the FCA (firm reference 690175) and notified with the ICO (registration Z6636832).
• Checking your own report through Checkmyfile is a soft search and never affects your credit score.
• Cancel any time through the ‘Billing’ tab in your account, by email, or by calling 01872 304050 during office hours.
• If you only need one agency’s data, free services like the Experian app, ClearScore or MoneySavingExpert Credit Club cover that without a subscription.

FAQ

Q: What is checkmyfile? Checkmyfile is a UK subscription service, trading as Credit Reporting Agency Limited, that combines your credit report data from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion into a single view. It isn’t a credit reference agency itself; it collects and displays information that the three agencies already hold on you.

Q: Is checkmyfile free? New customers get a 7-day free trial, but it isn’t free ongoing. After the trial, it costs £14.99 a month unless you cancel, and you’ll need to provide card details when you sign up.

Q: How much does checkmyfile cost after the free trial? Checkmyfile currently costs £14.99 a month after the 7-day free trial, according to its official website. Check checkmyfile.com directly before signing up, since subscription prices can change.

Q: Does checkmyfile affect your credit score? No, checking your own credit report through Checkmyfile creates a soft search, which is only visible to you and has no effect on your score. This applies whether you check through Checkmyfile, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion or any other service.

Q: Is checkmyfile safe to use? Yes, Checkmyfile is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and notified with the Information Commissioner’s Office. It has traded under the Checkmyfile name since 1999.

Q: How do I cancel checkmyfile? Log in, click your initials, go to the ‘Billing’ tab and select ‘Cancel’, or contact Checkmyfile by email, secure message or phone. You’ll keep access until the end of your current paid period, and you’ll receive a confirmation email once cancellation is processed.

Q: Is checkmyfile better than ClearScore or Experian? It depends on what you need. Checkmyfile combines all three agencies in one paid report with daily updates, while ClearScore and the Experian app are free but each only cover one agency, so the better option depends on whether you need the combined view or just a general score check.

Q: Who owns checkmyfile? Checkmyfile is a trading name of Credit Reporting Agency Limited, a company registered in England under company number 3719598, based at 20-21 Lemon Street, Truro, Cornwall. The company has traded under the Checkmyfile brand since 1999.