If you’re like most people, your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your life. It can affect everything from the interest rate you pay on a car loan to whether or not you can rent an apartment.
But what if you don’t know your credit score? Or what if you’ve made some mistakes in the past and aren’t sure how to fix them?
That’s where Credit Sesame comes in.
What is Credit Sesame?
Credit Sesame is a free online service that helps people understand and improve their credit scores. In addition to providing a free credit score, Credit Sesame also offers tips on how to improve your credit rating, advice on how to get out of debt, and more.
If you’re considering using Credit Sesame’s services, or are just curious about what they can do for you, keep reading. This article will introduce you to Credit Sesame and tell you everything you need to know before signing up.
Are Credit Sesame Scores Really Free?
Credit Sesame provides completely free credit scores and reports without ever asking for credit card information. They also provide free identity theft protection as well as real-time monitoring when you sign up for an account with them.
Credit Sesame’s services are funded by advertising revenue and advertisements do appear on the site. However, these advertisements can be easily blocked if you don’t like them (more on this later).
You can decide later to sign-up for their paid tier, which offers users credit and financial insights. The plans start from $9.95 per month and can be canceled anytime.
To get started, Visit Credit Sesame’s signup page.
Is Credit Sesame Accurate?
Credit Sesame provides you with an “educational” credit score that is not as accurate as your actual FICO score. The score you get from Credit Sesame can be as much as 100 points lower or higher than your actual credit score.
That’s because Credit Sesame bases its results according to a soft inquiry of your credit, whereas the FICO score uses a hard inquiry (which is much more accurate).
Most banks and lenders will not accept an “educational” credit score. They do however rely on the FICO score for loan approvals and calculating interest rates.
Which Provider Does Credit Sesame Use?
Credit Sesame provides its members with a Free Credit Score from TransUnion. The score is based on the VantageScore® 3.0 scoring model provided by TransUnion. There are 3 credit bureaus that banks and lenders use to get your credit score. They can each have scores ranging from 300-850 using the VantageScore® 3.0 scoring model.
You can find out how to check your actual FICO Score for free as well.
Check out “What’s a FICO Score and how do I check my FICO Score for free”.
There, I explain what your FICO Score is and provide you with several methods to obtain it online.
What Does Credit Sesame Provide for Free?
You will get several services for free on Credit Sesame. These services include:
Identity Theft Protection
Credit Sesame provides members with Free Identity Theft Protection. A service offered by a few other Online Free Credit Report sites. Get alerts in the case your identity is used by someone else.
Identity Theft Insurance
$50,000 Identity Theft Insurance is also provided by Credit Sesame. This service is Free to all members when they sign up to get their free credit report from Credit Sesame. You can upgrade the insurance up to $1,000,000 with their premium service.
Fraud Resolution
Another feature rarely seen from online Free Credit Report sites, Fraud Resolution. Credit Sesame provides “Live” help for victims of Identity Theft. This feature can also be upgraded to “24/7 Live support” with a premium package. Even the Free version is better than most other free credit report sites, considering they don’t provide it at all.
Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts
Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts are available on a daily basis by Credit Sesame for Free. You can track important alerts daily either online or from the Credit Sesame App on a mobile device. Getting alerts when Credit Sesame detects a change on your credit report can be vital when working on Credit score Improvement.
Credit Sesame – Premium Paid Services
Along with the Free service Credit Sesame provides, they also provide Paid Services. The Paid services range from $9.95 to $19.95 per month and are broken down into several tiers. Here is a Chart of the Paid services Credit Sesame provides which includes the services of each package…
The Premium Paid services Credit Sesame provides include all of the Free membership benefits as well as others. Some of the Free benefits receive a massive boost. For example, you will be able to receive credit score updates from All 3 Bureaus instead of just 1. Another feature you can upgrade to is access to “24/7 Live Experts” that provide help with resolving Credit report Inaccuracies.
Credit Sesame – Safety and Online Security
Safety of your information
Providing sensitive financial information to online sites can be risky. CreditSesame claims to use the most current security and advanced encryption methods available. The same security that banks and government agencies use.
Information Sharing Policy
Credit Sesame also claims “We do not sell or share your information” on their website. Yet you can choose to opt-in and permit Credit Sesame to share marketing information with 3rd parties. This will allow you to receive related offers tailored to your financial situation.
Hurting your Credit Score
Checking your own Credit Score with Credit Sesame will Not hurt your score. It is only considered a soft credit check, used by individuals to get their own credit scores. It is not the same as when a Bank or lender pulls your credit report for a loan application. You will have to upgrade to a Premium Paid service to check your score more than once a month.
What to Expect When Signing up for Credit Sesame
Signing up for the Free Credit Report with Credit Sesame only takes about 90 seconds. Also, Credit Sesame does not ask for a Credit Card to check your scores or for their Free Services. The Online application is about 4 pages and is easy to follow.
You will be asked to enter your First and Last name, Date-of-birth, Current address (within the last 6 months), and finally the last 4 of your SSN. The next page will verify your identity with a few security questions only you would know.
Finally, you will be taken to your account page with your free Credit Report and the benefits mentioned above. Since using Credit Sesame is only considered a soft Credit Score check, you will not be required to enter your full SSN.
What to Expect After Signing up with Credit Sesame
Expect to see your Credit Score, provided by Transunion, after you sign up for the Free Credit Report. You will then have access to the free services mentioned above from Credit Sesame.
Finally, you can begin using the mobile App on a smartphone to receive Alerts as well. Or you can Log on to your online account from a PC.
Credit Sesame – Contact Information
- Email Contact – [email protected]
- Credit Sesame Website – https://www.creditsesame.com/
- Physical Address – 607 A West Dana St., Mountain View, CA 94041
- Credit Sesame Phone Number – 1-800-881-6590
Final Thoughts on Credit Sesame
Credit Sesame has been providing free credit scores since 2010. They provide services that are rarely available from other free credit score sites.
Their online application only takes about 90 seconds and is very easy to navigate. They include account access through the online portal as well as a mobile App. You have the option of checking your credit score without a Credit Card or having to sign up for free trials.
In conclusion, Credit Sesame is one of the best Free Credit Report Sites that doesn’t need a Credit Card. They offer many services to their members not found on most other sites. Combined with an easy-to-use online application and mobile App putting them high above the rest.
Comment below on how your experience is with Credit Sesame or other sites. Provide us your feedback if you would like to see other Free or Paid online Credit report sites reviewed.
