How to Check Other People's Credit

Before you extend credit to a customer or lease a property to a potential renter, you may want to make sure that he is financially responsible. Obtaining a credit report can give you a glimpse at how much debt someone has and whether or not they have a history of paying it back on time. Doing a little bit of homework before entering a potentially risky financial transaction can save you a lot of trouble in the future.

Instructions

How to check other people's credit.

1

Obtain written permission from the person whose credit you would like to check. It is illegal to check someone else's credit without permission.

2

Gather the necessary information. You will need his social security number, full name, date of birth, and address. You may also need his previous address for verification.

3

Contact the credit reporting agency that you want to use. The credit bureaus operate independently of one another, so each report will be slightly different. You can contact them by calling 1-888-202-4025 for Equifax, 1-888-414-1120 for Experian or 1-866-922-2100 for TransUnion.

4

Identify yourself to the representative and tell her that you would like to purchase a credit report for someone else. Tell her that you have written permission. She will guide you through the process of obtaining a credit report.

5

Notify the person for whom you obtained a credit report of your decision. You are legally required to let him know if you are denying him credit based on information found in his credit report.