Credit freeze vs credit lock — one is free and federally guaranteed, one isn't
After a data breach, the advice is almost always "freeze your credit." Bureaus also sell something called a credit "lock" that sounds identical but isn't legally the same thing.
Credit freeze: a legal right, free, at all three bureaus
Since 2018, federal law requires Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to offer credit freezes for free, to anyone, with no time limit. A freeze restricts access to your credit report, which stops most lenders from being able to open new credit in your name — since almost every new account application involves a credit check, and a frozen file blocks that check from going through.
- You have to freeze all three bureaus separately — freezing one doesn't freeze the others, since lenders can pull from any of them
- You can temporarily lift it (for a specific window, or for a specific creditor) when you actually need new credit — a mortgage, a new credit card, a phone plan — then it goes back to frozen
- It doesn't affect your credit score, and doesn't prevent you from using your existing accounts
Credit lock: a paid convenience product, not a legal right
A "lock" is a proprietary product each bureau sells, often bundled into paid credit monitoring subscriptions, marketed as a faster and more convenient toggle (an app switch instead of a formal freeze/unfreeze request). The catch:
- It's governed by a private user agreement, not the federal freeze law — the specific protections and guarantees depend entirely on that company's terms, which can change
- It often comes with arbitration clauses and other contract terms you're agreeing to that a free legal freeze doesn't require
- It's frequently paid, wrapped into monitoring services with a monthly fee, when the underlying protection (blocking new account access) is available for free through a freeze
Why the confusion is by design
Bureaus have a financial incentive to move people toward paid "lock" products bundled with monitoring subscriptions, marketed with language deliberately similar to "freeze." The free, federally guaranteed freeze does the core job — blocking new accounts — without a subscription.
How to actually freeze your credit
Do it directly through each bureau's official freeze page (not a third-party site):
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Each will ask you to verify your identity and will give you a PIN or credentials to unfreeze later — save those somewhere secure, since you'll need them to lift the freeze when you actually apply for credit.
What a freeze doesn't protect against
It doesn't stop existing account fraud (someone using a card you already have), doesn't stop tax refund fraud, and doesn't stop non-credit-related identity misuse. It's specifically aimed at stopping new accounts from being opened in your name — pair it with monitoring your existing statements and, if relevant, an IRS Identity Protection PIN for tax fraud specifically.
Quick reference
- A credit freeze is free by federal law at all three bureaus and blocks new account openings
- A credit lock is a paid, private convenience product with weaker, contract-based protections
- You must freeze all three bureaus separately — one doesn't cover the others
- Freezing doesn't hurt your credit score or affect existing accounts
- A freeze doesn't stop fraud on accounts you already have — only new ones