How to Dispute an Error on Your Credit Report in Canada: Equifax and TransUnion

You pulled your credit report, something looked off, and now you’re not sure what to do next. Maybe a debt shows up that you already paid, an account you never opened is sitting there, or a hard inquiry appeared without your permission. Errors on Canadian credit reports are more common than most people realise, and they can quietly drag your credit score down, making it harder to get approved for a credit card, apartment, or even a phone plan. The good news: you have a legal right to dispute anything inaccurate, and both Equifax and TransUnion are required to investigate and correct legitimate errors. The process takes a bit of paperwork and patience, but it is completely doable on your own — no credit repair agency required.

Quick answer: To dispute a credit report error in Canada, request your free report from Equifax and TransUnion, identify the inaccuracy, and submit a written dispute with supporting documents directly to the bureau. Each bureau must investigate and respond, typically within 30 days. If the error is confirmed, they must correct or delete it.

How do you get your credit report for free in Canada?

Both Equifax and TransUnion are required by law to provide you with a free copy of your credit report on request. You can request it by mail, phone, or online through each bureau’s website. The free version is mailed to you within a few weeks; online services showing your report in real-time are often subscription products, so read the fine print before entering your credit card.

Your report from each bureau may look different — not all lenders report to both, so a collections account might appear on one report and not the other. That is why it matters to check both. Once you have your reports in hand, go through every section carefully: personal information, credit accounts, public records, and inquiries. Look for accounts you do not recognise, payments marked late that you have proof were on time, wrong balances, or duplicate entries. Write down exactly what is wrong and on which bureau’s report, because you will need to be specific in your dispute.

What counts as a disputable error on a Canadian credit report?

A disputable error is any information that is factually inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated. Common examples include a debt you paid that still shows as outstanding, an account that belongs to someone else (sometimes a mix-up with a family member), a bankruptcy that should have aged off your report (in most provinces, bankruptcies stay on your report for six to seven years from discharge), incorrect personal details like a wrong address or misspelled name, or a hard inquiry from a lender you never applied to.

What you cannot successfully dispute is accurate negative information you simply dislike — a late payment that genuinely happened, or a collection account that legitimately belongs to you. Disputing accurate information just wastes your time and the bureau’s, and it does not change the outcome. If you are unsure whether something is an error or just painful history, check out what actually moves your credit score in Canada to better understand how each item affects you before you file.

Quick tip: Pull both your Equifax and TransUnion reports before you dispute anything. The same error might appear on one bureau and not the other — each dispute goes to the bureau that holds the inaccurate data.

How do you file a dispute with Equifax or TransUnion in Canada?

Both bureaus accept disputes online, by mail, or by phone, but written disputes with documentation give you the strongest paper trail. Here is the process for each:

Equifax Canada: Log in at equifax.ca and use the online dispute form, or mail your dispute to Equifax Canada Co., National Consumer Relations, PO Box 190, Station Jean-Talon, Montreal, QC, H1S 2Z2. Include your full name, address, date of birth, a copy of government-issued ID, your account number, a clear explanation of what is wrong, and copies (never originals) of documents supporting your claim — a bank statement showing a payment, a letter from the creditor, or a court document.

TransUnion Canada: Visit transunion.ca and use the online dispute centre, or mail to TransUnion of Canada, Consumer Relations Centre, PO Box 338, LCD1, Hamilton, ON, L8L 7W2. The same documentation standards apply.

Each bureau is required to investigate your dispute with the lender or creditor who originally reported the information. That creditor must verify the information within a set timeframe. If they cannot verify it, or confirm it is wrong, the bureau must correct or delete the entry.

How long does a credit report dispute take in Canada?

Under Canadian consumer protection regulations and each bureau’s own policies, disputes are typically investigated within 30 days. After the investigation, the bureau will send you the results in writing. If the dispute is resolved in your favour, the corrected information will appear on your report within a few weeks. If the bureau sides with the creditor and the information stays, you have the right to add a 100-word consumer statement to your file explaining your position — this appears whenever a lender pulls your report.

If you are unhappy with the outcome, you can escalate. In most provinces, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada handles complaints about how credit bureaus manage your personal information. Some provinces, like Quebec, have their own privacy commissioners with overlapping jurisdiction. Keep copies of every letter, email, and document you send and receive — if you need to escalate, your paper trail is what makes the case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disputing an error hurt my credit score in Canada?

No. Initiating a dispute with Equifax or TransUnion does not generate a hard inquiry and does not lower your credit score. The dispute process only affects your score if an item is removed or corrected — and in that case, your score would typically improve, not drop. If a hard inquiry appeared on your report without your permission and you are disputing it, that inquiry is not created again by the dispute itself. You can learn more about the difference between hard and soft checks in our guide to hard vs soft credit inquiries in Canada.

How do I know if the dispute worked?

Both Equifax and TransUnion are required to notify you of the investigation results in writing. If the error was corrected, you will see the updated information on a new copy of your credit report. Request a fresh free copy from the bureau after receiving the outcome letter to confirm the change. If the lender updated the information after you reached out to them directly, you may still need to follow up with the bureau to make sure the change has been applied.

Can I dispute an error if the creditor insists the information is correct?

Yes. If the creditor verifies the information with the bureau and it stays on your report, you can add a consumer statement (up to 100 words) to your credit file disputing the accuracy. You can also escalate to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or consult a non-profit credit counsellor who can help you understand your options. In some cases, if you have strong documentation (like a cancelled cheque or a letter from the lender acknowledging the error), a second dispute with the additional evidence can change the outcome.

My credit score dropped recently — could it be due to an error?

It is possible, especially if a new collections account or late payment appeared that you do not recognise. The first step is to get your report from both bureaus and review every line. A sudden unexplained drop in your score is one of the clearest signals that something might be wrong. Our guide on why your credit score dropped and what to do walks through the most common causes and how to trace them.

How long do errors stay on a Canadian credit report if I do not dispute them?

Most negative information stays on your Canadian credit report for six to seven years from the date of the last activity, depending on the province. A genuine error stays just as long as accurate information if you never dispute it — so there is no benefit to waiting. The sooner you file, the sooner the bureau investigates, and the sooner incorrect information stops affecting your score. Bankruptcies follow a different timeline: they typically appear for six to seven years after discharge for a first bankruptcy, and up to fourteen years for a second.

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