Innovis is a consumer reporting agency that keeps credit files on consumers nationwide, which is why it’s often called the “fourth credit bureau.” The CFPB describes it as a company that “provides credit and identity verification data” and notes that it’s a subsidiary of CBC Companies (CFPB). You can get your Innovis report free, dispute errors, and freeze your file, but none of that changes your Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion reports.
This guide explains what Innovis is, what’s in its report, how to get it, and when it’s worth checking.
Key Takeaways
- Innovis is a separate credit bureau with its own file on you. It’s owned by CBC Companies.
- Your Innovis report is free online, by phone, or by mail.
- You can dispute errors and freeze your file directly with Innovis.
- Innovis freezes and fraud alerts don’t carry over to Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, and the reverse is also true.
- Correcting your Innovis file doesn’t change your big-three reports or your FICO Score or VantageScore from those bureaus.
What Is Innovis?
Innovis describes itself as a provider of “credit, identity, and authentication solutions” (Innovis). It’s one of the consumer reporting companies on the CFPB’s list, and it’s one of the four companies covered by the official prescreened-offer opt-out service, along with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (OptOutPrescreen.com).
In practice, lenders and other businesses use Innovis data for things like verifying identity and screening for credit offers. Most lending decisions, though, are based on reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Our guide to secondary credit bureaus explains how Innovis fits with the others.
What’s in Your Innovis Credit Report?
According to Innovis, your report “contains personal information such as your name, address, Social Security Number, date of birth, and telephone number. It also includes account history information and a list of companies that have reviewed your Innovis Credit Report” (Innovis).
That list of companies is one of the most useful parts. It shows who has looked at your Innovis file, which can point to identity theft or applications you don’t recognize.
How to Get Your Free Innovis Credit Report
| Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Online | Request form at innovis.com |
| Phone | 1-866-712-0021 |
| Innovis Consumer Assistance, P.O. Box 530088, Atlanta, GA 30353-0088, with Innovis’s mail request form |
How to Dispute Your Innovis Report
If something in your Innovis file is inaccurate or incomplete, you can request an investigation (Innovis):
- Online: through an Innovis personal account
- Phone: 1-866-712-0021
- Mail: Innovis’s Investigation Request form, sent to P.O. Box 530088, Atlanta, GA 30353-0088
Like any consumer reporting agency, Innovis must investigate for free, generally within 30 days, and contact the company that supplied the information (15 U.S.C. 1681i). Be specific about what’s wrong, and include copies of any documents that prove it.
Keep in mind what a successful dispute does and doesn’t do. It fixes your Innovis file. If the same error appears on your Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion reports, dispute it with those bureaus and with the company that reported it. Here’s how credit bureaus investigate disputes.
Innovis Credit Freeze
You can freeze your Innovis file online, by phone at 1-866-712-4546, or by mail. Innovis mails you a confirmation letter with a 10-digit PIN, which you’ll use to lift or remove the freeze (Innovis). Innovis’s freeze page doesn’t list a fee.
An Innovis freeze applies only to Innovis. If you want to block new credit in your name, freeze your files at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion too. Our guide to credit freezes explains how.
Freezing Innovis won’t help your disputes, either. Some online advice claims that freezing secondary bureaus keeps the big three from verifying your accounts. It doesn’t: the big three verify disputes with the company that reported the account, not with Innovis. Here’s why the secondary bureau freeze myth doesn’t work.
Innovis Fraud Alerts and Opt-Outs
- Fraud alerts: Innovis offers an initial fraud alert (12 months), an extended fraud alert (7 years), and an active duty alert (12 months). Innovis says it “does not share Fraud or Active Duty Alerts with Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion,” so place them separately at each bureau (Innovis).
- Prescreened offers: To stop prescreened credit and insurance offers based on your Innovis and big-three files, use OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688. You can opt out for five years online or permanently by mail.
When Should You Check Innovis?
- You suspect identity theft. Check the list of companies that reviewed your file and any accounts or addresses you don’t recognize.
- You were denied, and the notice names Innovis. You’re entitled to a free copy if you ask within 60 days (15 U.S.C. 1681m).
- Your big-three reports show another person’s information. A mixed file can show up at more than one bureau, so it’s worth checking Innovis too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Innovis legit?
Yes. Innovis is a consumer reporting agency on the CFPB’s list of consumer reporting companies, and it must follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act like the big three.
Is Innovis the fourth credit bureau?
That’s a common nickname, because Innovis keeps credit files on consumers nationwide. The three bureaus most lenders rely on are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Does Innovis affect my credit score?
Your FICO Score and VantageScore from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are calculated from those bureaus’ data. Changes to your Innovis file don’t change those scores.
Why do I have an Innovis report if I never applied with them?
Credit bureaus build files from information that lenders and other companies report, not from applications you make to the bureau itself.
Should I freeze my Innovis credit?
It can make sense for identity protection, especially if you’ve frozen your big-three files. It won’t remove anything from your reports or help your disputes.
What’s the Next Step?
Request your free Innovis report if you’re watching for identity theft or a denial notice names Innovis. For errors on the reports most lenders use, pull your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports and dispute there.
SmartDispute compares your three main reports side by side and drafts suggested disputes for each bureau and each reporting company, for you to review, change, and mail yourself. See how SmartDispute works.