To fix an error in your credit report, raise a dispute on the website of the bureau that shows it: CIBIL, Experian, Equifax or CRIF High Mark. Under RBI rules the lender gets 21 days and the bureau the rest of a 30-day limit. If it takes longer, you are owed ₹100 for every day of delay.
Check all four bureaus. Lenders must report to every RBI-registered bureau, so one wrong entry usually shows up in several reports. Each bureau gives you one free full report a year.
If nobody fixes it: use the bureau's or lender's escalation contacts, then complain free at cms.rbi.org.in (RBI Ombudsman) once 30 days pass without a reply, or if you're unhappy with the reply.
A credit report error costs you more than a few points. It can mean a rejected home loan, a higher interest rate, or a recovery agent calling about a card you closed three years ago. Most guides only cover CIBIL, and few explain how the compensation is actually paid. This guide covers all four bureaus, and every rule below is quoted from the RBI's own directions or the bureaus' own pages.
First, why the error is probably in more than one report
India has four credit information companies (CICs): TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax and CRIF High Mark. RBI's directions say a lender shall become member of all the CICs registered with the RBI and must submit borrowers' credit data to all CICs. So if a bank reports something wrong, it usually reaches all four. Fixing it at one bureau doesn't guarantee the others update in step, so check each report.
Each bureau has to give you one Free Full Credit Report, including your score, once every calendar year (January to December), electronically, on request. That's four free reports a year, one from each.
What counts as an error
- A loan or card that isn't yours. Either an identity mix-up with someone who has a similar name or date of birth, or a fraudulent loan taken on your PAN.
- A closed or repaid account still showing as open or unpaid. CIBIL's dispute page lists this as a common case.
- Wrong payment history. A days-past-due (DPD) mark for a month you paid on time, or a recent payment that hasn't shown up.
- Wrong balance, limit or status, such as "settled" or "written off" where you repaid in full.
- Wrong personal details: name spelling, address, phone, PAN or date of birth.
- Enquiries you didn't make. An enquiry from a lender you never applied to can be an early sign of fraud.
One thing a bureau dispute won't fix is how your score is calculated. RBI's compensation framework expressly excludes disputes about the computation of the credit score or the score model. Dispute the wrong data, and the score follows.
If a loan app is also harassing you or messaging your contacts about a debt, that is a separate problem with its own complaint routes: what to do about loan app harassment.
How to dispute a credit report error, step by step
Pull a fresh report from each bureau
Download your free annual report from each bureau and note every wrong line: lender name, account number (last digits), and the exact field that's wrong. Get a fresh copy right before you dispute. CIBIL says only reports from the past 60 days are eligible for dispute, and Equifax asks for the Report Order Number of the report showing the error.
Gather your proof
The bureau can't change anything on its own. CIBIL notes that under the CIC Act no correction can be made without confirmation from the concerned bank/financial institution. Your evidence is what gets the lender to confirm. Keep:
- the loan closure letter or No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a closed account;
- bank statements or payment receipts for months marked late;
- PAN and address proof for identity mix-ups;
- for a loan you never took, your complaint acknowledgement from cybercrime.gov.in and your written complaint to the lender.
Raise the dispute with each bureau that shows the error
Every bureau takes disputes online:
- TransUnion CIBIL: log in and raise it from your latest report. Start at cibil.com/consumer-dispute-resolution. CIBIL says dispute resolution is a FREE service.
- Experian: the dispute portal is linked from experian.in/consumer/consumer-services, which also lists phone and email support.
- Equifax: the consumer dispute form is linked from equifax.co.in consumer redressal. Have your Report Order Number, the dispute type (ownership, balance, status) and any documents, such as a bank NOC, ready.
- CRIF High Mark: log in, open your report and raise a query. Instructions are at crifhighmark.com/raise-a-dispute.
RBI requires the complaint form to let you enter your bank account or UPI ID for compensation. Fill it in. RBI puts the onus of giving correct details on you.
Tell the lender in writing too
RBI's 30-day clock runs from when you first complain to either the lender or a bureau. Writing to the lender's grievance channel with the same evidence does two things: it puts the lender on notice directly, and it's the "first approach" the RBI Ombudsman needs to see if you escalate later. If several lenders reported wrong data, RBI's directions say to register the complaint with the bureau, which coordinates with all of them.
Track it and diarise day 30
Save the dispute reference number and the date you filed. The bureau must tell you what was done, including the reasons if your dispute is rejected. If the matter is still unresolved, you can ask for a comment to be added to your report showing that the information is disputed.
The ₹100-a-day compensation: how it actually works
The RBI introduced the framework in a circular dated 26 October 2023 (RBI/2023-24/72). CIBIL says it took effect on 26 April 2024. It's now part of the Reserve Bank of India (Credit Information Companies) Directions, 2025 and the matching directions for lenders. The rules:
- When the clock starts: the date you first filed the complaint with a lender or a bureau.
- The limit: 30 calendar days in total. The lender has 21 days to send corrected information, and the bureau effectively has the remaining nine.
- The amount: ₹100 per calendar day beyond 30 days, until the corrected report is sent to your email or postal address.
- Who pays: the lender pays if it missed its 21 days, and the bureau pays if it missed the rest. When both were late, the amount is split by each one's share of the delay.
- How you get it: credited to the bank account you gave, within five working days of resolution. You don't need to file a separate claim.
- If it's wrongly refused: you can go to the RBI Ombudsman.
- When it doesn't apply: disputes about how a score is calculated; complaints already decided by, or pending before, a consumer commission, court or tribunal; and disputes the CIC Act sends to arbitration.
Wait a reporting cycle before you dispute a fresh closure. Lenders report as of the 9th, 16th, 23rd and last day of each month. If you closed a loan last week, the bureau may simply not have received the update yet. If it still shows open a month or more after your NOC, dispute it.
If it still isn't fixed: escalation
The bureau's and the lender's own escalation levels
Experian and CRIF High Mark each publish a nodal officer and a principal nodal officer above their first-level support. Equifax lists named escalation contacts. Your lender has its own grievance redressal officer. Use these in writing, and quote your dispute reference.
The RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in
The Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 replaced the 2021 scheme from 1 July 2026. It covers credit information companies, banks and many NBFCs. You can complain if you got no reply within 30 days of the entity receiving your complaint, or you're unhappy with its reply. File within 90 days of that timeline running out or of the last reply, whichever is later. You can file online at cms.rbi.org.in, by email to crpc@rbi.org.in, or by post to the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre in Chandigarh. There's no fee, and the contact centre on 14448 can help with the process. Not every lender is covered: housing finance companies, for example, are outside the scheme.
Where Saaph fits, and where it doesn't. A credit report dispute runs through the bureau's own system and RBI's rules, and you raise it yourself. Saaph doesn't file bureau disputes. What Swachh does is draft a free correction letter under Section 12 of the DPDP Act 2023 for the other companies holding wrong details about you: an old number, a stale address, a misspelt name. You send it from your own email. That DPDP right becomes enforceable in May 2027, so today such a letter is a dated request, not a deadline. For credit reports, the bureau route above is the one with a legal clock right now.
A loan you didn't take often starts with a leaked number
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Run a free check →FAQ
How do I fix an error in my credit report in India?
Raise a dispute on the website of the credit bureau whose report shows the error: TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax or CRIF High Mark. The bureau checks with the lender, which has 21 days to send corrected information, within an overall limit of 30 days. Keep the dispute reference number, and check your reports from the other bureaus too, because lenders report to all four.
CIBIL dispute kaise kare?
cibil.com par login karke apni latest CIBIL report kholiye, galat entry chuniye aur dispute raise kijiye. CIBIL ke hisaab se sirf pichhle 60 din ki report par dispute ho sakta hai, aur yeh service free hai. RBI ke niyam ke mutabik 30 din mein hal hona chahiye, warna har din ki deri ke liye ₹100 compensation milta hai.
How long does a credit report dispute take?
RBI's directions give the lender and the credit bureau 30 calendar days in total from the date you first filed the complaint with either of them. The lender gets 21 days to send corrected information, and the bureau effectively gets the remaining nine.
Can I get ₹100 per day if my credit report dispute is delayed?
Yes. Under the RBI's compensation framework you are entitled to ₹100 for each calendar day your complaint stays unresolved beyond 30 days. The lender pays for its share of the delay and the bureau for its share. It is credited to the bank account or UPI ID you give in the complaint, within five working days of resolution. It does not apply to disputes about how a credit score is calculated, or to matters already before a court or consumer commission.
What if a loan I never took shows on my credit report?
Dispute it with the bureau as an account that is not yours, tell the lender named on the report in writing the same day, and check your reports from all four bureaus. If someone used your identity to borrow, report it at cybercrime.gov.in and keep the acknowledgement with your dispute papers.
Is a credit report free in India?
Yes, once a year from each bureau. RBI's directions require every credit information company to give individuals one Free Full Credit Report, including the credit score, once in each calendar year from January to December, in electronic form on request.
Where do I complain if the credit bureau or lender does not fix it?
First use the bureau's or lender's own escalation contacts. If you get no reply within 30 days, or you are unhappy with the reply, you can complain free of charge to the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in under the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026. File within 90 days of that timeline running out or of the last reply, whichever is later.
Does Saaph file credit report disputes for me?
No. A credit report dispute has to go through the bureau's own dispute system, and you raise it yourself. Saaph's Swachh tool drafts free correction letters under Section 12 of the DPDP Act 2023 that you send from your own email to companies holding wrong details about you. That DPDP right becomes enforceable in May 2027; the bureau dispute route already carries RBI's 30-day limit today.
General information, last reviewed 16 September 2026. It is not legal or financial advice. RBI directions and each bureau's dispute process can change, so check the current pages linked above before you rely on them, and consult a qualified professional about your own case. Saaph.in is not affiliated with TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, CRIF High Mark or the Reserve Bank of India, and does not raise credit report disputes. Saaph is a communication facilitator, not your legal representative or agent. Saaph.in is operated by Ronin Works Private Limited, Hyderabad, Telangana. Grievance contact: data@saaph.in.