Comprehensive Credit Reporting (CCR) has transformed the way lenders share account information with credit reporting bodies (CRBs) to be included in individuals’ consumer credit reports in Australia.
CCR allows lenders to access not only the negative marks on your credit file but also the positive financial behaviours you’ve built up over time that have been reported to the CRB. This gives a fuller, fairer picture of your credit history.
What is Comprehensive Credit Reporting?
Before CCR, your credit history may include information such as when you applied for credit products, as well as any significantly overdue accounts or defaults you have had in the past.
CCR means your credit report could now include additional information, such as the date you opened your credit account, the type of account opened, the credit limits you have and up to 24 months of repayment history.
For more information on the types of information reported under the CCR, visit CreditSmart’s Guide to CCR: https://www.creditsmart.org.au/
Why Should You Care About CCR?
Positive Repayment History Information
Previously, most of the account information shared with CRBs and collected in credit reports concerned negative information such as missed or late payments. With CCR, lenders must also share positive information, including whether you have made your repayments on time. This means that over time, your credit report will provide a more accurate assessment of how you manage credit.
New Financial Hardship Information Indicators
While hardship information helps provide a fuller picture to lenders, it may still influence how your creditworthiness is assessed depending on lenders individual credit policies.
Your credit report may note that you have entered into a financial hardship arrangement with a lender. Financial hardship information will be recorded separately from your repayment history information and is shown using specific indicators in your credit report.
These indicators do not reveal the reason for your hardship, just that an arrangement was in place.
To find out more, see ‘Financial Hardship Assistance and Credit Reporting’.
How to Check Your Credit Score
You can access your credit report for free every 3 months from these major credit reporting agencies:
- Equifax: https://www.equifax.com.au/personal
- Illion: https://www.checkyourcredit.com.au/
- Experian: https://www.experian.com.au/consumer
Questions?
To learn more about your rights and how CCR affects you, visit CreditSmart: https://www.creditsmart.org.au/
If you have any questions about Comprehensive Credit Reporting, please email us at [email protected] or call us on 1300 990 115.
As always, protection of your data and privacy is very important to us. Please refer to our Privacy & Credit Reporting Policy for more information on how we collect, share and use your data.
Page last updated: June 2025
