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1.4. Different credit reporting bodies

You are entitled to a free credit report once a year from the major credit reporting bodies (also known as CRBs and “credit reporting agencies”) in Australia, so it’s important to know what each one has to offer. Here is an overview of the three main CRBs:

  1. Dun & Bradstreet: Also known as D&B, this CRB has operated in Australia since 1887 and is part of a global network covering 193 countries. This makes D&B the most established of the three CRBs.
  2. Experian: Experian says it is a “leading global information services company” with a focus on credit data and analytics. It launched its consumer credit services in Australia in 2013, and is the newest CRB here.
  3. Veda: Also known as Veda Advantage, this CRB says it is “built on the largest, most comprehensive and current data source in Australia and New Zealand”, with information on over 16 million individuals, 1.9 million companies and 1.7 million business names. Veda was founded in Sydney in 1967 and has the largest share of the personal credit reference market.
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1.4. Different credit reporting bodies

Tasmania has a fourth CRB: the Tasmanian Collection Service (TCS). Tasmanian residents can request their credit report through TCS or Veda, while all other Australians can request their report through the three main CRBs above.

Each CRB has its own database of credit history that makes up their individual credit reports, so it can be useful to request free copies of your credit report from all three of them to get a good overview of what credit providers might see on your reports.