Yesterday we saw how your credit score and credit report is important if you want to apply for a loan or credit card in the future. It is very easy to get your credit score by applying online and it costs just Rs.470. In fact it is recommended that you regularly check your credit report at least once a year.

1. Fill the online form

Go to the CIBIL application form page and fill it up. It just asks for basic details like your name, address, phone numbers. You also need to have one Identity proof and one Address proof. Could be your PAN card, passport number, Driver’s license, Voter ID, Telephone Bill, Bank statement, etc.

The last part is your Loan account number. If you have a credit card, you need to fill it with your credit card number. You can fill in a maximum of 2 account numbers. This is used to search for your particular information from the CIBIL records.

2. Online payment

Once your have filled the form, click to button at the bottom of the page to be taken to the online payment page. You will be redirected to a online payment gateway and be charged for Rs.470. After payment, you will be redirected back to the CIBIL page and make sure you note down any identification ID or reference numbers you find on this page.

3(a). Authentication

This is where CIBIL asks a few questions about your loans or credit cards. Just simple 3-5 questions where you need to choose the right one from multiple options. Eg: the bank providing the credit card, loan provider, etc. There shouldn’t be any problem with this step unless you have amnesia about any money you borrow.

Once you have answered this, you will be redirected to the final page which will have your credit score and the credit report which you can download. When I tried to get my report two months back (May 2013) the page just had a spinner wheel and didn’t load. But using my awesome HTML skills (just look at the URL of the final page) I found out my credit score. And almost immediately I received an email with the credit report in a PDF file (password protected zip file). The instructions for the password are available in the email.

3(b). Authentication not successful

If for some reason the authentication isn’t successful, you don’t have to worry and you don’t have to pay again. You just have to authenticate it via snail mail. You just have to send the payment receipt, self-attested photocopies of the Identity proof and address proof and mail it to CIBIL. You will get back the report in a few days.

4) Verify your credit report

It isn’t just enough if you see your CIBIL score. You need to read through the credit report and check if all the information present in it are right. It lists all the loan or credit card account you have, your payment history (upto 36 months), status of the account, enquiries that any bank makes about your credit report, etc.

Read through each section carefully and if you find anything fishy or wrong, take it up with your bank and ask them to send the right information to CIBIL. If your history is correct and your credit score is still bad, there are a few ways to improve your score. It is a gradual process (may take a few years) but it is important you have a good score. I will write up a post in the future on tips to improve your credit score.

Simple isn’t it. Make sure you go ahead and get your credit score today and check if everything is right.