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The Daily Insight Hub

How do you unfreeze a credit card?

Author

William Jenkins

Updated on February 18, 2026

When you enter the PIN at Experian’s Security Freeze Center, you can lift a credit freeze online immediately. You also can call 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742) and provide the PIN to lift the freeze from your credit report. If you lost your PIN, Experian will need to reissue one.

How long does it take for credit to be unfrozen?

Consumers should unfreeze their credit for only as long as they need to. This can range from a day or two to a couple weeks. The length of time to unfreeze your credit primarily depends on the type of credit you’re seeking. A credit card might take less than a day to open, after which you can freeze your credit again.

What happens if you apply for a credit card and your credit is frozen?

A credit freeze won’t have any impact on your credit score, nor will it impact your current credit accounts. While a credit freeze won’t affect your credit score in any way, it will impact your ability to qualify for a loan or credit card unless you thaw your credit before submitting your application.

How can I tell if my credit is frozen?

When you log in at myEquifax.com, there is a tile on the upper right of the dashboard that indicates your freeze status. If you don’t have an account, or simply would rather use the phone, call 800-349-9960 and follow the prompts to verify your identity.

How do I unfreeze my credit without a PIN?

How to unfreeze credit without a PIN

  1. Online through myEquifax. Simply log into your myEquifax account with your username and password to lift your credit freeze.
  2. Over the phone. Call 888-298-0045 to answer basic identity-verification questions and lift your credit freeze.
  3. By mail.

How do I unfreeze my Equifax without a PIN?

By phone: Call us at (888) 298-0045. You’ll have the option to verify your identity by providing certain personal information, and receiving a one-time PIN by text message (data charges may apply) or answering questions based on information in your Equifax credit report.

How can I get my bank account unfrozen?

So when you consider how do you get a bank account unfrozen, there are a few specific tips you need to follow. For starters, you need to contact the bank and find out why it was frozen. If you accessed the account while overseas it is because the bank flagged the account as possibly hacked and has since frozen it.

What happens when you unfreeze your credit card account?

Permanently unfreezing your accounts will make you susceptible to identity theft again, so you’ll always want to refreeze them once you’ve allowed access to legitimate queries. Setting a thaw is the equivalent to automating that process instead of putting the onus on yourself to remember to freeze them again in a few days or weeks.

What to do if your credit report is frozen?

If your credit report is not frozen, you will only hear options for freezing it. If it is frozen, you will hear only options for unfreezing. TransUnion: The fastest way to check is online at the TransUnion website if you have an account already set up. You’ll need your username and password.

Do you need a pin to unfreeze your credit?

Here are four lessons from my experience unfreezing my credit when needed that can make the process as painless as possible for you: When you freeze your credit, you’ll receive a 10-digit PIN that you’ll need anytime you want to unfreeze your report.