Check your credit score — it's free, and most Jamaicans never do
Every lender in Jamaica looks at your credit report before they price your loan. By law you can see it free once a year from each bureau — yet fewer than 4% of reports issued go to the people they are about. Know your number before the bank does.
EveryData Jamaica
Scores run from 250 (E3, highest risk) to 900 (A1, lowest risk). One free report a year, requested online. Tel 876-633-7023 · jm.customerservice@everydata.com
Request from EveryData ↗CRIF Information Bureau Jamaica
One free report a year. Email certified copies of your ID and TRN to customerservice.jm@crif.com and ask for your free consumer report. Tel 876-906-8680 · crif.com.jm
Email CRIF ↗What you need
- Valid government ID (passport, driver's licence or voter ID)
- Your TRN
- Proof of address (utility bill or bank statement, under 3 months old)
- For CRIF: copies certified by a Justice of the Peace, attorney or notary
Why both?
Lenders report to the bureau they subscribe to — not always both — so one report can be missing a loan, a card or a hire-purchase account that the other has. Check both; disputes are free and the bureau must investigate.
What the bands mean on CompareJA
| Excellent | Paid everything on time for years, low balances. You should get the bottom of a lender's rate band. |
|---|---|
| Good | The odd late payment, moderate balances. Lower-middle of the band. |
| Fair | Several missed payments or cards near their limit. Upper-middle. |
| Building | No history yet, or past defaults. Expect the top of the band — or a credit union / micro-lender that prices differently. |
Five things that move your score fastest
- Pay every instalment on or before the due date — payment history weighs most.
- Keep card balances under 30% of the limit.
- Don't apply for several loans in the same month; every application is recorded.
- Close nothing in a hurry — old, well-run accounts help.
- Dispute errors. Reports with a wrong "default" are common and the bureau must correct them.
