How to Correct an Error in Your Credit Report in India
Find the account or payment error, dispute it with the lender and credit bureau, keep the reference numbers and understand RBI's eligible-delay compensation route.
In this guide
What should you do if your credit report is wrong?
Get a current credit report, mark the exact information you believe is inaccurate, then raise a written dispute with the lender or other credit institution that supplied it and with the credit information company that issued the report. Keep both acknowledgements. A lender or bureau must investigate the record; a dispute does not automatically erase a valid debt or change a credit score model.
Identify the exact entry
Check whether the report shows a loan you did not take, a duplicate account, a payment not recorded, the wrong balance, an account still marked overdue after closure, or another person's details mixed with yours. Note the bureau, report date, account number as displayed and the precise field to correct. Do not post your full report publicly.
Collect proof that matches the error
Examples include a loan closure letter, no-dues certificate, repayment receipt, bank statement line, lender email, identity-mismatch evidence or a fraud complaint reference. Send only the records needed for investigation through official lender and bureau channels. Keep the original documents and record what you uploaded.
Dispute data, not a score formula
If a factual account detail is wrong, request correction of that information. A difference of opinion with the bureau's scoring model is a separate issue and may not qualify for the delayed-correction compensation framework. Ask the bureau to explain whether it changed the underlying data, the score or both.
| Bureau / report date | Account and incorrect field | Correct value | Proof attached | Lender reference | Bureau reference / due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
How do you file and follow up on a dispute?
Use the grievance or dispute process on the official website of each credit bureau and the lender. A credit bureau is often called a credit information company (CIC), while the lender that sent the account data is a credit institution (CI). Keep a separate reference number for each submission.
Write one precise request per disputed record
State that you are disputing the item, identify the report and account, describe the factual error and request a specific correction. If you do not recognise the account, say so clearly and ask the lender to investigate the identity match and provide the basis for reporting it.
Submit to both the lender and bureau
The lender usually needs to correct information it supplied; the bureau needs to investigate and update the report after receiving corrected data. For an error involving more than one lender, RBI's framework says the complaint can be registered with the bureau, which coordinates a comprehensive response. Keep copies of every submission and acknowledgement.
Track the 30-day correction framework
RBI's framework provides ₹100 per calendar day for an eligible complaint that remains unresolved beyond 30 calendar days. It assigns parts of the process to the lender and bureau and has exclusions, including disputes about credit-score computation. Ask the institution to state the correction status, delay and compensation decision in writing; do not assume every dispute automatically qualifies.
What if the lender or bureau does not correct the error?
Once you have a complete record of the dispute, check the RBI escalation route. The Integrated Ombudsman Scheme in force from 1 July 2026 covers specified entities, including credit information companies, subject to its maintainability rules.
Escalate a qualifying service complaint to RBI
First complain to the credit institution or bureau. If it rejects your complaint, the answer is unsatisfactory, or it does not respond within 30 days, check current coverage and file through RBI's official Complaint Management System where the Scheme permits. Include the original dispute, acknowledgement, reply, report extract and the specific remedy sought.
Keep credit decisions separate from data correction
A corrected report may not guarantee a loan, a particular interest rate or an immediate score change. Lenders assess applications using their own policies and the rest of your financial profile. Ask the bureau to confirm when the corrected report was sent and check the record again after that notice.
Protect your identity during the process
Use only the official bureau or lender website. Never share an OTP, PIN or password with a person promising to raise your score. If someone used your identity to borrow, keep that issue distinct from an ordinary payment-posting mistake and use the appropriate fraud-reporting route as well.
Credit-report errors: frequently asked questions
How long can a credit-report correction take?
RBI's framework sets an overall 30-calendar-day period for eligible correction or updation complaints. The lender and bureau have different steps within that period. Save the initial filing date and ask for a written status if the record remains wrong.
Can I get ₹100 per day for any credit-score problem?
No. The compensation framework concerns qualifying delayed correction or updation complaints; it excludes certain matters, including disputes about how a score is computed. The institution must assess eligibility and delay under the RBI framework.
Should I dispute an account I do not recognise?
Yes. Tell both the bureau and the named lender that you do not recognise it, request an investigation and retain the reference number. Do not acknowledge or pay an unfamiliar debt until you have verified who reported it and why.
Can the RBI Ombudsman decide the correct score I should receive?
The RBI route addresses eligible service deficiencies by covered entities. A complaint about a score-model calculation may fall outside the delayed-correction compensation framework; describe the specific data or service failure and check Scheme rules.
Words you can use
Dispute a factual entry
When an account, balance or payment date in a report is inaccurate
“I dispute the entry for account [masked reference] in report [date]. It states [incorrect information]. The correct information is [facts]. I have attached [documents]. Please investigate with the reporting institution, correct the data if verified, send me the outcome in writing and provide a complaint reference.”
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Sources and publication record
Financial and insurance-regulatory sources checked 27 September 2026; specialist and human Hindi editorial review pending · Sources checked .
- RBI framework for compensation for delayed correction of credit information (26 October 2023)Reserve Bank of India
- Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026Reserve Bank of India