How to dispute an error in your credit report (2026 RBI rules)

To fix a wrong loan or late payment on your credit report, file a dispute directly with the credit bureau. CIBIL charges no fee, and RBI expects resolution within 30 calendar days. If it takes longer, RBI rules entitle you to ₹100 per day. Here is how to raise a dispute and escalate rejections.

By Qrates research desk · 2026-11-01

If you need to remove an incorrect late payment from your credit report, you must file a dispute directly with the credit bureau. CIBIL says it does not charge for this, and RBI rules expect the complaint to be resolved within 30 calendar days. You can check the Qrates credit score apps directory to find tools to monitor your report and verify when the error is removed.

Quick answer

To dispute a credit report error in India, you must file a correction request on the website of the credit bureau that issued the report. You need the report number from your latest credit report to start the process. RBI gives the bank and the bureau 30 calendar days in total. CIBIL says it charges no fee, and the dispute pages of the other three bureaus list none.

What you need before you start

Gather these details before you try to correct your credit score online:

A copy of your latest credit report from CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, or CRIF High Mark.
The report number from that report. Each bureau calls it something different.
Your PAN card number and identity details. Experian's page says the form can ask for these.
Proof that the entry is wrong, like a loan closure letter or a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the bank.

Credit Bureau	What it asks for	Where to find it
CIBIL	Control Number on the online dispute form	On your CIBIL report. Your report should not be older than 60 days
Experian	Experian Reference Number (ERN) and Unique Transaction ID (UTI)	ERN is at the top right of the report. UTI is in the Experian Credit View email. If either is older than 30 days, get a fresh report
Equifax	Report Order Number	On the report where you found the error
CRIF High Mark	Report ID	You select it in My Report after logging in

How to raise a credit report dispute step by step

There are four Credit Information Companies registered with the RBI. You must raise the dispute with the specific bureau showing the error.

Raising a CIBIL dispute online

Log in to the myCIBIL portal, open the Credit Reports section, go to the Dispute Center and click to dispute an item. Choose the section with the error, such as Account, Enquiry, Personal, Contact or Employment details. Menu names can vary. CIBIL's separate online dispute form asks for your Control Number. You get a dispute ID by email after you submit.

Raising an Experian dispute online

Go to Experian India's dispute page and enter your ERN and UTI. You can also log in to your Experian account and choose Raise A Dispute. Select Account Details, Personal Details or Credit Enquiry, then fill in the correct details and submit. If you recently closed or paid a loan, Experian asks you to allow 30 days for it to show before raising a dispute.

Disputing with Equifax and CRIF High Mark

For CRIF High Mark, use its online Dispute Origination System. Log in, open My Report, choose Raise a Dispute, select the report and the account, and submit. For Equifax, fill in the online dispute form with your Report Order Number and the type of error.

Equifax and CIBIL also list email and phone routes on their sites. Keep the reference number you receive. CRIF High Mark and Experian also ask for your bank or UPI details at this stage, so that compensation can reach you if the dispute runs late.

How long it takes and what it costs

CIBIL says it does not charge consumers for dispute resolution. The dispute pages of Experian, Equifax and CRIF High Mark list no fee.

RBI's framework expects a complaint to be resolved within 30 calendar days of first filing. The lender gets 21 of those days to send corrected data, and CRIF High Mark describes the rest as 9 days for the bureau. Since 1 July 2026, lenders report data as on the 9th, 16th, 23rd and last day of each month. So a correction can reach the bureau sooner once the lender approves it.

You are entitled to compensation of ₹100 per calendar day if your complaint is not resolved within 30 calendar days. If more than one lender or bureau is responsible, RBI splits the amount between them. Give your bank account or UPI details when you file. RBI says the money must reach you within 5 working days of the complaint being resolved.

If it does not work: How to escalate

Credit bureaus cannot change data on their own. They must ask the reporting bank to verify a disputed entry before making changes. If the bank says the entry is correct, the bureau will reject your dispute.

Step 1: Contact the bank Nodal Officer

If you have a wrong loan showing in CIBIL and the bank rejects your dispute, you must take the matter up with the bank directly. Email the grievance redressal Nodal Officer of that specific bank. Attach your proof, such as the NOC or closure letter, and ask them to correct the data they send to the bureau.

Step 2: File a complaint with the RBI Ombudsman

If the bank does not reply within 30 days or you are not happy with its reply, you can escalate the issue. The authority for this is the RBI Ombudsman under the Reserve Bank Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026, in force since 1 July 2026. You must complain to the bank or bureau first and keep the acknowledgement. Then file your complaint on the RBI Complaint Management System portal at cms.rbi.org.in within 90 days. It costs nothing.

When filing, select the bank or the credit bureau as the entity you are complaining against, since credit bureaus are also covered. To ask for the ₹100 daily compensation, you can cite RBI's circular RBI/2023-24/72 dated 26 October 2023.

FAQs

How many days does a CIBIL dispute take to resolve?

CIBIL says the turnaround time is about 30 days, subject to the time the lender takes. RBI's framework expects resolution within 30 calendar days of first filing. After that, you are entitled to ₹100 per calendar day.

What to do if someone took a loan on my PAN card?

File a dispute with the credit bureau immediately to report the identity theft. Then, report the fraudulent account to the bank that issued the fake loan. You should also check if a loan app is RBI registered if you suspect unauthorized activity from a digital lender.

What if the bank rejects my CIBIL dispute?

You must escalate the issue to the bank's Nodal Officer with your proof of closure. If the bank still does not resolve it, file a complaint to the RBI Ombudsman against a bank or loan app.

Is there a fee to raise a credit report dispute?

CIBIL says it does not charge consumers for this. The dispute pages of the other three bureaus list no fee, and a complaint to the RBI Ombudsman is also free.

The short version

You must file credit report disputes directly with the bureau showing the error.
You need your report number, such as CIBIL's Control Number or Experian's ERN and UTI, to start the process.
RBI gives bureaus and banks 30 calendar days to resolve the dispute.
You are entitled to ₹100 per calendar day if the resolution takes longer than 30 days.
Escalate rejected disputes to the bank's Nodal Officer, and then to the RBI Ombudsman within 90 days.