High-Value Life GuideLife's expensive mistakes
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Policy, legal and insurance guides primarily concern mainland China. Scope and sources ↗

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Checking your credit report twice a year for free helps spot any loans or cards you didn’t apply for.

Original: eternity4719 · source details

Original author: eternity4719 · Chinese source: · English adaptation: parveen0029. Translation and grade notes ↗

Bibliographic titles are retained in their original language.

Source author's views and grades; not individually verified by this site.

Cost and benefit at a glance
Check the cost Cost ↓
It costs nothing. You can complete the check online in just ten minutes.
Then the source benefit Benefit ↓
Regulatory rules state that “individuals have the right to obtain their own credit reports twice a year free of charge,” meaning you can check your report twice annually at no cost…

In plain terms

Laws give you the right to check your own credit report twice a year at no charge, and you can finish the process online in ten minutes. Negative entries stay on the report for five years from the date they’re resolved; after that they must be removed. If you dispute any information, the credit agency or data provider must respond to you in writing within 20 days. To check your report, use the official website of the People’s Bank of China’s Credit Information Center or your mobile banking app — avoid third‑party “credit check” apps, as they collect your personal data.

This guide's cartoon · show illustration
Chapter 8 editorial cartoon: They open their heart. Keep your wallet shut a moment. Enlarge illustration
They open their heart. Keep your wallet shut a moment.

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Editorial cartoon · Chapter 8They open their heart. Keep your wallet shut a moment.

Original illustration with Chinese lettering; the English dialogue is below. Humour is a reading aid, not evidence.

English dialogue
  • An unmissable opportunity!
  • Let me verify it first.

Cost: what it takes

It costs nothing. You can complete the check online in just ten minutes.

Benefit: what the source reports

Regulatory rules state that “individuals have the right to obtain their own credit reports twice a year free of charge,” meaning you can check your report twice annually at no cost. Negative records are kept for five years after the underlying issue is resolved; any older entries must be deleted. When you raise a dispute, the credit agency or source of the data must reply in writing within 20 days.

Conditions, limits and disagreements

Identity theft leading to unauthorized loans or credit cards often goes unnoticed until a person is denied a mortgage years later. The proper channels for checking your report are the People’s Bank of China Credit Information Center website or mobile banking apps. Steer clear of third‑party “credit check” apps, as they harvest your personal information.

Original references

Original bibliographic titles and links are preserved; some titles are in Chinese.

国务院 (2013). 征信业管理条例(国令第 631 号,第十六条、第十七条、第二十五条). https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2013-01/29/content_2303.htm

Medical, legal, financial and policy conditions vary by person, place and time. Policy material primarily concerns mainland China; check the cited document and current local requirements.