 TITLE: What’s the Difference Between a Credit Freeze and a Credit Lock? CONTENT: What Is a Credit Lock?\n----------------------\nLike a credit freeze, a credit lock blocks all access to your credit report, but you can activate it and disable it instantly via a dedicated smartphone app or secure website. There's no delay of up to 24 hours when locking your credit file, and no delay of up to one hour when unlocking it, as with a credit freeze.\nService offerings that include credit-locking differ among the national credit bureaus. Experian offers CreditLock as part of its CreditWorksSM Premium subscription service, which also includes:\n*   Monthly access to credit reports from all three bureaus\n*   Alerts when there's new credit activity on your accounts at any of the three bureaus, to help you detect unauthorized action\n*   Up to $1 million in identity theft insurance\n*   Phone assistance from Experian experts in credit and fraud resolution\nEach credit bureau requires you to provide proof of identity when you set up a credit lock. You can submit the necessary documents electronically or mail in hard copies.\nThe security benefits of a credit lock are the same as those for a credit freeze, and the limitations on access to your credit are the same as well: No criminal access to your credit file is possible, but neither is any legitimate access by new lenders to whom you are applying for loans or credit.\nThe ability to activate and deactivate a credit lock instantly, without the time delays inherent in the credit freeze process, can make the application process easier. So if you're at a stage of life where you anticipate to be making frequent applications for loans and credit, you may find a credit lock considerably more convenient than a credit freeze.\nYou may also want to consider a third option: a fraud alert. END