 TITLE: What’s the Difference Between a Credit Freeze and a Credit Lock? CONTENT: How to Remove a Credit Freeze and Credit Lock\n---------------------------------------------\nThe quickest and easiest way to remove a credit freeze is via the PIN code or password set up when you activated your credit freeze. You can call the credit bureau by phone or visit the credit freeze page on its website. If you've frozen your credit at all three national bureaus, you'll need to thaw it at each bureau separately as well. You'll have the option to thaw your credit permanently, lift the freeze temporarily, or to get a single-use PIN or password you can provide to a creditor you want to give access to your frozen credit file.\nRemoving a credit lock requires only that you flip a virtual switch online or in an app provided by one of the credit bureaus. When access to your credit file is no longer required, you can reapply the lock just as easily by turning the switch back on.\nCredit freezes and credit locks are relatively extreme measures that lock down your credit files completely, preventing access by both criminal actors and lenders from whom you may be seeking credit. They offer excellent security for your credit data, but using them when you're actively seeking new credit requires some careful planning. END