The Credit Busters guide

How to remove a
credit enquiry

Too many enquiries on your file can get you knocked back even when nothing else is wrong. If an enquiry should not be there, it can be removed. This guide explains how enquiries work, how long they last, and how Credit Busters removes unwanted ones on a No Win, No Fee basis.

On this page

What a credit enquiry is

A credit enquiry is recorded every time you apply for credit and a lender checks your file, for a loan, a card, a phone plan, a Buy Now Pay Later account or similar. Each enquiry is logged with the date and the type of credit, and every lender who looks at your file afterwards can see it.

How enquiries affect your score

One or two enquiries are normal. A cluster of them in a short window is a red flag to lenders, because it can look like you are desperate for credit or being knocked back repeatedly. That can lower your score and cause more knock-backs, which creates more enquiries, a cycle that is worth breaking.

How long enquiries stay on your file

A credit enquiry stays on your file for five years from the date it was made. It does not matter whether the application was approved or declined; the enquiry itself is recorded either way.

When a credit enquiry can be removed

An enquiry may be able to be removed when, for example:

  • it was made without your consent or knowledge;
  • it is the result of identity theft or fraud;
  • it is a duplicate of the same application;
  • it is not yours, or relates to someone else; or
  • it was recorded incorrectly.

Credit Busters assesses each enquiry and only takes on the ones we genuinely believe we can remove. See if Credit Busters can help, or read the No Win, No Fee credit repair guide.

How Credit Busters helps

The check is free and it is all online. Credit Busters reviews your enquiries, tells you straight which ones we believe can be removed, and works on them on a No Win, No Fee basis. You only pay a success fee if an enquiry is actually removed. Credit Busters operates under Australian Credit Licence 564856.

Frequently asked questions

Credit enquiries stay on your credit file for five years from the date they were made. They are visible to lenders the whole time and too many in a short period can lower your score and your chances of approval.
Yes. Each enquiry is recorded, and a cluster of enquiries in a short time makes lenders see you as higher risk, which can reduce your score and lead to knock-backs, even when each individual application was reasonable.
A credit enquiry can be removed if it should not be there, for example if it was made without your consent, is the result of identity theft, is a duplicate, is not yours, or was recorded incorrectly. Credit Busters assesses each enquiry and tells you honestly whether we believe it can be removed.
Checking is free. Credit Busters works No Win, No Fee, so a fee only applies if the enquiry is actually removed. There is no upfront cost.
Removing incorrect or unwanted enquiries can help, especially if a cluster of enquiries is dragging your file down. It is one part of cleaning up a file; defaults and judgments usually have a bigger impact, so Credit Busters looks at your whole file.

Too many enquiries? Let Credit Busters bust them.

It’s free to check, it’s all online, and you pay nothing unless Credit Busters wins.

See if we can help

Find out if we can bust it.

It's free to check, it's all online, and you pay nothing unless we win.

See if we can help