AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
The UK has three main credit reference agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, all licensed by the FCA. The ICO says lenders are not required to report to all three, so your files can differ, and a lender may check one, two or all of them; it rarely tells you in advance which. The safe approach is to read all three free statutory reports.
Newcomers often sign up for one credit score app, see a number, and assume that is 'their credit score'. In the UK there is no single file. Three agencies each keep their own, and a lender can look at whichever it chooses. Knowing that changes how you check and how you fix problems.
The three agencies
The Information Commissioner's Office, which oversees how they handle personal data, names the three main credit reference agencies as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, all licensed by the FCA. Each holds a file on most UK adults built from what lenders and others report:
- how you have run credit and utility accounts;
- your current and previous addresses;
- whether you are on the electoral register;
- county court judgments and insolvency records;
- searches made when you applied for credit.
Why your three files may not match
The ICO points out that lenders are not required to report to all three agencies. If your credit card provider reports to two and your phone network to one, each agency sees a slightly different picture of you. A mistake can also sit on one file and not the others. That is why a missed payment, a wrong address or a stranger's account may appear on one report and nowhere else.
Each agency's score is also its own. A number on one app is not a figure lenders share; a lender applies its own criteria to the information it pulls. Treat any score as a rough guide and focus on what the report actually says.
Which one will my lender check?
There is no fixed rule. A lender may check one agency, two or all three, and lenders rarely publish which. Experian's guide to searches lists banks, credit providers, utilities, letting agencies, landlords and mobile phone companies among those who may run checks, and says they need a legitimate reason. The answer to 'which matters' is therefore 'all of them, potentially'. If you are refused, the ICO says you can ask the lender to explain the main reason and to review its decision, and you can ask which agency it used.
How to see all three for free
Every agency must give you a free statutory copy of your information. The ICO says you should look for the 'statutory report' option, and that no subscription is needed.
| Agency | Free route | Postal address (per ICO or agency page) |
|---|---|---|
| Equifax | Free Equifax Basic account; view, download or print the report online | Customer Service Centre, PO Box 10036, Leicester LE3 4FS; 0800 014 2955 |
| Experian | Statutory report request online; passkey posted within 5 working days | ICO lists PO Box 9000, Nottingham NG80 7WF; Experian's own page gives PO Box 8000, Nottingham NG80 7WF |
| TransUnion | Short online request form; report delivered online | Consumer Services Team, PO Box 647, Unit 4, Hull HU9 9QZ; 0330 024 7574 |
The Experian addresses differ between the ICO page and Experian's own page; if you write, use the address on Experian's current statutory report page. Each agency sells paid products alongside the free report. You do not need them to see your file.
What to give them
The ICO says to include your full name and any other names used in the last six years, your current address and postcode, any other addresses in the last six years, and your date of birth. New arrivals often have only one UK address; that is fine. Give your name exactly as on your passport.
What newcomers should do
- Request all three statutory reports in your first few months, even if they are almost empty.
- Check your name, date of birth and address on each.
- Register on the electoral roll if you are eligible, which all three can see; see how quickly it appears.
- Recheck all three before a big application such as a mortgage or car finance, ideally a few months ahead so there is time to correct anything.
- Keep a dated copy of each report. If a dispute arises later, a saved report shows what the file said and when.
- Fix errors with the agency showing them and with the lender that reported them; see fixing an error on your UK credit report.
Equifax's guide for people moving to the UK adds that your Nigerian report and score cannot be transferred, so every newcomer starts with a thin file. Our guide to building a UK credit score from zero sets out the order of steps.
Where Pryme fits
UK agencies see your UK credit. Your naira life in Nigeria sits outside these files; a Pryme Personal account holds NGN beside GBP and can produce verifiable statements if you ever need to show a lender or landlord your money history in a form they can check.
Questions people ask
Which credit reference agency do UK lenders use most?
There is no single answer. A lender may check one, two or all three of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, and the ICO says lenders are not required to report to all three.
Why is my Experian score different from Equifax?
Each agency holds its own file, built from whichever lenders report to it, and calculates its own score. Lenders make their own decisions from the data they pull.
Can I check all three credit reports for free?
Yes. Each agency must provide a free statutory report. Equifax offers it through a free Basic account, Experian and TransUnion through online request forms or by post.
Can I ask which agency a lender used?
Yes. The ICO says you can ask a lender to explain the main reason for refusing you and to review the decision; ask which agency's data it relied on.
Sources
- ICO: Credit (your rights with credit reference agencies) · accessed Oct 2026
- Equifax UK: Statutory credit report · accessed Oct 2026
- Experian: Statutory credit report · accessed Oct 2026
- TransUnion UK: Statutory credit report · accessed Oct 2026
- Experian: Searches and credit checks · accessed Oct 2026
- Equifax UK: Your credit score when you move to the UK (1 Apr 2022) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.