How to Sign Up, Step by Step

Before you start, have these ready

• An email address you can open right now (for 6-digit codes).
• Your cell phone, if you want text-message codes.
• A photo of your driver’s license, state ID or passport (see examples).
• A recent proof of address — a utility bill, bank statement or lease with your name and current address (see examples).
• Your credit reports if you already have them (or you’ll set up credit monitoring in step 7).
• A debit or credit card for your monthly payments (charged only after the work for that month is done).

Documents you’ll need — with examples

▶ The video about your authorization form, notary and documents (video 6 of 7) is at step 8, Upload your documents.

You’ll upload two things in your portal (step 8): a photo ID and a proof of address. Here’s what good ones look like. Every picture below is a made-up SAMPLE for our example person, Jane Doe — they are not real documents.

Photo ID — a driver’s license or state ID

1. Your photo — your face must be clear.
2. Your name — the same name you signed up with.
3. Your address. If it isn’t your current address, also send a proof of address (below).
4. The expiration date — your ID must not be expired.
5. All four corners must show in your photo.

Or a passport

1. Send the page with your photo on it.
2. Your name — the same name you signed up with.
3. The expiration date — your passport must not be expired.
4. The whole page, all four corners, with no glare.

Proof of address — a utility bill

1. A bill from your utility company — electric, gas, water, phone, cable or internet.
2. A recent bill — use your newest one.
3. Your name and your current address — they must match what you gave us.
4. Send the whole first page. You may cover the amounts and account numbers.

Or a bank statement

1. A bank or credit union statement also works as proof of address.
2. A recent statement — use your newest one.
3. Your name and current address.
4. Cover everything except the last 4 digits of your account number.

Taking a good photo of your document

• Lay the document flat on a dark table in good light.
• Fit the whole document in the picture — all four corners showing.
• Hold the phone still and turn off the flash so there’s no glare.
• Make sure every word is sharp and easy to read. A PDF or a clear phone photo both work (10 MB max each).

1 Your free assessment — Step 1 of 3

Go to Get Started. The first step asks what you want help with.

1. What do you want help with? Tap every problem that applies — collections, late payments, charge-offs, and so on. Tapped buttons turn red. You can pick as many as you like.
2. When do you need results? Choose the option closest to your plans (for example “In the next 6 months” if you’re buying a home).
3. About how many negative items? A rough guess is fine — or leave it blank.
4. Tap Continue.

1b Free assessment — Step 2 of 3

Tell us a little more. Everything on this step is optional.

1. Do you have a recent copy of your credit reports? Choose Yes if you pulled them in the last 30 days.
2. Package interest — pick one if you already know, or leave “Not sure yet.”
3. Tell us your story — what happened and what you’re hoping for, in your own words. Never include your Social Security number or account numbers.
4. Upload — optional: add your credit reports or letters from creditors (PDF or clear phone photos, up to 5 files, 10 MB each).
5. Tap Continue.

Tip: Your answers are saved on your device as you go. If you get interrupted, come back to the page and pick up where you left off.

1c Free assessment — Step 3 of 3

Your contact details, so we can reach you.

1. Full name — your full legal name, exactly as it appears on your ID.
2. Email — an email you check often. Use this same email when you create your account in the next step.
3. Phone — optional.
4. State — the state where you live.
5. Best way to reach you — phone call, text or email.
6. Check the box so we’re allowed to contact you about your request.
7. Tap Submit My Free Assessment. You’ll see a thank-you message with a reference number — write it down.

2 Create your secure portal account

Open your client portal from Client Login at the top of any page and tap Create Account.

1. Fastest: tap “Sign up with Google,” “Apple,” “Yahoo” or “Microsoft (Outlook, Hotmail)” and follow the prompts — then skip to two-step verification. Or fill in the boxes below.
2. Full name — your full legal name.
3. Email — use the same email you gave on your free assessment, so your account connects to your file automatically.
4. Username — optional. If you add one, you can sign in with it instead of your email.
5. How would you like to sign in? Choose Password, or Email me a code if you’d rather not have a password — we’ll email you a 6-digit code each time.
6. Password (only if you chose Password) — at least 10 characters with at least one letter and one number.
7. Check the box to agree to the terms of use and privacy policy.
8. Tap Create My Account.

3 Confirm your email

We email you a 6-digit code to make sure the address is really yours.

1. Open your email and find the message with your 6-digit code. Check Spam, Junk and Promotions if you don’t see it.
2. Type the 6 digits into the Code box. Codes expire after 10 minutes.
3. Tap Confirm.
4. No email after 2 minutes? Tap Send a new code and use the newest one.

4 Turn on two-step verification

Every account uses a second step when signing in, so no one can get into your file with just your password. Choose one:

1. Authenticator app (most secure) — scan the square code with Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy or 1Password, then type the 6-digit code it shows.
2. Email me a code (easiest) — we email you a code each time you sign in.
3. Text message — type your cell number here…
4. …then tap Text me a code and type the code we text you.

Tip: After you finish, you’ll see backup codes. Write them down or save them somewhere safe — each one lets you sign in once if you lose your phone.

5 Signing in next time

Open Client Login and choose Sign In.

1. Choose Password, or Email me a code to sign in without a password.
2. Type your email or username.
3. Type your password (or, if you chose a code, tap “Email Me a Sign-In Code” and type the code).
4. Tap Sign In, then enter your two-step code.
5. Forgot your password? Tap Forgot password? and we’ll email you a reset code.

6 Review and sign your agreement

Once your file is ready, your agreement appears when you sign in. The law requires it to come as separate documents, in this order. It takes about 5 minutes, and you can stop and come back.

1. The five steps are shown at the top: Your Rights → Contract & Plan → Cancellation Notice → Privacy → Sign.
2. Your Rights — the “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” statement. Read it through.
3. Check the box to confirm you received it…
4. …then tap I Acknowledge — Continue.

7 Set up credit monitoring and add your report

We work from your current three-bureau reports. In your portal, find My Credit Reports.

1. New to credit monitoring? Tap Create Your Monitoring Account and sign up with SmartCredit (the monitoring fee is paid directly to the monitoring company). Already a member? Tap Sign In to View My Report.
2. In your monitoring account, choose Print or Download to save your report as a PDF, then pick that file here.
3. Tap Add My Report. It’s stored privately — only you and our team can see it — and you can view or download it any time.

8 Upload your documents

In your portal, find My Documents. You’ll need your photo ID and a proof of address — see examples of good ones.

1. Choose what you’re sending — photo ID, proof of address, a letter from a bureau or creditor, and so on.
2. Pick the file — a PDF or a clear phone photo (flat, good light, all four corners showing), up to 10 MB each.
3. Tap Upload. It appears in your list below. Every file is checked for viruses and stored privately.

9 Add your card

In your portal, find Billing.

1. Your next payment is shown here. By law, each payment is charged only after the work for that period is done — never in advance.
2. Check the box to authorize the payments listed in your signed agreement.
3. Tap Add Card. A secure card window from our payment processor opens — we never see or store your full card number. Your receipts appear here after each payment.

Tip: That’s it — you’re signed up! We’ll post updates in your portal and email you when there’s something new. You can message us any time from Secure Messages in your portal.

Trouble signing in? Here’s what to do

Forgot your password, or your account is locked

On the sign-in screen, tap Forgot password?. If you type a wrong password 5 times in a row, your account locks for your protection and this same screen opens with a message — resetting your password unlocks it.

1. Type the email you signed up with.
2. Tap Email me a reset code. Check your Spam and Promotions folders too.
3. Type the code from the email. It expires in 10 minutes.
4. Choose a new password — at least 10 characters, with a letter and a number.
5. Tap Change password, then sign in with your new password.
6. If your account was locked after 5 wrong passwords, this message tells you — the reset unlocks it.

Sign in with an emailed code instead of a password

1. Can’t remember your password? Choose Email me a code.
2. Type your email (or username).
3. Tap Email Me a Sign-In Code, then type the 6-digit code from the email.
4. Tap Sign In.
5. No email after 2 minutes? Check Spam, then tap Send a new code.

Your two-step code didn’t come, or you lost your phone

1. After your password, we send your two-step code the way you chose.
2. Type the 6-digit code.
3. Tap Verify.
4. Code didn’t come or expired? Tap Send a new code.
5. Lost your phone or can’t get into your email? Tap Use a backup code and type one of the backup codes you saved when you set up two-step verification. Don’t have them? Send us a message from the Contact page and we’ll help you.

If something goes wrong

Still stuck? Read our complete FAQ, ask the “Questions? Ask us” assistant at the bottom of any page, or send us a message.