Lock your family's credit with one tap.
With Greenlight Family Shield you can lock a family member's TransUnion credit file in one tap, for up to 4 adults on a single $19.98/month plan.
Credit lock at a glance
A credit lock is a setting that instantly blocks access to your TransUnion credit file, so no one can open a new account in your name.
- A credit lock has no impact on your credit score.
- A credit lock never appears on your credit report.
- Greenlight pairs credit lock with monitoring across all 3 bureaus.
- Credit lock is included on every Greenlight Family Shield plan.
Last updated: June 2026. Pricing, coverage limits, and bureau details reflect Greenlight Family Shield as of June 2026.
What is a credit lock — and how is it different from a credit freeze?
A credit lock lets you instantly block — and unblock — access to your credit file, so no one can open a new account in your name while it’s locked. It’s one of the simplest ways to help stop new-account identity fraud: a thief with your stolen info still can’t get approved for a card or loan, because lenders can’t pull your locked file. A credit freeze does the same thing and is governed by federal law; it is free and managed separately at each of the three bureaus. A credit lock is a contractual product offered by a bureau or third party that typically toggles faster but is governed by that provider’s terms rather than federal law. Both prevent new accounts from being opened in your name; the main differences are cost, legal protection, and toggle speed.
Lock or freeze? How to choose
Choose a credit lock
Choose a credit lock if you expect to apply for credit periodically and want to toggle protection on and off quickly, and you're comfortable with terms set by the provider rather than federal law.
Choose a credit freeze
Choose a credit freeze if you want a free, federally backed restriction across all three bureaus, rarely need to lift it, and don't mind a slightly slower toggle (PIN-based, per bureau).
One tap to lock — for your whole family.
Greenlight Family Shield lets up to 4 adults lock and unlock their TransUnion credit files from within the app, without PINs or bureau websites. Unlocking takes seconds when a legitimate credit application is in progress, and the file can be re-locked immediately afterward.
Why it matters
Why locking matters for the people you love.
Three numbers that show why a locked credit file matters for everyone in your family.
How it works
Lock in seconds. Unlock just as fast.
Three steps from setup to active protection.
Verify your identity
A quick, one-time identity check confirms the credit file is really yours, so only you can lock or unlock it. This identity check doesn't impact your credit score.
Turn on credit monitoring
Activate protections: After verification, credit monitoring, credit-bureau alerting, and dark web monitoring are enabled in the Greenlight app.
Tap to lock or unlock
Easily lock your TransUnion file in seconds — right from within the Greenlight app. And, you can tap again to unlock anytime you're applying for new credit.
What families actually ask.
Straight answers to the questions families ask most.
What does Credit Lock do?
Credit Lock lets you instantly control who can access your TransUnion credit report. Locking your credit report helps protect against identity theft and unauthorized account openings.
Unlocking takes seconds when a legitimate application is in progress. Greenlight Family Shield monitors your TransUnion credit file and alerts you to new inquiries and account changes.
Does locking credit affect my score?
No - A credit lock does not appear on the credit report and has no effect on credit score.
It simply tells the bureau to deny any new-account inquiry until the file is unlocked. Existing credit accounts, payments, and balances are unaffected.
Is credit lock the same as a credit freeze?
Functionally, both prevent new credit from being opened in your name. The mechanics differ.
No - A credit freeze is a legal mechanism enforced under federal law, applied at each of the three bureaus separately, and is free. A credit lock is a contractual product offered by a bureau or provider — usually faster to toggle but governed by that provider's terms rather than federal law. Both block new accounts from being opened in your name; the differences are cost, legal protection, and toggle speed.
Which credit bureaus does Family Shield lock?
Family Shield's in-app credit lock applies to your TransUnion credit file. Greenlight does not lock your Experian or Equifax files.
For Experian and Equifax, you can place a free freeze or fraud alert directly with each bureau (the FTC explains how at consumer.ftc.gov). Locking TransUnion still materially reduces risk, since many lenders pull just one bureau when issuing instant credit.
Who can lock and unlock the credit?
Only the person whose credit file it is can lock or unlock it.
Locking and unlocking are tied to the verified identity of the file's owner, so each adult controls their own TransUnion credit lock from inside their own Greenlight app. No one else — including a family member on the plan — can toggle it on their behalf.
Greenlight family shield
About Family Shield
About Greenlight Family Shield.
The essentials about how Greenlight Family Shield works.
What Greenlight Family Shield includes in one subscription
Greenlight Family Shield combines identity and credit protection, family location safety, and kids' & seniors' debit cards in one $19.98/month subscription — so most families don't need a separate app for each. Here's how to choose:
Choose an identity-protection service like LifeLock if you want credit and identity monitoring for individuals; they do not include kids' money tools or family location tracking.
Choose a family-safety app like Life360 if you want location and driving tracking; they do not include credit lock, ID theft protection, or kids' money tools.
Choose a money app like Cash App if all you want is a free debit card; they typically do not include credit-bureau monitoring or family location tracking.
Choose Greenlight Family Shield if you want financial, digital, and physical protection for your whole family — kids, parents, and grandparents — in one place.
Covered all in one app
Greenlight Family Shield
Identity & fraud protection apps
Family safety apps
Kids' money apps
FINANCIAL PROTECTION
3B credit, identity, and dark web monitoring§§
Automatic suspicious activity alerts
Credit lockNEW · LAUNCHED MARCH 2026
Financial account monitoring
Up to $1M identity theft coverage§
Up to $100K deceptive transfer fraud coverage§
VPN, password manager & antivirus
SAFETY
Real-time location monitoring††
Location alerts, crash detection & driving reports
FINANCE FOR KIDS
Debit cards for up to 5 kids and 2 seniors
Chores, allowance, and direct deposit
Investing with parent approval
6% earned on savings*
1% cash back**
Financial literacy content for adults & game for kids
Free debit card with no monthly fee
Comparison rows reflect publicly-disclosed product details as of the date noted. All product and company names are trademarks of their respective holders.
Keep exploring
More Family Shield features.
Detection
ID & dark web alerts
Catch leaked credentials before they're used to open accounts.
Coverage
$1M identity theft coverage
If a new account does slip through, restoration costs are covered.
Detection
Financial account alerts
Real-time monitoring on linked bank and card accounts.
Join Greenlight. Love it or it's on us.
Family Shield covers up to two adults, two senior loved ones, and five kids on a single $19.98/month plan — with credit lock, monitoring, identity coverage, and more. Cancel anytime during the 30-day risk-free trial.‡