Short answer: XDS Data Ghana is one of three credit bureaus licensed by the Bank of Ghana, alongside Dun & Bradstreet Credit Bureau and MyCredit Score; Hudson Price lost its licence in 2022. Under the Credit Reporting Act, 2007 (Act 726), you are entitled to one free credit report a year from each licensed bureau, and you can challenge wrong entries without charge. Lenders, including mobile loan providers, report to the bureaus, so a missed Qwikloan or salary-advance repayment can block a bank loan later. Bureaus may keep historical credit information for up to six years.
GHXD1212Below: who reports to XDS, your rights under Act 726, how scores work in Ghana, how to dispute an error and how to keep a clean record.
The licensed bureaus
| Bureau | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|
| XDS Data Ghana Limited | Licensed by the Bank of Ghana |
| Dun & Bradstreet Credit Bureau Limited | Licensed by the Bank of Ghana |
| MyCredit Score Limited | Licensed by the Bank of Ghana |
| Hudson Price Data Solutions | Licence revoked by the Bank of Ghana in 2022 |
Banks, savings and loans companies, microfinance institutions and licensed digital lenders report to the bureaus, and the Bank of Ghana's 2025 directive for digital credit providers requires daily reporting. Because each lender may report to different bureaus, your file can differ between XDS and the others, so it is worth checking more than one.
Your rights under Act 726
- Free report: one free credit report every 12 months from any licensed bureau (section 37).
- Consent: lenders need your prior written consent to submit your data or pull your report; this is normally in the loan or account form.
- Exception for defaults: a lender must report an account 90 days past due even without consent, if the debt is not formally disputed, demand has failed and you were given 28 days' notice of the intention to report (section 25).
- Disputes: you can challenge inaccurate, illegal or outdated records free of charge. If the bureau cannot find credible evidence for a disputed item within the prescribed time, it must remove it and notify those who received your report (section 38).
- Retention: historical credit information may be kept for up to six years, and up to ten years for records involving criminal convictions (section 30).
Credit scores in Ghana
For years XDS mainly supplied credit reports rather than numeric scores, because Ghana lacked a universal identifier. With the Ghana Card now linked to bank accounts and SIM cards, scoring has become standard. Most Ghanaian guides use a 300 to 850 scale, though some lenders describe a different range, so compare a score only with the same bureau's scale. What matters most is your repayment record: on-time payments, no defaults and not taking many loans at once. Mobile money and utility payment data increasingly feed into scores, which helps people without a bank loan history.
How to dispute an error
- Request your free annual report from the bureau through its official website or office, with your Ghana Card.
- Note each wrong entry: a loan you never took, a repaid loan still shown as unpaid, a wrong balance.
- File a written challenge with the bureau and, in parallel, with the lender that reported the data. Keep copies and proof of repayment.
- If the lender does not resolve it, escalate. Bank of Ghana guidelines require financial institutions to resolve complaints within 20 working days, after which you can take the matter to the Bank of Ghana.
A loan you never took may be a sign of identity theft, for example through a SIM registered in your name; report it to the lender and the police as well.
Keeping a clean record
- Repay mobile loans on time; they are reported like bank loans. See how MTN Qwikloan works.
- Avoid applying to many lenders in a short period.
- If you cannot pay, talk to the lender before the 90-day mark to agree a plan.
- Check your report once a year, and before a big application such as a mortgage or car loan. For fast borrowing options, compare our guide to quick credit loans in Ghana.
In short
XDS Data is one of Ghana's three licensed credit bureaus. You get a free report each year, can dispute errors for free and should expect defaults to stay on file for years. Repay on time, including small mobile loans, and check your report before major applications.