With so many new and inexperienced credit repair providers entering the market, many of which are turnkey credit repair businesses using third party software as the backbone of their product, it becomes a challenge to know who you can trust with your credit reports. To help separate the best credit repair services from the amateurs looking to make a quick buck, here are three tips for identifying a quality credit repair company:

1) Check for experience - Creating a credit repair company is remarkably easy. All a person needs is a website and a little money in the bank to purchase a credit repair software package. Staying in the business and generating results is more difficult. The best credit repair companies typically have a history of helping people which not only indicates a stable business, but it also is a sign that the company operates within the confines of the law since most underhanded companies have a short lifespan.

2) Look for an offline presence - The Internet is ideal for commerce, but the process of working to clean up your credit reports is more effective when conducted offline. Established credit repair providers usually have a physical location that you can use as a guide to how stable the company is. Satellite imagery services like Mapquest are great tools for researching the company's home office. Grab the company's address, load a map and see if the company has their own building, is headquartered in an office complex, rents out a spot in a strip mall, or has the mailing address of a personal residence.

3) Look at pricing and payment options - Drafted in the mid nineties, the Credit Repair Organizations Act CROA establishes rules that credit repair companies must abide by. One of these is to only accept payment for services after they have been performed. This restriction was put in place to help protect people from fraudulent companies who would charge large upfront fees and never provide the expected services.

Naturally, you should avoid credit repair providers who require an upfront payment.

In addition to finding out how much and when you will be expected to pay, make note of the payment options. Most reputable online companies will, at a minimum, give you the option to pay via credit card on their website or over the phone. Additional payment methods may also be accepted.