With so many inexperienced credit repair organizations coming onto the scene, many of which are turnkey businesses using third party software as the backbone of their product, it becomes a challenge to determine who you can trust with your credit. To help separate the quality credit repair services from the amateurs looking to make a quick buck, here are three suggestions for identifying a quality credit repair provider:

1) Look for experience - Creating a credit repair service is remarkably easy. A person only needs a web site and a few hundred dollars to purchase a credit repair business software package. Remaining in the business and producing results for customers is more difficult. The best credit repair services typically have an established history of helping people which is not only indicative of a stable business, but it also is a sign that the company operates within the confines of the law.

A credit repair company's BBB report will list how long the company has been in business, although not necessarily how long they have been providing credit repair services. If the company does not have a BBB listing, it could be a red flag since the company may be very new or flying under the radar. When you have a hard time figuring out how long a company has been operating, you can try performing a WHOIS lookup of their domain name to see how long it has been since it was registered, but odds are if it takes that much work, you're probably better served looking elsewhere.

2) Look for an offline presence - The Internet is a great vehicle for commerce, but the process of correcting your credit is more effective when conducted offline. Reputable credit repair companies usually have a physical place of operations that you can use as a guide to how stable the company is. Satellite imagery services like Bing Maps are great tools for researching the company's headquarters. Grab the company's address, load a map and see if the company occupies their own building, is headquartered in an office complex, rents out a location in a strip mall, or has the mailing address of a personal residence.

3) Look at pricing and payment options - Signed into law in 1996, the Credit Repair Organizations Act establishes rules that credit repair companies must adhere to. One of these is to not require payment for services until after the agreed upon services have been performed. This restriction was created to help protect people from fraudulent companies who would charge large upfront fees and then never provide the expected services.

Naturally, you should steer clear of credit repair companies who require an upfront payment (yes, there are still many in operation despite this regulation).

Along with finding out how much and when you will be expected to pay, note the payment options. Most reputable online companies will provide at a minimum the option to pay via credit card on their website or over the phone.