How to check your credit score for free

Your credit score is a three-digit number that indicates how reliable you are at borrowing and repaying money.

The rating is calculated using a points system based on the information in your credit report which can reveal how you've managed your debts and bills in the past.

Credit reports are compiled by credit reference agencies (CRAs) - the three main agencies in the UK are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

There's no such thing as a universal credit score. Each lender has its own system in place to decide whether or not to accept you as a customer, meaning you could be turned down by one, but successful with another.

• Find out more: what is a credit report?

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Why does my credit score change on different sites?

To give you a better idea of how your application might be viewed by lenders, credit reference agencies produce their own version of your credit score.

The higher this number, the higher your chances of getting access to market-leading credit deals. However, a good credit score from a credit reference agency is no guarantee that your application will be successful.

And confusingly, each credit reference agency uses a slightly different scale. For example, a score of less than 560 is 'very poor' with Experian, but 'good' with Equifax.

What affects my credit score?

Your score will ultimately be based on how responsibly you use your credit facilities.

For example, you lose 130 points with Experian if you fail to pay a bill on time but will gain 90 points if you use 30% or less of your credit card limit.

Like lenders, each credit reference agency has its own system for assessing your creditworthiness and will take into account different factors when calculating a score.

However, certain things will have a negative impact on your score regardless of the agency - for example, not being on the electoral roll, or making a late payment.

Bear in mind that the timing of entries in your report is more important than the type of activity. As lenders are most interested in your current financial circumstances, so a missed payment from a few years ago is unlikely to scupper your chances of getting credit.

• Find out more: how to improve your credit score

What is a 'soft' or 'hard' credit check?

A lender can conduct either a 'hard' or a 'soft' search when you apply for credit:

• Soft checks aren't visible to lenders and won't impact future credit applications. These allow lenders to give you an idea of whether your application would be accepted, how much you can borrow, and what interest rate you'd be charged. 
• Hard checks involve a full search of your credit report and leave a 'footprint' on your credit file that's visible to other lenders for at least 12 months which means they can impact your credit report and score.

While it doesn't matter how many soft searches there are (as only you can see them), multiple hard searches - particularly within a short period - can lower your credit score. 

When shopping around online, check if a provider is offering a soft or hard search before entering your details.

How do I check my credit score for free?

You have a legal right to access your credit report for free from any credit reference agency. 

These statutory reports offer a snapshot of your credit history and don't include a credit score. However, the three main credit reference agencies all offer more comprehensive services for a monthly fee.

These provide unlimited access to your credit report, plus extra features, such as a score and alerts when major changes are made to your report.

However, it's now possible to access both your credit report and score without having to pay for a subscription.

How to get your Experian credit score for free

The largest credit reference agency offers new customers a free 30-day trial of its CreditExpert service, which gives you access to your credit report, score, and email alerts about any changes on your file.

After the trial ends, it will cost you £14.99 a month.

You can access your Experian credit score through a free Experian account. This is designed to help people shop around to see how they can save money by comparing credit deals based on their financial profile.

Once you've signed up, your score will remain free to access, but unlike the paid-for CreditExpert service, you won't be able to see your credit report.

Experian's credit score scale

How to get your Equifax credit score for free

Like Experian, Equifax offers a free 30-day trial of its full credit monitoring service. It costs £7.95 a month after the free trial.

Alternatively, you can get your Equifax report and score free through ClearScore.

The company makes its money from commissions on products you take out via its website.

Equifax's credit score scale

How to get your TransUnion credit score for free

You can access your TransUnion report and score for free via its Credit Karma (formerly called Noddle) service. 

This agency advertises loans and cards you are likely to be accepted for too.

You can now also access your TransUnion credit report for free via the Money Saving Expert Credit Club.

TransUnion's credit score scale

How can I see all three scores at the same time?

Signing up for a free trial with CheckMyFile will give you access to all the information held on you by TransUnion, Experian and Equifax for 30 days.

After this, you'll have to pay £14.99 a month to keep the service.

What is a good credit score?

Each credit reference agency uses its own scoring system. The table shows the scale each one uses and what a particular score means in terms of your creditworthiness.

• Find out more: best credit cards for bad credit

Credit checks: which lenders use which credit reference agency?

Checking your credit report is an important part of maintaining your financial health. It'll allow you to pick up on any mistakes - or even fraudulent applications - that could hinder your chances of getting credit.

If you spot any errors you should get them corrected. But sometimes credit report mistakes can remain for far longer than they should. Some Which? members have told us it took months before their report was updated.

As different agencies hold different information, it might be possible to pick a lender that uses an agency you know you have an up-to-date credit report with.

We asked credit card, loan and current account providers to reveal which agency they use. Check out the table to see what they told us.

• Find out more:  credit report errors can ruin your credit score - are your records correct?