Check Your Credit Score | It's Free Forever With Experian® (2024)

Join 13 million others who already have the UK's most trusted credit score. We'll help you see where you stand when it comes to getting credit.

Check your score for free

Check Your Credit Score | It's Free Forever With Experian® (1)

What you get with your free credit score

Getting the UK’s leading credit score could help you meet your money goals – such as getting a house, car, loan or credit card. The higher your score, the better your chances of getting the best deals. Plus, see if you can instantly improve your score with Experian Boost.

Your free Experian account lets you:

  • Check your Experian Credit Score
  • Use Experian Boost
  • See a summary of your total credit
  • Get offers tailored to your score
  • Check your chances of getting personal loans, credit cards and more

Get your free Experian account

Find the right deals for you

We work with the UK’s leading lenders to give you deals you won’t find anywhere else. What’s more, we can help match you to offers based on your credit score. We do all the legwork so you don’t have to.

Apply for credit with confidence

We can tell you how likely you are to be accepted for things like credit cards and personal loans before you apply. We can even tell you if you’re pre-approved* for any offers, too.

Improve your credit score with Boost

See if you can instantly improve your score by using Boost – only at Experian.

Get your free Experian account

Can you check your credit score for free?

You can get your Experian Credit Score without paying a penny, by signing up for a free Experian account.

Your free score will be updated every 30 days if you log in.

You can check your credit score as often as you like – checking it won’t harm it.

Check your free credit score

What's a credit score?

A credit score, also known as a credit rating, is a three-digit number that reflects how reliable you are when it comes to repaying money. Your credit score is based on how you’ve handled money in the past. The higher your credit score, the better your chances of being accepted for credit, and at the best rates.

Your credit score influences your chances of getting:

  • Credit cards, loans and mortgages
  • Car finance
  • Gas & electricity monthly contracts
  • Mobile phone contracts
  • Insurance instalment plans
  • Retail credit

How does a credit score work?

Your credit score is calculated whenever you apply for credit, such as a loan, credit card, mortgage, or even a mobile phone contract. How your score is worked out depends on the company you’re applying to – different companies have different methods and may use different information, so your credit rating may vary between them.

Lenders typically look at your borrowing history, your current borrowing, and other relevant information such as your income. Usually, they’ll look at information taken from the following:

Your credit report

Your application form

Their own records, if you’ve been a customer before

Get my free credit score

How’s your Experian Credit Score calculated?

The Experian Free Credit Score runs from 0-999. It’s based on information in your Experian Credit Report – like how often you apply for credit, how much you owe, and whether you make payments on time.

You’ll lose points for having information on your report that suggests to lenders you’re unlikely to manage credit responsibly, such as previous late payments and defaults. You’ll gain points for things that lenders usually view positively, such as a track record of always paying on time and being on the electoral roll.

Check Your Credit Score | It's Free Forever With Experian® (2)

What’s a good or average credit score?

We consider a ‘good’ score to be between 881 and 960, with ‘fair’ (also the average) between 721 and 880. However, there’s no ‘magic’ number that will guarantee lenders will approve an application if you apply.

If your credit score is poor, you’ll probably find it harder to borrow money or access certain services. We consider a ‘poor’ score to be between 561 and 720, with ‘very poor’ between 0-560. But remember, lenders may have different views of what an ideal customer looks like to them, which will be reflected in how they calculate your credit score.

Your free Experian Credit Score is intended as a useful guide to give you an idea of how lenders may view your credit history. Knowing your score can help you make more informed choices when it comes to credit.

What does your Experian Credit Score mean for you?

Excellent
961 - 999

You should get the best credit cards, loans and mortgages (but there are no guarantees).

Good
881 - 960

You should get most credit cards, loans and mortgages but you might not get the very best deals.

Fair
721 - 880

You might get OK interest rates but your credit limits may not be very high.

Poor
561 - 720

You might be accepted for credit cards, loans and mortgages but they may have higher interest rates.

Very Poor
0 - 560

You’re more likely to be refused most credit cards, loans and mortgages.

Remember, your credit rating definitely isn’t set in stone. It can change regularly – for example, as the information on your credit report changes or as time passes. So, it can go up or down over time.

Experian has the UK’s leading free credit score – so you know you’ll be in safe hands seeing where you stand when it comes to getting credit.

Get my FREE credit score

Check Your Credit Score | It's Free Forever With Experian® (2024)

FAQs

Check Your Credit Score | It's Free Forever With Experian®? ›

You can access your free Experian credit report at any time by signing up for a free Experian account. You can request annual credit reports

annual credit reports
Quick Answer. AnnualCreditReport.com is an official site and a safe and free way to check your credit reports from the three major consumer credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.
https://www.experian.com › is-annualcreditreport-com-safe
for free from each of the 3 major reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax® and TransUnion®—online via www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.

Is Experian credit score really free? ›

Fortunately, you can also access the FICO® Score based on your Experian credit report for free anytime, making it easier to stay on top of your credit health.

How can I check my real credit score for free? ›

You have the right to request one free copy of your credit report each year from each of the three major consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. You may also be able to view free reports more frequently online.

Is Experian your real FICO score? ›

The credit scores you see when you check a service like Experian may differ from the FICO scores a lender sees when checking your credit. That's because the lender may be using a FICO score based on data from a different credit bureau. It may also be looking at a different FICO scoring method.

How do I check my Experian report for free? ›

You can either request your credit history via a basic statutory report for free, or new customers can sign up to a free trial of CreditExpert which will include your Experian Credit Score, fraud monitoring and alerts, and tailored guidance on how to improve how lenders see you.

Can I use Experian without paying? ›

You can access your free Experian credit report at any time by signing up for a free Experian account. You can request annual credit reports for free from each of the 3 major reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax® and TransUnion®—online via www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.

Does my credit score go down if I check it on Experian? ›

When you check your own credit report or request your own credit score, or when a monitoring service you authorize does so, that request is noted on your credit report as a soft inquiry. A soft inquiry never has any impact on your credit scores.

Can I trust my Experian credit score? ›

Credit scores from the three main bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) are considered accurate. The accuracy of the scores depends on the accuracy of the information provided to them by lenders and creditors.

Is credit karma or Experian better? ›

Experian vs. Credit Karma: Which is more accurate for your credit score? You may be surprised to know that the simple answer is that both are accurate. Read on to find out what's different between the two companies, how they get your credit score, and why you have more than one credit score to begin with.

Which credit score is most accurate? ›

There is no single credit score that's considered the most accurate. The truth is, there are several types of credit scores available to lenders—and many versions of each of those scores. Scores are calculated based on many of the same factors.

Is it worth paying for Experian? ›

Ultimately, whether it's worth paying for a premium Experian account or not will depend on how closely you need to monitor your credit record. Since a general overview of your credit score is free, if you only require a cursory look at your credit report then these premium features might not be worth the investment.

What credit score is needed to buy a house? ›

A good credit score to buy a house is one that helps you secure the best mortgage rate and loan terms for the mortgage you're applying for. You'll typically need a credit score of 620 to finance a home purchase. However, some lenders may offer mortgage loans to borrowers with scores as low as 500.

Where is the best place to check your credit score? ›

You can start by going to the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion first by logging on to AnnualCreditReport.com to check your report for free. Each agency gives you access to your report once every 12 months.

Does Experian credit score cost? ›

You can get your Experian Credit Score without paying a penny, by signing up for a free Experian account. Your free score will be updated every 30 days if you log in. You can check your credit score as often as you like – checking it won't harm it.

Does Experian charge a fee? ›

Experian IdentityWorks℠ Plus: $9.99 to $24.99 per month, depending on the plan. A plan for one adult costs $9.99 with a 30-day free trial. The cost for one adult and up to 10 children is $14.99.

Is it safe to use Experian credit score? ›

Is Experian legitimate? Yes. Along with TransUnion and Equifax, Experian is recognized by financial institutions around the world as a safe, authoritative and trustworthy credit reporting agency.

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