You can see your credit score free from your bank, credit card issuer, or directly from the three major credit bureaus
Your credit score is a number between 300 and 850 that lenders use to decide whether to lend you money and at what interest rate. You do not have to pay for it. Most banks and credit card companies now show your score free in their online accounts or mobile apps. If your bank does not offer it, you can get your score directly from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion — the three companies that calculate and sell credit scores — at no cost.
The catch is that there are many different credit scores. The one your bank shows you may not be the exact same number a mortgage lender will see. But the free scores are accurate enough to tell you whether you are in good standing, where you stand relative to others, and whether you need to fix something before you explore for a loan.
Key Takeaways
- Your bank or credit card issuer almost certainly shows your credit score free in their app or online account — check there first before looking elsewhere.
- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each offer one free credit score per year at their own websites, and some offer monthly updates at no cost.
- AnnualCreditReport.com is the only official site where you can get your credit report (the detailed list of accounts and payment history) free once per year from all three bureaus.
- Free scores from banks and credit bureaus use different calculation methods than lenders do, so the number you see may differ from what a lender sees by 10 to 50 points.
- Paid credit monitoring services are not necessary to track your score — free options from your bank or the bureaus themselves work just as well.
Where to find your score through your bank or card issuer
Start by logging into your bank's website or mobile app and looking for a section labeled "Credit Score," "Credit Insights," "Credit Health," or something similar. Major banks including Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank all show your score free. Most credit card issuers do the same — Discover, Capital One, American Express, and others display it on your account dashboard.
The score your bank shows is usually updated monthly and comes from one of the three bureaus or from a company that buys data from them. It is not the score a mortgage lender will use (that comes from a different calculation), but it moves in the same direction and tells you whether your credit is improving or declining. If your bank does not show a score, call their customer service line and ask whether they offer it — many have added it in the last few years but do not advertise it heavily.
Getting your score directly from the credit bureaus
Each of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — offers at least one free credit score per year. You can visit their websites directly and request your score. Equifax offers one free score annually at equifax.com. Experian offers one free score annually at experian.com. TransUnion offers one free score annually at transunion.com.
Some bureaus also offer free monthly score updates if you sign up for their free tier (not a paid monitoring service — the free version). Experian's free plan, for example, shows your score updated monthly and includes alerts if something changes. You do not need to enter a credit card number or commit to anything. The trade-off is that they may show you ads or try to sell you paid monitoring, but the score itself is free.
When you request your score from a bureau, you will need to verify your identity by answering security questions based on your credit history. This takes a few minutes and happens when ready online.
Understanding the difference between your score and your report
Your credit score is a single number. Your credit report is a detailed record of every account you have, every payment you have made, and every time someone has checked your credit. You are may have access to to one free copy of your credit report from each of the three bureaus every 12 months. The only official place to get all three free reports is AnnualCreditReport.com, which is run by the three bureaus themselves under federal law.
Your report is more useful than your score if you are trying to fix something. A low score might mean you have missed payments, high balances, or accounts in collections — but only your report will tell you which one. You can dispute errors on your report directly through the bureau's website or by mail. Errors are not uncommon: accounts that do not belong to you, payments marked late when they were on time, or duplicate accounts.
Why different sources show different scores
Credit scores are calculated using different formulas. The most common formula is called FICO, but there are many versions of FICO (FICO 8, FICO 9, FICO 10, and others), and there are competing formulas like VantageScore. A mortgage lender uses a specific FICO version designed for mortgages. A credit card company uses a different version. Your bank may show you yet another version.
Because of this, your score might be 720 when your bank shows it, 710 when Equifax shows it, and 740 when a mortgage lender pulls it. This is normal. The differences are usually small — within 10 to 50 points — and all versions move in the same direction. If you pay down debt, all your scores go up. If you miss a payment, all your scores go down. The free scores are accurate enough to tell you whether you are in good shape or need to improve before you explore for a loan.
What to do if you see errors or fraud on your report
If you see an account on your credit report that you did not open, a payment marked late that you made on time, or a balance that is wrong, you can dispute it. The bureau is required by law to investigate disputes at no cost to you. You can file a dispute online through the bureau's website, by phone, or by mail. The investigation usually takes 30 days.
If you see signs of identity theft — accounts you did not open, inquiries you did not authorize, or addresses you do not recognize — contact the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov. They will walk you through the steps to report it and protect yourself. You can also place a fraud alert on your credit file, which tells lenders to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name.
Free monitoring versus paid credit monitoring services
Paid credit monitoring services charge $10 to $30 per month and promise to watch your credit and alert you to changes. You do not need them. The free score updates from your bank or from Experian's free plan do the same thing. If you want alerts when your report changes, you can set them up free through AnnualCreditReport.com or through the bureaus themselves.
The main selling point of paid services is that they promise to help you if you become a victim of identity theft. But the FTC's IdentityTheft.gov is free and gives you the same information and steps. Paid services are marketing a sense of security more than they are providing something you cannot get free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does checking my own credit score hurt it?
No. When you check your own score or pull your own report, it is called a "soft inquiry" and does not affect your score. Only when a lender or creditor pulls your credit (a "hard inquiry") does it have a small, temporary impact — usually 5 to 10 points.
How often should I check my credit score?
Once or twice a year is enough for most people. If you are about to explore for a loan, check it a few months before so you have time to fix errors or pay down balances. If you are concerned about identity theft, checking monthly through a free service makes sense.
What credit score do lenders actually use?
It depends on the type of loan. Mortgage lenders use FICO Score 5, 2, or 4 (older versions). Auto lenders use FICO Auto Score. Credit card companies use their own versions. The score your bank shows you is usually not the exact one a lender will use, but it is close enough to give you a realistic picture.
Can I get my credit score if I have never had credit before?
No. Credit scores are only calculated once you have at least one account (a credit card, loan, or line of credit) that has been open for at least six months. If you are new to credit, you will not have a score yet, but you can still get a free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com.
Is there a difference between my credit score and my credit rating?
Yes. Your credit score is a number. Your credit rating is a letter grade (A, B, C, etc.) that some companies assign based on your score. They mean the same thing — both describe how creditworthy you are — but score is the standard term lenders use.