You can get your credit score free from the three major credit bureaus, from your bank or credit card company, or from free online services
Your credit score is a number between 300 and 850 that lenders use to decide whether to lend you money and what interest rate to charge. You have the right to see your score for free at least once per year. The three companies that calculate and hold your score are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — they are called credit bureaus or credit reporting agencies.
The easiest way to get your score is to visit annualcreditreport.com, which is the official site run by the three bureaus. You can order one free report from each bureau every 12 months. You will need to provide your name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number. The site will ask you security questions to verify your identity, then show you your report and score right away.
Many banks and credit card companies now show your score for free in your online account or mobile app — check your statements or log in to see if yours does. Some credit card issuers update it monthly. You can also get free scores from services like Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, and Discover's Credit Scorecard, though these sites make money by showing you ads and loan offers.
Key Takeaways
- Visit annualcreditreport.com to order one free credit report from each of the three bureaus every 12 months.
- Your bank or credit card company may show your score for free in your online account or app.
- Free credit score websites exist, but they show you advertisements and loan offers in return.
- Your score changes based on your payment history, how much debt you owe, how long you have had credit, and how often you apply for new credit.
- Scores from different sources may differ slightly because bureaus use different formulas and may have different information about you.
What information you need to provide
To get your credit score from annualcreditreport.com, have your Social Security number, date of birth, current address, and a phone number or email ready. The site will use this information to pull your file from the bureaus and verify that you are who you say you are.
If you are ordering a report by mail instead of online, you will need to fill out a form and mail it to the address listed on the site. This takes longer — usually 15 days — but works if you do not have internet access or prefer not to provide information online.
Understanding the difference between your report and your score
Your credit report is a detailed record of your borrowing history. It lists every credit account you have opened, whether you paid on time, how much you owe, and any negative marks like late payments or collections. Your credit score is a single number that summarizes that history.
When you order from annualcreditreport.com, you get the report itself, which includes your score. The report shows you exactly what information the bureaus have about you — and it may contain errors. If you spot a mistake, you can dispute it directly with the bureau that reported it. Errors on your report can lower your score unfairly, so checking once a year is worth your time.
Why your score might differ across sources
You may see different scores depending on where you look. This happens because credit bureaus do not always have the same information about you — one bureau might know about a credit card you opened last month, while another does not yet. Lenders also report to the bureaus at different times, so the data can be out of sync.
Additionally, different scoring models exist. The most common is the FICO score, which ranges from 300 to 850. VantageScore is another model that also ranges from 300 to 850. Some lenders use older FICO versions, while others use newer ones. A score from Credit Karma might use VantageScore, while your bank shows FICO. Differences of 20 to 50 points between sources are normal and do not mean anything is wrong.
How often your score updates
Your score changes whenever new information is reported to the credit bureaus. This usually happens once a month, when lenders send in payment records and account balances. If you pay off a credit card, that information may take 30 to 45 days to show up on your report and affect your score.
Checking your score multiple times per month will not hurt it. Pulling your own credit report is called a soft inquiry and does not lower your score. However, when a lender pulls your report to decide whether to lend you money — called a hard inquiry — it can lower your score by a few points. Multiple hard inquiries in a short time can add up, so avoid applying for many credit products at once.
What affects your credit score
Your score is based on five main factors. Payment history (35 percent of your score) is whether you pay your bills on time. Amounts owed (30 percent) is how much debt you carry compared to your credit limits — using less than 30 percent of your available credit is better. Length of credit history (15 percent) rewards you for having accounts open longer. Credit mix (10 percent) means having different types of credit, like a credit card and a car loan. New credit (10 percent) is how often you have recently applied for credit.
Late payments, collections accounts, and foreclosures stay on your report for seven years and hurt your score significantly. Bankruptcy stays for seven to ten years depending on the type. Even one missed payment can lower your score by 100 points or more, depending on how recent it is and how good your score was before.
Free resources beyond annualcreditreport.com
If you want to check your score more than once a year, free options exist. Your bank or credit card issuer may show your FICO score in your account. Discover cardholders can see their score even if they do not have a Discover card. Some employers and financial advisors also offer free credit monitoring as an employee benefit.
Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, and similar sites show your score for free but display advertisements. These services are legitimate — they do not charge you and do not hurt your score — but understand that they make money by showing you ads for credit products. Read the terms of service to see what data they collect and how they use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does checking my own credit score lower it?
No. When you check your own score or order your report from annualcreditreport.com, it is a soft inquiry and does not affect your score. Only hard inquiries — when a lender pulls your report to make a lending decision — can lower your score slightly.
What if I find an error on my credit report?
Contact the credit bureau that reported the error in writing and explain what is wrong. You can dispute online, by mail, or by phone. The bureau has 30 days to investigate. If the error is confirmed, it will be removed or corrected. You can also contact the company that reported the information (like your bank or a collection agency) and ask them to correct it.
Can I get my score if I have never had credit?
If you have never opened a credit account, the bureaus may not have a file on you yet, so you will not have a score. You can still order your report from annualcreditreport.com to confirm. To build credit, you can open a credit card, become an authorized user on someone else's account, or take out a small loan.
How long does it take to get my score from annualcreditreport.com?
If you order online and verify your identity through security questions, you see your report and score immediately. If you order by mail, it takes about 15 days. You can order one free report from each of the three bureaus every 12 months, so you could spread them out to check three times a year.
Is my credit score the same everywhere?
No. Different bureaus may have slightly different information about you, and different scoring models produce different numbers. A score from one bureau might be 680 while another is 710. This is normal. Lenders use the score that matters most to them — mortgage lenders often use FICO, while some credit card companies use VantageScore.