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How to check your credit score for free

Yahoo Personal Finance· Getty Images
4 min read

Your credit score is a three-digit number that provides prospective lenders with valuable insight into your money management habits. These scores range from 300 to 850, and borrowers with higher scores are considered a lower lending risk.

If you want a loan or credit card, the financial institution you apply with will check your credit report and scores. This information is a significant factor in your ability to qualify for financing, plus your score helps determine how much you can borrow and what interest rate you receive.

Reviewing your credit before submitting an application can help you predict if you’ll get approved. Here’s how to check your credit scores, and what to do if your credit isn’t stellar.

While you can get free weekly copies of your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit reports by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com, those reports won’t include your credit scores. Instead, they’ll detail your open accounts, balances, payment histories, and recent credit checks.

If you want to check your credit score, you must access it through another outlet. Some methods are free, while others might have a nominal cost. Here are your options:

One of the simplest ways to check your credit score is by logging into your credit card account online. Most major card issuers, such as Capital One, Chase, American Express, and Discover, offer free credit score access for cardholders.

This can provide valuable insight into your situation, but there are a few limitations. Some issuers only let you check your scores from one model: FICO or VantageScore. Likewise, issuers might only provide your credit scores from one credit bureau: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.

Chase, for instance, gives you access to your VantageScore 3.0 score from Experian. Depending on the type of financing you’re seeking, this score might be different from the score a prospective lender sees when they pull your credit. But generally, the difference isn’t substantial.

Read more: How to boost your credit score with a credit card

Your bank might also offer access to one or more of your credit scores through a free credit monitoring program. Again, a service like this likely won’t give you a complete view of all your scores. Despite this, it could still provide valuable insight into where you stand if you’re considering applying for a new loan or credit line.

SoFi is one example of a bank offering free credit score monitoring. It uses the VantageScore 3.0 model from TransUnion.

Companies such as Credit Karma and Credit Sesame let you check your credit score for free. But you probably won’t be able to access your credit scores from all three national credit bureaus at once.

Credit Karma, for example, provides free VantageScore 3.0 scores from Equifax and TransUnion, while Credit Sesame gives you complimentary access to your VantageScore 3.0 score from TransUnion. You might also upgrade to a premium account with certain services to access all your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion scores in one place.

You can go straight to the source and check your credit scores with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, or through a credit scoring service like FICO or VantageScore. Some platforms, such as Equifax, let you check your credit score for free and provide optional services at a cost.

Here’s what each bureau and scoring service offers:

Read more: 10 tips to improve your credit score in 2024

When you submit a loan or credit application with a lender, it will complete a hard credit check to confirm your financial background. While this can slightly hurt your score, checking your own credit won’t affect your credit score.

In fact, checking your scores and reports regularly could help you identify potential areas of improvement for your finances, which might boost your score in the long run if you take action.

Many credit card issuers, banks, and lenders will give you free access to your credit score. You could also get free access through a third-party service like Credit Karma or Credit Sesame, as well as through Equifax, Experian, FICO, and VantageScore.

You can get free Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit reports each week through AnnualCreditReport.com. Note that these reports won’t include your credit scores.

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.