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- Most major credit card issuers give you access to your credit score.
- Make note of which credit scoring algorithm and credit bureau your credit score comes from.
- Though paid services like can show your credit score, you should never have to pay just to see it.
Introduction to Free Credit Score Services
The Importance of Monitoring Your Credit Score
Credit scores are crucial to your financial health. An excellent credit score — 800 or above — will save you thousands of dollars on a mortgage or auto loan. On the other hand, a bad credit score (669 and below) can stop you from purchasing a house or car at all.
Luckily, it's always possible to rebuild your credit after damaging it. Whether rebuilding credit or building it up from scratch, you need a reliable way to access your credit score throughout the process. While you can sign up for a credit monitoring service — many of the best credit monitoring services are free — it's likely you already have access to your credit score if you have one of these credit cards.
Benefits of Credit Cards Offering Free Credit Scores
Regardless of your financial situation, credit is important in today's world. Going from bad or no credit to good credit can open many financial doors. If you're currently in debt, your newfound credit score might give you some leverage to negotiate a lower interest rate or refinance your debt at a lower rate. If you plan to borrow money shortly — whether to purchase a car, a home, or start a business — it's important to get your credit score up in order to qualify for the lowest rates available.
Even if you're debt-free and have no plans to borrow money in the future, good credit gives you access to some of the best rewards credit cards. Taking advantage of these can save you hundreds of dollars per year through cashback or award travel.
Easy Access to Your Credit Score
Some banks show your credit score calculated using the FICO 8 or FICO 9 score credit model, while others may show your VantageScore 3.0 score. These are simply two different credit score models that factor the information from your credit report in slightly different ways, so you may see a discrepancy between your two scores.
Your credit score may also vary based on which credit bureau — Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion— supplied the credit report your score came from. Between three potential credit scoring models and three potential credit reports, your credit card company may show you one of nine scores.
Monitoring Credit and Identity Theft Protection
The best way to improve or maintain your credit score is to closely monitor it. This gives you a better understanding of how your actions impact the factors used to calculate your credit score.
Many assume that checking their credit too frequently will drag their score down, but this is a myth.Hard inquiries can harm your credit score, but these are only performed by a potential lender when you apply for a loan or line of credit. When you check your credit report, it's called a soft inquiry, and it won't affect your credit.
Understanding the Credit Score Service Provided
If it's been a while since you've peeked at your credit, you might want to start bychecking your full credit reportto get a sense of where you're financial. Thanks to theFair Credit Reporting Act, you're entitled to one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus yearly. All you have to do is go toAnnualCreditReport.com to request all three free credit reports.
Maximizing the Benefit of Free Credit Score Services
Regularly Checking Your Score
It's important to monitor your credit throughout the year — ideally monthly or weekly. Not only will this help you keep track of changes in your credit score, but it will also keep you in the loop if any bad marks or suspicious activity appear on your credit report. You can dispute any inaccurate informationwith the credit bureaus with this information.
Using Insights to Improve Your Credit Score
You can pay for a monthly subscription to a credit monitoring service, but the best things in life are free. If you want to track your credit without paying a monthly fee, get a credit card that offers free credit scores. In some cases, you can even get your free credit score without having a credit card from the issuer offering access to your credit score.
List of Credit Cards with Free Credit Scores
| Free credit score service | Who gets access | |
| American Express | MyCredit Guide (TransUnion VantageScore 3.0) | Anyone who creates a free account |
| Bank of America | TransUnion FICO score | Bank of America cardholders |
| Barclaycard | TransUnion FICO score | Barclaycard customers |
| Capital One | CreditWise (TransUnion VantageScore 3.0) | Anyone who creates a free account |
| Chase | Credit Journey (TransUnion VantageScore 3.0) | Anyone who creates a free account |
| Citi | Equifax FICO score | Citi cardholders |
| Discover | TransUnion FICO score | Anyone who creates a free account |
| US Bank | TransUnion Credit View (VantageScore 3.0) | US Bank customers |
| Wells Fargo | Experian FICO score | Wells Fargo customers |
As you can see, all the major US credit card issuers offer some type of free credit score access. Some even provide this and other credit monitoring capabilities regardless of your cardholder status.
FAQs
Do all credit cards offering free credit scores provide the same score model?
No, different credit cards may offer scores from different credit bureaus (e.g., Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) or different scoring models (e.g., FICO, VantageScore). It's important to know which model and bureau your card uses.
How often is my free credit score updated?
The frequency of updates can vary by card issuer, with some offering monthly updates and others doing so more frequently. Check with your credit card provider for specific details.
Can accessing my free credit score impact my credit rating?
No, checking your own credit score is considered a soft inquiry and does not affect your credit score.
Why should I monitor my credit score?
Regularly monitoring your credit score can help you understand your financial health, detect errors or fraudulent activity early, and plan better for financial decisions like applying for a loan or credit card.
Are there any downsides to credit cards that offer free credit scores?
While the free credit score feature is beneficial, it's important to consider other aspects of the credit card, such as fees, interest rates, and other benefits, to ensure it fits your overall financial needs.
Elizabeth Aldrichis a finance writer specializing in credit cards and loans, retirement planning, investing, economics, and small business. Her work has appeared on The Motley Fool, USA Today, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, Bankrate, and Business Insider. She's an avid credit card points collector and perpetual traveler.
