Credit Score Basics > How to check your Experian credit score for free

How to check your Experian credit score for free

Wollit Team3 minute read · Updated 1st July 2024

Your credit score is a very important factor in determining your ability to get credit, like loans, credit cards, and mortgages, on good terms and at good rates.

In the UK, Experian is one of the leading credit reference agencies, so checking your Experian credit score makes sense if you want to understand what your loan approval chances are.

Thankfully, checking your credit score for free with Experian is simple and easy. Here’s how it works.

What is a credit score?

A credit score is a three-digit number that is supposed to represent your creditworthiness. It is based on your credit history, including your payment history, credit utilisation, length of credit history, and types of credit used.

Lenders use this score to figure out the risk of lending to you and to decide the terms of credit they offer.

Why is it important to check my Experian credit score?

Regularly checking your Experian credit score has several benefits:

Tracking your credit score over time can help you figure out what you need to do to improve it.
It can also signal that sometimes something might not be right in your credit report, letting you know that you need to dig further, perhaps by getting your full credit report from Experian and disputing potential errors.
Knowing your credit score can also help you understand your chances of being approved for credit so you can avoid making too many applications. In fact, Experian offers a free eligibility checking service which matches you with various partners (like credit card providers, etc.) based on your Experian score.

How do I check my Experian credit score for free?

To check your Experian credit score for free, follow these steps:

Visit the Experian website and click on "Get your free credit score" or "Sign up for free".
Create an account by providing your personal information, such as your name, address, and date of birth. Experian will need this to verify your identity. Don’t worry, your data is safe with Experian.
Once your account is created, you can access your free Experian credit score. That’s it.

Your free Experian credit score will be updated every 30 days. Experian will also send you an email as soon as this happens, with the subject “Your latest credit score is ready”.

Keep in mind that checking your own credit score will not harm it. Lenders can’t see that you’ve checked your own credit score. This is called “soft check” and it’s only visible to you.

Can I check my Experian credit score on my phone or tablet?

Yes, you can access your Experian credit score through the Experian mobile app or by visiting the Experian website on your mobile device. It works just as well.

What does my Experian credit score mean?

Experian uses a credit score range of 0 to 999, with higher scores indicating lower credit risk. Here's what your Experian credit score means:

Excellent: 961 - 999. You should get the best credit cards, loans and mortgages.
Good: 881 - 960. You should get approved for most credit cards, loans and mortgages but you might not get the best deals.
Fair: 721 - 880. You might get decent interest rates but your credit limits may not be as high as you’d like.
Poor: 561 - 720. You might be accepted for a limited number of credit cards, loans and mortgages but they may come with high interest rates.
Very Poor: 0 - 560. You will probably only be able to qualify for so-called “bad credit” loans, cards, and mortgages. These come with extremely high interest rates, often higher than 1000%. You should hold off from making loan applications and focus on repairing your credit score instead.

Remember, your credit score is not set in stone and can change regularly as what’s on your credit report changes or as time passes.

How can I improve my Experian Credit score?

If your Experian credit score is lower than you'd like, there are several steps you can take to improve it:

Pay your bills on time. Payment history is the most important factor in your credit score, so make sure to pay all your bills, including credit cards, loans, and utilities, on time.
Keep your credit utilisation low. Try to keep your credit card balances below 25% of your credit limit, as per Experian’s recommendation.
Limit hard credit checks. Applying for multiple credit cards or loans in a short period can lower your credit score, so be selective when applying for credit.
Correct any errors on your credit report. If you find any inaccuracies on your credit report, contact Experian to dispute them.
Use Experian Boost. Experian Boost is a free service that allows you to add positive payment history from your bank account to your Experian credit report, potentially increasing your score (although most lenders ignore this “boosted” version).
Consider getting a credit builder card. These are cards that are supposed to help you improve your credit score by providing you access to a line of credit and then reporting your history of debt repayments. However, they have very short 0% interest periods, no rewards, and high interest rates (of 35% or more).
Download a specialised credit-building app like Wollit.

Improving your credit score with a credit building card requires you to first buy things on debt and then repay them as soon as possible. With Wollit, you only need to pay a fixed monthly subscription. Wollit then reports this subscription as a loan repayment to all three credit reference agencies, including Experian.

This directly builds your credit history and improves your credit score while keeping you safe from high APR charges, maxed-out credit limits, or the risk of more debt.