Credit Score Basics > ClearScore review: who is it for?

ClearScore review: who is it for?

ClearScore is a UK company that offers free credit score checks, credit report monitoring, and personalized financial advice.

It was founded in September 2014. Until then, credit agencies charged people a fee to show them their financial history and credit reports. ClearScore was one of the first to change this and started providing this information for free, using the data from Equifax's credit scores and reports.

How does ClearScore work?

The UK has three credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. They gather financial information and generate a credit report with an overall score. Lenders use this score to determine whether to provide credit cards, loans, or mortgages, as well as how much to charge and the credit limit to offer.

You usually have to pay a fee to access this data. ClearScore instead offers you free access to the credit score from Equifax, one of these agencies.

This is what you get when you sign up to ClearScore:

• A monthly credit score and report, taken from Equifax
• Access to the ClearScore marketplace, where you can browse products from ClearScore's "financial partners". The great part about this marketplace is that these offers are matched with your credit score, so it's easy to see what you could get approved for
• And "ClearScore Protect", a free service that helps protect you from identity theft and fraud.

ClearScore also has an elegant "Timeline" feature, which shows your credit history in a visual timeline.

Is ClearScore really free?

ClearScore is a free service that promises to stay free "forever".

Here's a cost comparison between ClearScore and the other places where you can get your credit score:

• ClearScore: free
• Credit Karma: free
• CheckMyFile: £14.99 a month for access to Equifax, Experian and Transunion credit scores
• TransUnion: no direct access to your credit score at all, free or paid
• Experian: free (once a month) or £14.99 a month (daily, also includes your credit report)
• Equifax: £14.95 a month (daily, also includes your credit report)

Of course, ClearScore makes money somehow. It does that by partnering with various banks, credit card issuers, and other finance companies, who then market their products to you.

Basically, ClearScore earns a small commission if you sign up or buy a credit card through its marketplace.

Is ClearScore accurate?

It's as accurate as Equifax.

Now, remember that all credit reports risk containing errors or out-of-date information, which is the same for the Equifax reports that ClearScore uses. This is why it is so important to have your credit reports and scores from all three agencies and contact them if you need any corrections. These CRAs (credit reference agencies) are the only ones who can correct these mistakes.

Is ClearScore legit?

ClearScore is a reputable company. It now operates in the UK, South Africa, Australia, and, more recently, Canada, and it has over 20 million users.

ClearScore is also safe to use. It has policies in place to protect your privacy and keep your

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data away from third parties. Basically, it commits to never selling your data to its financial partners.

Another sign of how seriously they take safety is their late product, "ClearScore Protect", which scans the Internet for any signs of fraud or identity theft.

What do customer reviews say about ClearScore?

ClearScore is rated a "great" company on the review site Trustpilot, with a score of 4.5 out of 5.0 based on over 13,500 reviews.

74% of reviewers consider it "excellent". These reviews praise good customer service and fast turnaround for correcting credit report errors.

On the flip side, 12% of reviews gave ClearScore only 1 star and rated it "bad". Some of these complained about ClearScore spamming their inbox with promotional messages. Others did so about the differences between the credit score shown by ClearScore and those they saw on other websites.

Ultimately, any website you check for your credit score might have inaccuracies. Websites offering something for free will have to make money in other ways, so we're not surprised to see tons of marketing emails coming from ClearScore.

Instead of using ClearScore, you can check your credit score directly on the Equifax website. Another option is to check your Experian or TransUnion credit score and report. Remember that there you will have to pay a monthly fee if you continue using them after the free trial.

A better and more cost-effective option is to subscribe to CheckMyFile, which allows you to check all three credit reports simultaneously.

For other free options, though, check out MoneySuperMarket's Credit Monitor, Credit Karma, and TotallyMoney. Any of these are good – the important part is that you check your credit score regularly and stay on top of it.

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