Check my credit score > This is what a Credit Karma score of 697 means

This is what a Credit Karma score of 697 means

Wollit Team4 minutes read · Updated 24th April 2025

Credit Karma is a website that offers a free service that lets you check your credit scores and reports. In the UK, Credit Karma uses TransUnion’s scoring system, which ranges from 0 to 710. TransUnion’s range is different from other credit agencies like Experian and Equifax, which have their own scoring systems.

This means that your 697 score means something different on Credit Karma than on ClearScore or Experian.

If your score is 697 on Credit Karma, then you’re in the ”Excellent” category on TransUnion. This is the highest credit score band and, as you can imagine, it can give you access to the very best deals on loans, credit cards, and mortgages.

Why is my credit score 697 on Credit Karma?

We presume you’re probably not asking this because you’re complaining. But if you’re curious about why exactly you have a credit score that’s “Excellent”, the answer is usually down to a few simple things:

• You don’t have any missed payments in your credit history.
• You also probably have more than a few credit accounts, with a healthy and long activity.
• You don’t have any judgments or defaults registered against you, at least not in the past 6 years.
• You don’t rely on credit to make ends meet so you have a low credit utilisation.
• And you’ve made it easy for TransUnion and lenders to verify your identity because you’ve registered to vote.

In short, the lenders know you’re a responsible borrower who pays bills on time and is stable financially.

Does having a 697 score on Credit Karma mean I’ll automatically get approved for credit?

You might expect that having an “Excellent” credit score can mean automatic approval whenever you apply for a loan or another financial product.

The reality, though, is a bit more complicated.

First of all, TransUnion (where Credit Karma gets your score from) is the UK’s third largest credit reference agency. Each agency gets slightly different data and calculates your score differently. This means that having an “Excellent” credit score on TransUnion doesn’t mean that you’ll have one on Equifax or Experian. So check those scores as well to see where you stand.

Second, it’s also possible to simply have errors in one credit file – if your Credit Karma score is much higher than what you see on ClearScore or Experian, check those credit reports and correct anything that might seem off.

Third, lenders will always want to see that you actually can afford making payments on time. So expect to have to provide proof of income and other details regardless of how good your credit score is.

Finally, sometimes you can have a good or excellent credit score but still be refused because lenders want to see more meat to your credit file. It’s very possible to have a very high credit score but one that’s calculated on the basis of a very small credit agreement – for example, an active mobile phone contract that’s a few years old.

This is why, if your TransUnion credit score is 627-710, you should have two main priorities:

1. Keep your credit score in the “Excellent” band. You can do this by using Direct Debit, payment reminders, or an arranged overdraft line to avoid missed payments. wherever possible, or a banking app with “upcoming payment” reminders. You should also update your electoral registration every time you move.
2. Add more depth to your credit file with another credit agreement. This is where a credit-building subscription like Wollit can help.

Wollit keeps your credit in great shape by reporting your monthly subscription as loan repayment to all three main credit reference agencies, including Equifax – which is where Credit Karma gets its data from. This helps you maintain your credit history, which is the main factor that matters for your credit score.

On top of this, Wollit can also add your monthly rent payments to your credit file. While you won’t see this in your Credit Karma account (Wollit reports rent to Experian), it can still make a real difference. This is because it can show lenders that you pay all bills on time and you’re indeed as responsible as your credit score says.

It can also save you quite a bit of money. Dropping to the next Credit Karma band, called “Good”, could mean as much as £50,000 in additional interest on a mortgage of £400,000. That’s a lot to pay for letting your credit score slip. Time to act.