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Your credit score, and why lenders never see it

Lenders never see the score in your app. They read the file it was calculated from, and they score that themselves, against their own criteria.

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The short answer

There is no single UK credit score. Each of the three agencies has its own scale, and every lender scores your file against its own criteria. What matters is the file itself: payments on time, low use of your credit limits, no recent defaults and correct details including the electoral roll.

3 agenciesCheck all of them, free
6 yearsHow long a default stays
Under 30%Guide for credit limit use
12 monthsClean history lenders look for
What is on this page
  1. There is no single credit score
  2. The three agencies, and why you need all three
  3. What is actually on the file
  4. What moves it, and what does not
  5. Fixing a file that has damage
  6. What it means for a mortgage

There is no single credit score

The number you see on a free app is that agency's own score. Lenders do not see it and do not use it.

The cost of getting this wrong is not abstract. On a £200,000 mortgage over 25 years, a rate half a point higher is roughly £60 a month, or £18,000 across the term (illustrative, at about 5%).

Each lender builds its own scorecard from your credit file plus what you tell them on the application. Two lenders can look at identical data and reach opposite decisions.

So the useful thing is not the score. It is the file underneath it, which is what lenders actually read.

The three agencies, and why you need all three

The UK has three main credit reference agencies. Lenders do not all report to all three, so your file can differ between them.

Experian

Widely used

Check it free through their own service or through a partner app.

Equifax

Widely used

Different lenders report here. An account missing from Experian can appear on Equifax.

TransUnion

Widely used

Used heavily by some mainstream lenders. Worth checking before any large application.

Check all three before a mortgage application. It costs nothing and it is the only way to see what a given lender might see.

What is actually on the file

What lenders see How much it matters How long it stays
Payment history on credit accounts The single biggest factor 6 years
How much of your limits you use High impact Rolling, current position
Defaults Very high impact 6 years from the default date
County court judgments Very high impact 6 years
Electoral roll registration Used for identity checks Current position
Hard search history Modest, unless clustered Usually visible for a limited period
Financial links to others Their record can affect you Until formally broken

Your salary, savings and employer are not on your credit file. Lenders get those from the application.

What moves it, and what does not

Pay everything on time, every timeOne missed payment can matter more than years of good behaviour. Direct debits for at least the minimum on everything.
Use less of your available creditSitting at 90% of your limits looks like strain. Lower use of your limits is better.
Register on the electoral rollFast, free and it fixes a surprising number of declines caused by identity checks failing.
Break dead financial linksAn old joint account with an ex-partner ties their record to yours. Ask the agency for a notice of disassociation.

What does not move it: checking your own file, your salary, having savings, or paying rent unless you use a scheme that reports it.

A laptop and household bills on a kitchen worktop

Been declined and not sure why?

Send us what the file shows. We will tell you whether it needs time or a different kind of lender, and introduce you if so.

Ask us a question

Prefer WhatsApp? Message us there. We are open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm.

Free debt advice is available from StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice. We are not paid to send you there. Talking to us costs nothing either, and there is no fee to you for anything we arrange.

Fixing a file that has damage

1

Get all three reports

Free. Read every line, including addresses and linked people.

2

Dispute anything wrong

Agencies must investigate. Errors get corrected and sometimes removed.

3

Add a notice of correction

Up to 200 words explaining a genuine reason such as illness or redundancy.

4

Bring accounts up to date

Arrears reported as current do less damage than continuing arrears.

5

Then wait

Time does the rest. Defaults drop off six years after the default date.

Nobody can lawfully remove accurate information. Any firm promising to erase a genuine default is either lying or planning something you would not agree to.

What it means for a mortgage

Mortgage lenders care about the file rather than the app score. What they look for is a clean recent history, sensible use of credit and stability.

  • Twelve months with no missed payments carries a lot of weight
  • Recent hard searches clustered together look like shopping under pressure
  • New credit taken in the three months before applying is a common reason for a decline
  • A default from four years ago is not fatal, but it narrows the lender choice
  • Being on the electoral roll at your current address matters more than people expect

Our first-time buyer guide covers the rest of the preparation.

Household bills and paperwork spread across a kitchen table

Who this suits, and who it does not

Check your file now if
  • You plan to apply for a mortgage in the next year
  • You have been declined and were not told why
  • You have moved house several times recently
  • You once shared an account with someone you no longer speak to
A score app is not enough if
  • You are about to make a large application
  • You suspect an error or something fraudulent
  • You have a default or judgment you cannot date
  • You are on none of the three agencies' electoral roll records

Check broadband before you make an offer

Broadband speeds can vary street by street, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.

Check broadband at an address (Ofcom)

Want all your bills in one?

We can introduce you to a specialist who can combine your mobile, broadband and utilities into one bill. There's no fee for the introduction.

We don't provide these services ourselves. Switching household bills is not a regulated financial service, so FCA protections and the Financial Ombudsman do not apply. We'll only pass your details to the specialist if you ask us to. See our privacy notice.

Questions people actually ask

Do lenders see the credit score in my app?
No. Each agency scores your file on its own scale for your benefit. Lenders build their own score from the file itself plus what you put on the application.
Does checking my credit score lower it?
No. Checking your own file is a soft search that only you can see. Applications create hard searches, and several in a short window can look concerning.
How long do defaults stay on my file?
Six years from the date of the default, not from when you cleared it. County court judgments also stay six years.
Will paying rent improve my credit score?
Only if the rent is reported through a scheme that shares the data with an agency. Ordinary rent payments do not appear on your file.
Does having no credit history hurt me?
It can, because lenders have nothing to assess. A small, well-managed credit account over six to twelve months builds a record without much risk.
Can I pay someone to fix my credit score?
No one can lawfully remove accurate information. Firms promising that are either misleading you or planning to dispute things falsely. Fixing errors is free and you can do it yourself.
Why do different apps show different scores?
Because each agency holds slightly different data and uses a different scale. That is why checking all three matters before a large application.
How soon before a mortgage should I stop applying for credit?
Ideally at least three months, and six is better. New commitments reduce affordability as well as adding searches to your file.
How do I check broadband speed at a property?
Use Ofcom's free broadband and mobile checker at checker.ofcom.org.uk. Enter the property's postcode and choose the address to see which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available before you make an offer.

Where to go next

What is a good score?Why the number is a distraction.First-time buyer guidePreparing for a mortgage application.How much can I borrow?The affordability side.Budgeting and debtThe wider picture.Debt help explainedIf the file has real damage.Mortgage in principleCheck your file before you apply.
Where these figures come from

Figures checked on 1 September 2026 and correct for the 2026/27 tax year. Rates change, so check the source before you act on a number.

We do not give regulated debt advice and we are not paid to refer you anywhere for it. The charities named on this page are free.

Last reviewed September 2026.

Get the file right before you apply for anything

If a mortgage is the reason you are here, we will introduce you to a mortgage adviser who knows which lenders take which view.

Start a conversation

Prefer WhatsApp? Message us there. We are open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm.

Free debt advice is available from StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice. We are not paid to send you there. Talking to us costs nothing either, and there is no fee to you for anything we arrange.