Your credit score* every day… for free

A credit score is generally a number from 300 to 850 that is calculated based on the information in your credit report. Lenders may look at it to help them determine the risk in lending money to you. It's normal to have different credit scores, as lenders and credit reporting agencies use varying scoring models. Credit scores can also vary based on the day they are calculated.

The credit score provided by TransUnion is based on the VantageScore^® 3.0 model. Lenders use many different types of credit scores to make lending decisions.

A credit report and a credit score are not the same thing, and you usually won’t find your credit score on your report. Your credit report is a record of your credit activity and history, and it makes up an important piece of your data identity. You should manage it wisely so you can get opportunities you deserve in the modern economy.

A credit score is a number that is calculated based on the information in your report, such as payment history, credit usage, length of credit history, account mix, and new credit. The score provided by TransUnion is based on the VantageScore^® 3.0 model. Lenders use many different types of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Yes, you can get free daily refreshes for both credit report and score by enrolling in our free online membership, called TransUnion Credit Essentials.  You can also get one free weekly credit report from each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies (TransUnion, Equifax and Experian) at AnnualCreditReport.com. This free online report doesn’t include your credit score, but you do have the option to purchase a one-time VantageScore^® 3.0 credit score when you get your free credit report by opting into a free TransUnion Service Center account.

Additionally, your credit score is available online through the TransUnion Service Center for $0.99 (plus tax where applicable) per score.

Don’t worry, checking your own credit report is considered a soft inquiry – and those don’t affect your score.

If you want to get your credit score through TransUnion, you can use one of the following methods:

• TransUnion provides your VantageScore^® 3.0 credit score when you enroll in our free online credit membership, TransUnion Credit Essentials.
• You have the option to purchase a one-time VantageScore^® 3.0 credit score after you get your free credit report from annualcreditreport.com by opting in to enroll in a TransUnion Service Center account.
• You can order your VantageScore^® credit score online through the TransUnion Service Center for $0.99 (plus tax where applicable). You can then print it, save it, or view it online for up to 30 days.
• You can contact Consumer Support to order your VantageScore^®3.0 credit score by phone or mail. The price of a credit score sent by mail is $9.95.

What You Need to Know:
The credit scores provided are based on the VantageScore^® 3.0 model. Lenders use a variety of credit scores and are likely to use a credit score different from VantageScore^® 3.0  to assess your creditworthiness.

Your credit score is calculated using the information in your credit report. Several key factors contribute to a credit score, such as payment history, credit usage, depth of credit accounts and recent credit. Read our blog for more information on credit score factors.

Credit scores are calculated using information in your credit report. The credit score provided by TransUnion is a VantageScore^® 3.0 credit score. There are many types of credit scores, and lenders use a variety of different types of credit scores to make lending decisions. One important factor is your payment history. Another is credit usage – the amount of available credit you’re using. You should aim to keep your credit utilization ratio at or below 30%, although the closer you can get to 0, the better. This can show that you have access to credit and are only using a responsible amount. Take control of your credit data and focus on building good financial habits over time, then the score will follow.

Your credit score may change any time the information in your credit report is updated. Read our blog to learn more about why your credit score may change.  

There are many types of credit scores, and lenders use a variety of different types of credit scores to make lending decisions. The credit score provided by TransUnion is based on the VantageScore^® 3.0 model. Check out our blog for more details about different types of credit scores.  

What’s considered a good score will vary by lender, scoring model, and the type of credit you’re applying for. The credit score provided by TransUnion is based on the VantageScore^® 3.0 model. Lenders use many different types of credit scores to make lending decisions. In general, a “good” credit score when you get a VantageScore^® 3.0 by TransUnion is from 661 to 780. An “excellent” score  is over 781 (using the VantageScore^® 3.0 model). Read more details about credit scores in our blog.

VantageScore^® 3.0 credit scores range from 300 to 850. It’s up to each lender to decide on the minimally acceptable VantageScore^® applicants need for a loan or credit card, but here’s a breakdown of each score band:

Excellent: 781-850
Good: 661-780
Fair: 601-660
Poor: 300-600

You may not have a score for a number of reasons, including:

• Your credit report does not include any accounts
• Your credit report has no new updates or inquiries during the last 24 months
• The only accounts on your credit file are authorized-user and collections accounts
• You’re younger than 16 years old

If you’re building your credit history from scratch, read our blog article for tips on how to build credit.

Your credit score is determined by how you've managed your credit.

Credit scoring models look at relevant information in your credit report. Scoring models will use certain key factors to help determine your credit score such as payment history, credit utilization, and other factors. There are different scoring models and there is generally overlap in the factors from model to model, but how much each model weighs factors can vary.

If you want to learn more, read our blog about credit score factors.

Your factors come with your credit score.

• When you buy a VantageScore^® 3.0 credit score through the TransUnion Service Center, you’ll get up to six factors and their descriptions to review: up to three positive factors and up to three negative factors.
• If you obtain your VantageScore^® 3.0 credit score through TransUnion Credit Essentials, you’ll get a personalized credit analysis which helps you understand your score.

Your credit score is calculated using the information in your credit report, so when lenders provide updates to that information, your score may fluctuate. Because of this, it’s normal to see your score change, and a slight drop in your score by a few points may not be cause for concern. Some common reasons scores can drop are because of late or missed payments, credit utilization rate changes or closed accounts. Read our blog post for a more in-depth look at why your credit score may have dropped.

Credit scoring models can weigh certain information in your reports more heavily than other credit score factors. For example, one scoring model may put more emphasis on total credit usage than others. Because there are varied scoring models, you’ll likely have different scores from different providers. 

The credit score provided by TransUnion is based on the VantageScore^® 3.0 model. Lenders use many different types of credit scores to make lending decisions.

There are many different score models used in the credit industry. Each score model is based on different factors, which impact credit scores in different ways. This is why you may have different scores with each of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies. If you see differences between scores, knowing what scoring model was used can help you determine the reason for the difference. 

The credit score provided by TransUnion is based on the VantageScore^® 3.0 model. Lenders use many different types of credit scores to make lending decisions.

When you obtain your credit score from TransUnion, you get a VantageScore^® 3.0 score.

There are some key areas to focus on if you want to improve your credit health:

• Make on-time payments: This factor can weigh heavily on your score, so consistent, on-time payments can contribute to credit health improvements.
• Keep your utilization low: Your credit utilization ratio measures how much of your available credit limit is being used. Keeping balances down to less than 30% of your credit limit can positively impact your score.
• Review your credit score factors: When you get your credit score, review the factors that come with it. This information can help guide you towards actions that will affect your score.
• Check your credit report regularly: Your credit score is a number calculated based on the information in your credit report. Checking your credit report consistently will help you stay on top of important changes and help you spot potential identity theft. We have a guide you can use to help understand how to read your credit report.

You can learn more about building good credit habits in our how to build credit blog post.

You can’t dispute your credit score. However, you can dispute the information in your credit report, which is used to calculate your score. If you see inaccurate information in your credit report, you can submit a dispute through the TransUnion Service Center. Visit our Dispute page to learn more.