How to check your Experian credit score

Headshot of Liza Carrasquillo, Editor, Credit Cards Written by:
Brad Hanson Edited by:
Updated
•5 min read
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Key Takeaway: You can get your FICO® scores from Experian by creating an account with Experian, getting a myFICO subscription or getting your scores through certain banks or credit card issuers. But not all of these options are free.

The main way to check your Experian credit score is through an Experian account, but you can also do so through certain financial institutions or through a subscription with myFICO.

Your Experian credit score is a type of FICO score that’s based off information in your Experian credit report only. Equifax and TransUnion, the other two major credit bureaus, also provide credit scores based on their respective credit reports.

Credit Karma provides free VantageScore® 3.0 credit scores, along with free credit reports, from Equifax and TransUnion. Experian offers free FICO® Score 8 credit scores, along with a handful of other credit scores you can view with a paid membership.

Here’s a breakdown of what your Experian FICO score is, where exactly to find it and what factors go into calculating it.

How can I check my Experian credit score?

You can check your FICO credit score from Experian if you …

  • Create an Experian account: Experian shows your FICO® Score 8 for free in your account portal. If you want to see other Experian FICO scores — or scores from other credit bureaus — you’ll have to upgrade to a paid membership.
  • Sign up for a myFICO subscription: You can get your Experian FICO® Score 8 credit score when you enroll in one of its paid membership tiers.
  • Log into your bank or credit card issuer’s account: Some banks and credit card issuers provide credit scores for free through their mobile app or online account. Bank of America’s My Credit tool, for example, looks at your Experian credit report only and provides you with your FICO® Score 8 credit score.
  • Sign up for a third-party service: Some third-party services show credit scores based on Experian credit reports. Many of these companies bundle these scores with identity theft services. Before signing up, be sure to read the fine print so you know you’re getting access to the credit scores you want and are getting value from the services offered.

What is a good Experian FICO score?

A good Experian FICO score falls between 670 and 739 on the FICO® Score 8 model that you see when you log into your Experian account. Above 739, your score would be categorized as either “very good” or “exceptional.” Here are the full ranges for each FICO® Score 8 scoring category.

  • Poor: 300–579
  • Fair: 580–669
  • Good: 670–739
  • Very Good: 740–799
  • Exceptional: 800–850

A good Experian credit score doesn’t only come down to where your score falls on a FICO scale, however. Lenders have their own criteria when it comes to what qualifies as a “good” credit score, and it typically varies by lending product.

Plus, not every lender will base its decision off your Experian FICO score. Some might prefer to use a different scoring model like VantageScore® 3.0 or to pull the data from a different credit bureau like TransUnion or Equifax. To know for sure which scores and credit reports your lender uses, you’ll likely have to ask it before you apply.

What factors make up my credit scores?

There are five main factors that make up your credit scores, whether you’re looking at FICO scores from Experian or VantageScore scores from TransUnion. Here’s a brief breakdown of each factor.

  • Payment history — A history of on-time payments is the most important factor for credit scores and gives lenders an indication of how likely you are to pay back a loan.
  • Credit usage or credit utilization — Credit utilization is how much of your total credit you’re using compared to the amount you’ve borrowed. Lenders might view a higher credit utilization rate as a sign you have too much debt to pay back a new loan or credit card balance.
  • Length of credit history — A longer credit history is generally better for your scores than a shorter one.
  • Credit mix and types — Having a mix of different types of credit, such as a credit card and a car loan, can help show lenders you have experience with different types of loans. But it’s not a necessity — you can successfully build credit with just one type of credit.
  • Recent credit — The number of hard inquiries on your credit reports can signal to lenders that you’ve been actively seeking credit and might be a riskier borrower.

How can I check my credit scores for free?

Beyond Experian, you can check your other credit scores through these similar methods.

  • Other credit bureaus — TransUnion and Equifax both offer VantageScore® 3.0 credit scores when you sign up for the free tiers of their memberships.
  • Banks and credit unions — Just like how some banks and credit unions provide credit scores based on your Experian reports, others provide scores based on reports from other credit bureaus. For example, U.S. Bank provides free VantageScore® 3.0 credit scores from TransUnion through its U.S. Bank Credit Score Program, while Citibank provides free FICO Bankcard® Score 8 credit scores from Equifax. You must be an eligible accountholder with these banks to use their respective tools.
  • Third-party services — Credit Karma, for example, provides VantageScore® 3.0 credit scores from both TransUnion and Equifax for free.

What’s next? Improving your credit scores

Once you know where your credit scores stand, you’ll be able to better focus on improving them. Start by paying all of your bills on time every month — even if you can only afford the minimum payment — and trying to keep your credit card utilization below 30%.

To monitor your progress holistically, consider looking at more than just your Experian FICO scores. Credit Karma is not a credit bureau, but you can use it to get free VantageScore® 3.0 credit scores, as well as free credit reports, from TransUnion and Equifax.

Following these credit-building tips and staying on top of your credit scores and reports each month can help you raise all of your credit scores — including your Experian FICO scores.

FAQs about Experian and credit scores

No. Checking your own credit is considered a soft inquiry, meaning it won’t have a negative impact on your credit. Only hard inquires, which are done by lenders that want to check your credit after you submit an application, will impact your scores.  

Your Experian credit score is a type of FICO credit score. Experian defaults to the FICO® Score 8 credit scoring model to provide you with a credit score when you log into your account. You can also get a TransUnion and Equifax FICO score. None of these is more important than the others. It all depends on which credit reports and which scoring models a lender decides to use.

A 600 credit score from Experian is generally considered “fair” on the FICO score scale. Base FICO scores, which is what you see on Experian, range from 300 to 850, with 580 to 669 considered “fair” and 670 to 739 considered “good” by FICO. But your lender has its own criteria for what’s considered a good credit score, and that may differ depending on the product you’re applying for. 

You can check your FICO scores for free by signing up for an Experian account or enrolling in a paid tier of a myFICO subscription. Both companies will show your FICO® Score 8 score based on your Experian report. Certain banks, credit card issuers and credit unions may also show free FICO scores to eligible accountholders.