How to Check Your Credit Score for Free
You can check your credit score for free, permanently, without a trial. Several services give you ongoing free access, and you also have a legal right to a copy of your credit file from each agency.
The one thing free services don't do is show you all the agencies at once — and since you never know which one a lender will pull, that's the gap worth understanding.
At a glance
- Genuinely free
- ClearScore, Credit Karma, Experian
- Your legal right
- A free copy of your file
- UK agencies
- Experian, Equifax, TransUnion (+ Crediva)
- Does checking hurt?
- No — it's a soft search
- All four at once
- Paid, or a 30-day trial
Interactive
What’s your credit score?
Answer seven quick questions and watch your estimated score move. It’s a guide to how lenders think — not a real credit check.
Your actual credit file can look different at each agency. CheckMyFile shows you all four — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion & Crediva — in one report, free for 30 days.
Free 30-day trial, then £14.99/month — cancel online anytime. We may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
Key takeaways
- Free, forever: ClearScore shows your Equifax data, Credit Karma your TransUnion data, and Experian offers a free account of its own.
- You also have a statutory right to a copy of your credit file from each agency, free of charge.
- Checking your own report is a soft search — it never affects your score, however often you do it.
- Each free service covers one agency. Lenders may use any of them, which is the case for a multi-agency report.
The genuinely free options
Three services show your credit report free on an ongoing basis, rather than as a trial:
- ClearScore — your Equifax report and score, free permanently.
- Credit Karma — your TransUnion report and score, free permanently.
- Experian — a free account showing your Experian score, with the fuller report on a paid plan.
Between the three you can see all the main agencies' data without paying, provided you're happy managing separate logins. For most people, most of the time, that's enough.
Your statutory right to your file
Separately from any service, you can ask each credit reference agency for a copy of the information they hold on you, free of charge, under UK data protection law. It's sometimes called a statutory credit report.
It's the raw file rather than a polished dashboard, and it doesn't include a score — scores are invented by each agency, not something a lender sees. But it's free, it's complete, and it's your right.
Does checking your own score hurt it?
No. Checking your own report is a soft search, visible only to you. You can look every day and it will make no difference.
What lenders see are hard searches, recorded when you actually apply for credit. Several of those in a short period can count against you — which is precisely why checking your own file before applying is sensible. See has someone credit-checked me? for how to read the searches on your report.
When paying is actually worth it
Here's the honest case for a paid report, and it isn't "because free doesn't exist":
Each free service shows you one agency. Lenders don't all use the same one, and your data can differ between them — an account reported to Equifax but not TransUnion, an error on one file and not another. If you're about to apply for a mortgage or something else that matters, seeing all four in one place is genuinely useful, and cheaper than a declined application.
That's the gap a multi-agency report fills, and CheckMyFile is free for the first 30 days.
- All four agencies — in one report — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion & Crediva
- Spot the errors — and old debts that quietly get applications declined
- It's a soft search — so checking never leaves a mark on your file
- See what lenders see — the same information banks pull when they assess you
Free for 30 days, then £14.99 a month — cancel online anytime. Check the current price before subscribing. We may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
If you're just curious about your score, use the free services. If you're about to make a big application, the fuller picture earns its keep.
What's on your credit report
Whichever route you take, expect to see:
- Payment history — accounts, balances and whether you've paid on time.
- Addresses and electoral roll — see am I on the electoral register?
- Financial associations — anyone you hold joint credit with.
- Court records — CCJs, bankruptcies and IVAs.
- Search footprints — who has checked you, and when.
- Fraud markers — Cifas warnings if identity fraud has been recorded.
- Notices of correction — your own explanation attached to an entry.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really check my credit score for free?
Yes — permanently. ClearScore, Credit Karma and Experian all offer free accounts, and you can request a statutory copy of your file from each agency free of charge.
Does checking my credit score lower it?
No. Checking your own file is a soft search that only you can see. Hard searches, made when you apply for credit, are the ones lenders notice.
Which credit agency do lenders use?
The credit agency a lender checks varies, and some lenders check more than one. That's the main argument for looking at all of them before a significant application.
Why is my score different on each site?
Because each agency holds slightly different data and uses its own scoring scale. The scores aren't comparable — see why your credit score differs between sites.
Is a paid credit report worth it?
Only when you need the full picture at once — typically before a mortgage. For routine checks, the free services are perfectly adequate.
How often should I check?
Every few months is plenty, and always a few months before a big application, so there's time to fix any errors you find.
More on your credit file: what a multi-agency report shows · CheckMyFile vs Experian · 5 ways to build your score · what accounts are in my name?
General information only, not financial advice. Free services and prices change — check current terms before signing up to anything.
