Why your credit score differs between agencies

If you have looked up your credit score at more than one place, you have probably seen more than one number. That is normal, and it does not mean one of them is wrong. There is no single, universal credit score, because each credit reference agency uses its own scoring range and rating bands¹. The three main agencies in the UK are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and they do not always hold the same information about you².

The practical effect is that the same person can hold several different scores at the same time. Each agency gets different information from lenders, so your credit file may not look the same at each one⁴. No score is more accurate than the others: each agency simply has its own way of working out how lenders will see you⁵.

The good news is that checking your own score is free and harmless. You can check your credit score for free with credit reference agencies, and checking it does not affect it⁶. What follows explains what each scale looks like, why the numbers differ, and what to do when one agency shows something the others do not.

Three agencies, three different scales

There are three credit reference agencies, and they may each hold different information about you³. They keep different records, so checking your credit file with all three is the way to cover everything each of them holds¹¹.

Each agency scores on its own range. Experian and Equifax both work on a scale running to 1,000, while TransUnion has historically used a scale running to 710⁶. The bands within those scales differ too, so the same underlying file can land in a different band at each agency.

One source puts Equifax "Excellent" above 800, while another puts it at 811 to 1,000⁶. Experian's own guidance has described a good score as above 880 out of 999, and separately as 881⁶. Where the figures differ, treat the band as a rough guide rather than a fixed line.

Score bands: what counts as good at each agency

A band is a label an agency puts on a range of numbers, and the labels are not standardised. TransUnion, for example, categorises its score into five bandings ranging from Very Low to Excellent⁷. Experian and Equifax use their own sets of bands on their own scales.

This matters because a "good" score at one agency may sit in a different band at another. If you are comparing your number against a friend's, or against a figure you saw online, check which agency and which scale you are both looking at first. A score of 700 is strong on a scale running to 710 and mid-range on a scale running to 1,000.

The bands are also not a lending decision. Lenders typically look at things like your credit score, income and employment status to help them make a decision¹³. A band tells you roughly where you sit; it does not tell you whether a particular lender will say yes.

Why the same person gets different numbers

There are two separate reasons the numbers differ, and it helps to keep them apart.

The first is the scale. Each agency uses its own scoring range and rating bands, so the same file produces a different number on each¹. This is arithmetic, not a difference of opinion.

The second is the data. Each agency gets different information from lenders, so your credit file may not look the same at each one⁴. Not all lenders report to credit reference agencies, and some lenders may only report to one or two of them¹⁴. If a lender only reports to one agency, that account appears on one file and not the others, which changes the score at each.

On top of that, the score a lender works out is not the score you see. A company typically looks at information taken from your credit report, your application form, and its own records, and each company has its own way of calculating it¹⁵. So there isn't a single, universal credit score, and agencies and lenders may calculate scores in different ways¹⁶.

Experian and TransUnion have both changed their scales

Both of the two largest recent changes to consumer credit scores happened in the autumn, one year apart, and both can make a score appear to move for no reason connected to your borrowing.

Experian changed its score system from out of 999 to out of 1,250, which may cause scores to drop or increase slightly without affecting your ability to get credit⁵. If your Experian score moved sharply around that time, the scale change is a likely explanation.

TransUnion then expanded its score range to 0 to 999, with the way the score is calculated refined to give a more complete picture⁸. The new score replaces the previous score out of 710⁷. The new score rolls out across credit monitoring partners from late September 2026 until June 2027, and during that period some consumers may temporarily see two different TransUnion scores⁸.

Checking your score for free or paying for monitoring

You can check your credit score for free with credit reference agencies, and it is worth checking whether you have to pay before you use one⁶. You can also check your credit score for free online before you look for a property for rent¹⁷. Checking your own score won't affect it, and you can check it as often as you like without doing any harm⁷.

Free accounts and paid services differ mainly in how often the score refreshes. One free account updates your credit score monthly, against daily for its paid tier¹⁹. Equifax offers a free trial of its Credit Report and Score, which is free for the first 30 days then £14.95 monthly⁹.

A statutory credit report is a separate route: it gives you the information held about you, though it may not include a score. If you want to see what is on your file rather than track a number, that is often enough.

Fixing a mistake that only one agency shows

Because the three agencies hold different records, an error can appear at one and not the others. Correcting it at one agency does not fix it everywhere. Notices of Correction raised with Experian will only apply to your Experian Credit Report, and the other credit reference agencies must be contacted separately²⁰.

The process is the same at each agency. If anything on your credit file is incorrect you can ask them to add a Notice of Correction, which allows you to provide an explanation for any errors or inaccurate information⁸. A notice of correction added to your credit report means contacting each of the three credit reference agencies, because a notice raised with one agency applies only to that agency's report and the others must be contacted separately²¹.

That limit is worth knowing: a notice of correction is not shown to everyone who looks at your file, only to those actively checking it. If the problem is fraud rather than error, Experian can query fraudulent information on your credit report with lenders on your behalf, and once confirmed as fraudulent the lender will remove it from your report²². Experian also has a dedicated support team for victims of identity fraud²².

A correction at one agency does not carry across to the others, so each has to be contacted separately.

Where to get free help

If a credit problem sits alongside debt you are struggling with, free and impartial help exists. StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice offer free debt advice, and it is worth checking your credit file with all three agencies as part of getting ready for that advice¹¹. Debt advice does not by itself damage your credit score, and getting help early usually gives you more options than waiting.

If you are renting and worried about a credit check, you can check your credit score for free online before you look for a property¹⁷. If you have been refused credit, the agency that holds the file can tell you what is on it, and a Notice of Correction lets you put your side of the story on the record⁸.