Customers previously had to pay £14.99 a month to access their Experian credit score.
Experian has made its credit scores free for all.
It’s being provided as part of CreditMatcher, the credit report firm's free credit comparison service. The new service allows you to:
- Check deals available to you before you apply by doing a soft search
- Find out how likely it is you’ll be accepted for credit before you apply
- Get an indication of your financial health
Research from the agency shows that 28% of people say they find it hard to understand how to manage their money.
“A lot of people don’t realise that your credit score is like a temperature gauge for your financial wellbeing,” says Experian’s Clive Lawson.
“By making the Experian Credit Score free, we want to help everyone take a quick and easy first step to realising their financial ambitions.”
Choose a credit reference agency with loveMONEY right now
Where should I get my credit score from?
This depends on what you’re after.
Experian is one of the three main credit reference agencies in the UK, along with Equifax and Callcredit (under brand name Noddle).
You may also have heard of ClearScore which base its service on Equifax data.
If you check your score fairly regularly and just want some idea of where you are financially, you're better off getting it for free from Noddle or ClearScore.
Those looking to apply for credit or for more recent information should go for Experian or Equifax as they get credit information first-hand and update it more regularly than Noddle or ClearScore.
That said, if you’ve never had your credit report before it could be worth getting it from the three major agencies as the scores they give you will vary - they get different information from different lenders (though there is quite a bit of overlap).
Compare reference agencies on loveMONEY right now
Learn more about your credit:
How to improve your credit rating
What damages your credit rating
How to build an excellent credit history