Checking your credit score used to cost money. Now there are multiple completely free ways to see it anytime — no trials, no credit cards, no subscriptions. Here are the best options.
1. Your credit card app or bank
This is the easiest option if you already have a credit card or bank account. Most major issuers now offer free credit score access directly in their app or website:
- Discover: Free FICO Score 8 (updated monthly)
- Chase: Free VantageScore 3.0 via Credit Journey
- Capital One: Free VantageScore via CreditWise
- American Express: Free VantageScore via MyCredit Guide
- Citi: Free FICO Score
- Bank of America: Free FICO Score
Check your bank or credit card app first — you may already have access without knowing it.
2. Credit Karma
Free VantageScore 3.0 from both TransUnion and Equifax, updated weekly. Also shows your full credit report, credit utilization, payment history, and factors affecting your score. The most comprehensive free option — though it shows you ads and product recommendations. Go to creditkarma.com or download the app.
3. Experian free account
Experian offers a free account at experian.com that shows your FICO Score 8 based on your Experian credit file, updated monthly. Also includes free credit monitoring with alerts when changes appear. This is the only free option that shows a FICO score (versus VantageScore) without a credit card.
4. Chase Credit Journey
Available to everyone — not just Chase customers. Free VantageScore 3.0 from TransUnion, credit monitoring alerts, and a simulator showing how different actions would affect your score. Go to creditjourney.chase.com and create a free account.
5. Capital One CreditWise
Also available to non-Capital One customers. Free VantageScore from TransUnion, credit monitoring, and a useful score simulator. Available at capitalone.com/creditwise.
Credit score vs credit report — know the difference
Your credit score is a number. Your credit report is the underlying data that generates that number. To get your actual credit reports (which show every account, payment history, and inquiry), go to AnnualCreditReport.com — free weekly reports from all three bureaus. Review these for errors at least once a year; approximately 1 in 5 credit reports contains a significant error.