How do I improve my credit score? Quick wins, critical changes and fixing poor financial history

Your score can affect your chances of getting the product you want - or could land you more favourable terms

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Thinking about renting a home, taking out car finance, applying for a mortgage or getting a credit card?

If so, be prepared for lenders to take a close look at your credit score.

This important score shows how well you’ve managed borrowing in the past, based on factors such as your payment history and how much credit you use. A strong credit score improves your chances of approval and can help you secure lower interest rates and better borrowing terms.

Craig Tebbutt, financial health expert at Equifax UK, says: “While everyone’s financial situation is different and patience will be your friend, there are steps to help kickstart credit score improvements more quickly over the short term. A low score doesn’t have to be permanent and good habits tend to pay off over time.”

So how does it work and how can you improve yours?

How are credit scores calculated?

Many people assume they have just one credit score, but your score can differ between credit reference agencies (CRAs) and it will change over time.

In the UK, the main agencies are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Each uses its own data and scoring system, with lenders applying their own criteria too when you make a credit application.

Experian overhauled its credit scoring in November 2025, expanding its score range from 0–999 to 0–1,250.

The company said the new system reflects more “everyday financial behaviours” such as paying rent or reducing overdraft use. Elsewhere Equifax scores range from 0 to 1,000, and TransUnion from 0 to 710.

Quick credit score wins

To improve your score, make sure you’re registered to vote. Being on the electoral roll at your current address is one of the most important and easiest ways to build your credit score, as it helps lenders confirm your identity – and it costs nothing to do.

Next, check your credit reports with all three CRAs and get any errors corrected. Mistakes might include wrong addresses, accounts that aren’t yours or missed payments incorrectly recorded.

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You should also check what are called your financial associates. There is a common misconception that simply living with someone can permanently link your credit score to theirs – but this is not the case.

“A link is only created when you have shared financial products on record, such as a joint bank account, mortgage, loan or utility bill,” explains Vix Leyton, consumer expert at ThinkMoney, “Former partners or flatmates can remain visible as financial associates if those joint arrangements were never formally closed, even if the relationship ended years ago.”

To disassociate from someone, close all joint accounts and make sure shared bills are either settled or transferred fully into one person’s name. Once there are no active joint financial commitments, you can ask the CRAs to remove the association through a free financial disassociation request.

Build a payment history

If you’re new to credit or the UK, focus on building a payment history by using one or two small credit products and paying them off on time.

If you struggle to get any credit at all, there are products designed to help you, including credit-building credit cards or a CreditSpring loan. With these deals, it’s crucial to make payments on time in order to up your score.

A monthly mobile phone contract can also help. Just be aware that missed payments can harm your score, so only take out a contract you can afford.

If you’re renting, Experian’s new system will include rent payments for tenants who opt-in.

For your rent payments to appear on Equifax or TransUnion, you or your landlord will need to opt-in to a rent reporting service such as CreditLadder.

Repairing your score

If you have a poor credit score due to previous missed payments, repairing your score is about consistently making payments on time.

This includes both utility bills and debt repayments.

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“It is also important to understand that credit files are not permanent records of past mistakes,” says Leyton.

“Most negative markers, such as defaults or missed payments, drop off your file after six years. That means the recovery process has a clear horizon. Each month of good behaviour chips away at the impact of what came before.”

How to get your score even higher

Think about your credit utilisation: this is how you use your available credit.

The key is to keep the proportion of available credit you use to under about 30%. So if you have a credit card limit of £1,000, you should only borrow about £300 at one time.

If you need to apply for credit, stagger your applications. Too many credit applications in a short period creates multiple ‘hard’ searches and can have a negative impact on your score. Consider keeping older accounts open, as lenders like to see stability.

“Over the longer run, many lenders like to see a mix of different credit types on your credit report, such as credit cards and loans,” adds Tebbutt. “Consider having a monthly phone contract or utility bill that you pay off each month and very importantly, make sure you pay any bills on time.”

When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.