Experian vs Equifax vs TransUnion: Why Your UK Credit Scores Differ

The United Kingdom has three main credit reference agencies (CRAs): Experian Limited, Equifax Limited, and TransUnion International UK Limited. Each agency collects data about consumers' borrowing and repayment history, and each produces its own credit score using a proprietary scoring model. Because these agencies operate independently — with separate databases, separate data sources, and separate scoring scales — it is entirely normal for a person to have three different credit scores at the same time.

This article explains how the UK credit reference system works, why scores differ between agencies, what the scoring ranges mean, and how long information is held. It does not provide financial advice.

• Your credit scores differ between Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion because each agency uses its own scoring model with a different numerical range, collects data from a different network of lenders, and processes updates on its own independent cycle. No single score is the "right" one. The differences are a normal feature of how the UK credit reporting system is designed, not a sign that something is wrong.
• Lenders are not required by law to report your account information to all three agencies. A lender may choose to report to one, two, or all three. This means each agency may hold a different picture of your credit history — and therefore produce a different score.

The three main CRAs are authorised for relevant credit information activities by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and regulated as data controllers by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). FCA authorisation of CRAs transferred from the previous licensing regime in April 2014 under the Financial Services Act 2012; prior to that, CRAs were regulated under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 licensing regime.

Each CRA operates an entirely independent database. There is no shared master record that sits behind all three agencies. Instead, each CRA has its own data pipelines and its own update cycles. When a lender reports information about one of your accounts, that information flows into whichever CRA or CRAs the lender has chosen to share data with. The data is then processed according to each agency's own internal schedule and identity-matching logic.

The practical consequence is straightforward: because different lenders report to different agencies, and because each agency processes data independently, your credit file at Experian may contain accounts or details that your file at Equifax or TransUnion does not — and vice versa.

Data sharing between lenders and CRAs is governed by the Steering Committee on Reciprocity (SCOR), a cross-industry forum. SCOR administers the "Principles of Reciprocity," which operate on a "you get out what you put in" basis — lenders that submit data to a CRA can receive equivalent data back. SCOR is currently transitioning to a new Credit Reporting Governance Body (CRGB), following the FCA's Credit Information Market Study.

In December 2023, the FCA published its Credit Information Market Study Final Report (reference MS19/1.3), which proposed mandatory data sharing rules. According to published guidance, the FCA intends to consult on draft rules with a cost-benefit analysis. An Interim Working Group was launched in January 2024 for a nine-month term. The timeline for formal consultation was expected by the end of 2024, though this may vary depending on FCA scheduling.

Scoring ranges

Each CRA uses a different numerical scale. The ranges are as follows:

• Experian: 0–999. While Experian periodically recalibrates its scoring models and has discussed future enhancements, no officially published UK consumer score range above 0–999 has been confirmed at the time of writing.
• Equifax: 0–1,000.
• TransUnion: 0–710.

Because the scales are different, a raw number from one agency cannot be directly compared with a raw number from another. A score of 600 at Equifax does not mean the same thing as a score of 600 at TransUnion.

Score bands

Each agency groups scores into descriptive bands. The band labels and thresholds differ.

• Equifax (0–1,000): Band labels may vary depending on the service used to access Equifax data. Equifax's own consumer-facing guidance generally uses four bands: Poor, Fair, Good, and Excellent.
• TransUnion (0–710): Very Poor (0–550), Poor (551–565), Fair (566–603), Good (604–627), Excellent (628–710).
• Experian (0–999): Very Poor (0–560), Poor (561–720), Fair (721–880), Good (881–960), Excellent (961–999).

Average scores

According to secondary reporting (attributed to Finder.com and other sources, as of January 2024), reported average UK credit scores were approximately: Experian 797 out of 999, Equifax 644 out of 1,000, and TransUnion 610 out of 710. These figures have not been independently verified from primary CRA sources.

Which agency a lender checks

When a lender assesses an application, it typically checks credit data with one of the three CRAs, not all three. This means the lender sees only one version of a consumer's credit file. If an application is declined, the consumer can ask which CRA was used, and the lender is required to disclose this. In some specific scenarios, a lender may consult more than one CRA, but this is not standard practice.

Data retention periods

Credit account performance data is retained for six years for live decision-making purposes. This is the standard retention period confirmed across all three CRAs. After the six-year period, data may be retained for additional profiling or statistical analysis. Experian, for example, may retain data for a further five years for such purposes; other agencies apply different periods depending on the data type.

• County Court Judgments (CCJs) appear on credit reports for six years from the date of the court judgment. There is an exception: if the judgment is paid in full within one calendar month of the judgment date, the CCJ is "set aside" and removed from the record.
• Insolvency records — including bankruptcy and Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) — appear for six years from the court date or until the debtor is discharged, whichever is later. Bankruptcy Restriction Orders (BROs) or Undertakings (BRUs) can remain on record for up to 15 years. IVAs can also remain for up to 15 years if certain criteria are not met.

How quickly updates appear

Lenders generally report credit account information to CRAs on monthly cycles. In most cases, updates take approximately four to six weeks to appear on credit reports, though some lenders may have daily refreshes. Exact timing varies by lender and by CRA. One major card issuer states updates may take four to eight weeks.

"My scores are different — which one is correct?"

All three scores are valid within their own system. Each CRA uses a different model, a different scale, and potentially different underlying data. There is no single "true" credit score. Differences between agencies are a structural feature of the system, not an error.

"I paid off a debt, but it still shows on one agency."

Because lenders report to CRAs on their own schedules — and may not report to all three agencies — an update that has appeared on one credit file may not yet be reflected on another. In most cases, updates take several weeks to propagate.

"My score changed but I haven't done anything differently."

CRAs periodically recalibrate their scoring models. Score recalibrations can cause consumers to move between bands even if their underlying credit behaviour has not changed. A shift in score or band following a recalibration does not necessarily reflect any change in creditworthiness.

"A soft search hurt my score."

When a consumer views their own credit report, this is recorded as a "soft" check and does not affect credit scores. It is only visible to the consumer. A "hard" check — which occurs when a lender conducts a search as part of an application — creates a search footprint that is visible to other lenders. Hard footprints are retained for one to two years, depending on the CRA and the purpose of the search.

• Northern Ireland insolvency records: In Northern Ireland, insolvency records are retained for six years from the court date, regardless of discharge status. This differs from the rules in the rest of the UK, where records are retained for six years from the court date or until discharge, whichever is later.
• Other credit information firms: Other firms hold FCA authorisation for credit information activities, but the UK consumer credit reporting market used by mainstream lenders is dominated by Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. These three agencies are the ones most likely to hold data relevant to consumer lending decisions.
• Credit file variability: Different CRAs may hold different information about the same person. This can arise from three main causes: different data provider networks (lenders choosing which CRAs to report to), different update timing (each agency processing data on its own cycle), and identity matching variations (each CRA using its own logic to link records to individuals). It is therefore possible for one CRA to show accounts or defaults that the others do not.
• Statutory credit reports do not include scores: Under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and UK GDPR, consumers have a legal right to access a statutory credit report from each CRA free of charge. These statutory reports contain credit information but do not include a credit score. Scores are a separate, proprietary product offered by each agency. Online statutory report requests are typically fulfilled immediately or within days; postal requests may take longer and may require identity verification.

Because each CRA holds an independently compiled credit file and applies its own scoring methodology, a consumer's creditworthiness may be represented differently depending on which agency's data is being viewed. When a lender assesses an application, it typically checks only one CRA. The outcome of that assessment depends on the data held by whichever agency the lender uses — data that may be more or less complete than the file held by another agency.

This structural reality means that a consumer's credit profile is not a single, fixed thing. It is three separate files, each maintained independently, each scored independently, and each potentially containing different information. Understanding this distinction is central to understanding how the UK credit reporting system operates.

The proposed FCA reforms around mandatory data sharing, if implemented, may reduce some of the variability between agencies over time. As of the FCA's December 2023 report, these proposals remain subject to formal consultation.

• The UK has three main credit reference agencies — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — each authorised by the FCA for credit information activities and regulated as data controllers by the ICO. Each operates an independent database, uses a proprietary scoring model, and applies a different numerical range: Experian uses 0–999, Equifax uses 0–1,000, and TransUnion uses 0–710.
• Scores differ between agencies because lenders are not required to report to all three, because each agency processes data on its own cycle, and because each uses its own scoring methodology. No single score is definitive. It is normal and expected for a consumer to have three different credit scores at the same time.
• Credit account data is generally retained for six years for decision-making purposes. CCJs, insolvency records, and other markers each have specific retention rules. Consumers have a legal right to access their statutory credit report from each agency free of charge, though these reports do not include credit scores.