Multiple Credit Scores: Which One Do Lenders Use?

In the UK, there is no single credit score. Three separate credit reference agencies each hold information about consumers and each produces its own credit score using a different scoring model and a different numerical range. This means that any individual consumer may have three different credit scores at any given time, and none of them may match the score a lender actually uses when assessing a credit application.

This guide explains how the UK's credit reference agency system works, why scores differ between agencies, and what role those scores play when a lender assesses a credit application. It does not provide financial advice or suggest any particular course of action.

There are three credit reference agencies (CRAs) in the UK: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Each one calculates a credit score on a different scale. When a lender assesses a credit application, it typically checks only one of these agencies, not all three. The lender may then generate its own internal score using the CRA data combined with information from the application itself. The score a consumer sees when checking their own credit report may not be the same score a lender calculates internally.

Credit reference agencies do not make lending decisions. They collect and hold data, which lenders then use alongside their own criteria to reach a decision.

The UK's credit reporting system is built around three credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. All three are authorised by the FCA for credit information services and are separately subject to oversight by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for data protection. TransUnion acquired the former agency Callcredit in 2018.

Each CRA independently collects data about consumers, including records of credit accounts, payment histories, and public records such as County Court Judgments. Each agency then uses its own proprietary scoring model to generate a credit score from the data it holds.

Because each CRA collects data independently and uses a different scoring model, the three scores for any given consumer will almost certainly differ. This is a normal feature of the system, not an error.

When a consumer applies for credit — whether a loan, credit card, mortgage, or mobile phone contract — the lender will typically conduct a credit check with a CRA. In most cases, lenders check only one credit reference agency per application, not all three. The agency a lender uses depends on its own commercial arrangements and is generally not disclosed to the consumer in advance.

The CRA provides the lender with the consumer's credit data. The lender then uses that data, potentially alongside information from the application form and its own internal criteria, to make a lending decision. According to published guidance, lenders may generate their own internal credit scores that combine CRA data with application information, meaning the score the lender works with may differ from the score the consumer sees when checking their own report.

Under FCA rules (specifically CONC 5.2.1R), lenders must conduct a creditworthiness assessment before entering into a regulated credit agreement. This assessment must be based on sufficient information, obtained from the borrower where appropriate and from a credit reference agency where necessary.

Each credit reference agency uses a different numerical range for its credit scores:

• Experian: 0–999 under its legacy system, or 0–1,250 under a new scoring system introduced from late 2025 and being rolled out across consumer-facing platforms. The new range was designed to incorporate rental payments and other behavioural data. Older materials may still reference the 0–999 scale.
• Equifax: 0–1,000 (previously 0–700, according to multiple UK financial sources).
• TransUnion: 0–710.

When a lender processes a credit application, it conducts what is known as a "hard search" (a full credit check). According to published guidance, hard search footprints typically remain on Experian and Equifax credit reports for 12 months. On TransUnion reports, search footprints may remain for up to 24 months, although most lenders place weight primarily on searches from the previous 12 months. Multiple hard searches in a short period are visible to other lenders and may affect lending decisions.

Account information — including defaults, County Court Judgments, Individual Voluntary Arrangements, and payment history — generally remains on a credit file for six years, according to UK consumer bodies and financial publications.

When lenders update CRAs with account information, it typically takes four to six weeks for those updates to appear on credit reports, though some lenders may have more frequent data-sharing arrangements. Update cycles vary by both lender and CRA, which is one reason the three agencies may hold slightly different information at any given time.

Consumers have a statutory right to access their credit report under UK GDPR (Article 15 — right of access), as supplemented by the Data Protection Act 2018. This statutory credit report is available free of charge from all three CRAs. It shows credit information held by the agency but does not include a credit score. Many CRAs provide online access quickly, but the statutory deadline for responding remains one month.

"Single Credit Score"

One of the most common sources of confusion is the assumption that there is a single, definitive credit score. There is not. Because each CRA uses a different scoring model and a different numerical range, comparing a score from one agency directly against a score from another is not meaningful. A score of 700 at one agency does not represent the same assessment as a score of 700 at another.

Consumer Score vs Lender Score

A further point of confusion arises from the difference between the score a consumer sees and the score a lender uses. When a consumer checks their credit score through a CRA or a credit-monitoring service, they see the score generated by that CRA's model. However, lenders may calculate their own internal scores using the CRA data combined with other information. The consumer-facing score is therefore an indicator of the data held, but it may not correspond directly to the score a lender works with.

Impact of Checking Your Own Report

It is also widely misunderstood that checking your own credit report will harm your score. Personal checks and eligibility checks are classified as "soft searches." Soft searches do not appear to other lenders and do not affect credit scores. Only hard searches — those conducted as part of a formal credit application — are visible to other lenders.

Role of CRAs

Finally, there is sometimes confusion about the role of the credit reference agency itself. CRAs do not make lending decisions. They collect data and provide it to lenders on request. The decision to approve or decline a credit application rests entirely with the lender.

Incomplete Reporting

Not all lenders report account information to all three CRAs. There is no legal requirement for a lender to provide data to every agency. As a result, each CRA may hold different information about the same consumer. A credit account that appears on one agency's report may be absent from another's. This is a structural feature of the UK system and means that checking only one CRA's report may not give a complete picture of the data held across all three.

Public Record Data

The three CRAs may also hold different public record information. This can occur because each agency uses its own identity-matching processes and receives public record data independently, potentially on different schedules.

Multiple Bureau Checks

While most lenders check only one CRA per application in most cases, there are scenarios where a lender may consult more than one agency. The specific circumstances in which this occurs depend on the lender's own policies.

Rejection Transparency

If a lender refuses credit after checking a credit reference file, it is expected, according to consumer body guidance, that the lender will tell the consumer which credit reference agency was used. This allows the consumer to check that specific agency's report to verify the accuracy of the data held.

Search Retention Variation

Hard search retention periods also differ between agencies. Searches on Experian and Equifax reports typically remain visible for 12 months, while TransUnion may retain search records for up to 24 months. Certain debt collection or trace searches may be categorised differently depending on the CRA.

Because each CRA holds potentially different data and uses a different scoring model, a consumer's credit profile may look different depending on which agency a lender happens to check. This is not something the consumer controls. The choice of CRA is determined by the lender's own commercial arrangements, which are generally not disclosed before an application is submitted.

The variation between agencies also means that a consumer who checks their score with one CRA may have a different experience from what a lender sees when checking a different CRA. This does not necessarily indicate an error — it reflects the fact that the agencies operate independently, receive data from different sources, and apply different scoring methodologies.

Because lenders may also generate their own internal scores by combining CRA data with application information and their own lending criteria, the relationship between a consumer-facing credit score and a lending outcome is indirect. The consumer-facing score provides a general indication of creditworthiness as assessed by that particular CRA's model, but it is not the sole factor in any lending decision.

• Three Agencies: There are three credit reference agencies in the UK — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — each authorised by the FCA for credit information services and subject to ICO oversight for data protection.
• Different Scales: Each agency calculates credit scores using its own model and its own numerical range (Experian: 0–999 or 0–1,250; Equifax: 0–1,000; TransUnion: 0–710).
• Lender Choice: In most cases, lenders check only one CRA per application, and the choice of agency is determined by the lender's own arrangements.
• Data Variance: Not all lenders report to all three agencies, which means each CRA may hold different information about the same consumer. This, combined with different scoring models, is why scores vary between agencies.
• Internal Scores: Lenders may generate their own internal scores that differ from the consumer-facing score.
• Retention: Hard searches remain on file for 12 months (Experian and Equifax) or up to 24 months (TransUnion), and account information generally remains for six years.
• Right of Access: Consumers have a statutory right to a free credit report from each CRA, though this report does not include a credit score.