What Is a Credit Score Range in the UK — and What "Good" Actually Means

The United Kingdom does not have a single, unified credit score. Instead, three main consumer Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs) — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — each maintain independent scoring systems with different numerical ranges, different band labels, and different underlying calculation methods. A score of 700 could place a person in the highest band at one agency and a middling band at another, because each agency operates on its own scale.

This guide explains what those ranges are, how the band labels such as "Good" and "Excellent" are defined by each agency, and why the score a consumer sees is not necessarily the score a lender uses.

All information in this article applies across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Each of the three main UK Credit Reference Agencies uses a different maximum score and different band boundaries. Here is a summary of each agency's current scoring bands:

Experian (0–1,250): Low (0–640) · Fair (641–860) · Good (861–1,000) · Very Good (1,001–1,120) · Excellent (1,121–1,250)

Equifax (0–1,000): Poor (0–438) · Fair (439–530) · Good (531–670) · Very Good (671–810) · Excellent (811–1,000)

TransUnion (0–710): Very Poor (0–550) · Poor (551–565) · Fair (566–603) · Good (604–627) · Excellent (628–710)

A "Good" score at Experian starts at 861. A "Good" score at Equifax starts at 531. A "Good" score at TransUnion starts at 604. These numbers are not comparable with one another because each agency defines its own bands independently. These "Good" thresholds are educational labels created by each CRA; lenders do not apply these labels directly when making credit decisions.

Critically, lenders do not use these CRA scores directly. Lenders calculate their own proprietary scores using CRA data combined with information from the application itself and their own internal records. The scores consumers see from CRAs are educational and indicative only.

Credit Reference Agencies collect information about consumers' credit histories and compile this data into credit reports. They then generate a credit score — a numerical summary intended to give consumers an at-a-glance indication of how their credit file might be viewed.

The three main consumer CRAs in the UK are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Each operates as a competing, independent business. They do not share data with each other. Not all lenders report to all three agencies, and the timing of data updates varies between them. This means a consumer's report — and therefore their score — may differ from one agency to another, even at the same point in time.

Other credit information firms exist, but mainstream UK consumer lending predominantly uses Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

CRAs in the UK are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Prior to 1 April 2014, regulation was carried out by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Credit Reference Agencies are defined in Section 145 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (Part X, Ancillary Credit Businesses), which covers businesses "comprising the furnishing of persons with information relevant to the financial standing of individuals, being information collected by the agency for that purpose."

Each agency assigns its score into labelled bands — such as "Poor," "Fair," "Good," "Very Good," and "Excellent" — but these labels are the agency's own categorisations. They do not carry any standardised or legally defined meaning across agencies or lenders.

Experian: 0–1,250

Experian's credit score range changed from 0–999 to 0–1,250 in late 2025. The rollout began in Autumn 2025, with consumers receiving email notification when their new score was ready. According to Experian, the change was made to reflect broader financial behaviours, with the model now capable of incorporating data sources such as rental payments, overdraft management, and mortgage overpayments where this data is available and reported. The transition to the new range does not affect a consumer's ability to obtain credit — eligibility remains the same.

The current bands under Experian's 0–1,250 system are:

• Low: 0–640
• Fair: 641–860
• Good: 861–1,000
• Very Good: 1,001–1,120
• Excellent: 1,121–1,250

For reference, under the previous 0–999 system, the "Good" band was 881–960 and the "Excellent" band was 961–999.

Equifax: 0–1,000

Equifax's own UK consumer credit score uses a 0–1,000 scale. Some third-party services that use Equifax data have historically displayed different scales (for example, 0–700), which reflects a presentation choice by those services rather than a universal UK standard.

The current bands under Equifax's 0–1,000 scale are:

• Poor: 0–438
• Fair: 439–530
• Good: 531–670
• Very Good: 671–810
• Excellent: 811–1,000

TransUnion: 0–710

TransUnion's scoring range has remained consistent at 0–710. TransUnion uses a five-band system:

• Very Poor: 0–550
• Poor: 551–565
• Fair: 566–603
• Good: 604–627
• Excellent: 628–710

Statutory credit reports

Consumers have a statutory right to access their credit report under Section 158 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which imposes a duty on agencies to disclose filed information. This right is reinforced by UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Online requests for a statutory report are typically processed immediately; postal requests may take longer. The statutory credit report does not include a credit score — it contains only the underlying credit report data. Credit scores are provided through separate commercial services offered by the agencies.

"My scores are different at each agency."

This is expected. Each agency collects data independently, not all lenders report to all three, and update timing varies. There is no universal UK credit score. Each CRA uses independent data sources and independent calculation methods. It is entirely normal for scores to differ.

"A score of 700 is good — isn't it?"

It depends entirely on which agency's scale is being used. At TransUnion, 700 falls within the "Excellent" band (628–710). At Equifax, 700 falls within the "Very Good" band (671–810). At Experian, 700 falls within the "Fair" band (641–860). The number alone is meaningless without knowing which agency generated it.

"My score went down after Experian changed its range."

Experian's transition from 0–999 to 0–1,250 involved a recalibration, not merely a rescaling. The new system is capable of reflecting a broader set of financial behaviours where relevant data is available. Experian has stated that the change does not affect a consumer's ability to obtain credit.

"I checked my score on a free service and it's different from the agency's own site."

In most cases, third-party services such as ClearScore and Credit Karma use data from one of the three CRAs but may present it using different score presentations or band labels. These services are intermediaries, not CRAs themselves. According to published guidance, ClearScore uses Equifax data and Credit Karma uses TransUnion data, though the labels and presentation may differ from what the agencies themselves use.

"Lenders see this exact score."

They do not. Lenders do not use CRA scores directly. Each lender generates its own proprietary score using CRA report data combined with information from the credit application itself and the lender's own internal records. The score a consumer sees from a CRA is educational and indicative — it is not the score upon which lending decisions are made.

Lender scoring is independent of CRA scoring

Multiple primary sources, including official guidance from Experian and TransUnion, confirm that lenders calculate their own scores. The CRA score bands — "Good," "Excellent," and so on — are the agency's own categorisations. Lenders may use entirely different thresholds and weighting.

Third-party score services are not CRAs

Services such as ClearScore and Credit Karma provide access to credit data but are not themselves Credit Reference Agencies. They source data from one of the three main CRAs and may present different score labels or band boundaries. This may vary depending on the service and the time of access.

The statutory report contains no score

The legal right to access credit information under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, UK GDPR, and the Data Protection Act 2018 covers only the underlying credit report data. It does not entitle consumers to a credit score. Scores are generated as a separate, commercial product.

Score ranges have changed over time

Experian moved from 0–999 to 0–1,250 in late 2025. Some third-party services that use Equifax data have historically displayed different scales from Equifax's own 0–1,000 range. Historical scores are not directly comparable with current scores where the underlying range or methodology has changed.

A consumer checking their credit score will see a different number — and potentially a different band label — depending on which agency or service they use. A person could simultaneously be categorised as "Good" by one agency and "Excellent" by another, based on the same underlying financial behaviour, simply because each agency weighs and categorises data differently.

Because lenders use their own proprietary scoring models rather than the CRA score itself, the band label a consumer sees (such as "Good" or "Excellent") does not directly determine the outcome of any specific credit application. The CRA score serves as a general indicator of the information held on a consumer's credit file, not as a prediction of any particular lender's decision.

When Experian transitioned to its new 0–1,250 range in late 2025, the rollout was gradual. Consumers received email notifications as their scores were recalculated. The previous band boundaries under the 0–999 system no longer apply.

• Three Agencies: The UK has three main consumer Credit Reference Agencies — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — each operating independently with its own scoring range and band definitions.
• Ranges: Experian scores run from 0 to 1,250 (updated in late 2025), Equifax from 0 to 1,000, and TransUnion from 0 to 710.
• "Good" Definitions: The label "Good" means something different at each agency: 861–1,000 at Experian, 531–670 at Equifax, and 604–627 at TransUnion. Comparing a raw number between agencies without reference to the relevant scale is not meaningful.
• Lender Decisions: Lenders do not use CRA scores directly. They build their own scoring models using CRA data alongside other information. The score a consumer sees is educational and indicative.
• Statutory Rights: The statutory credit report, which consumers are legally entitled to access, contains the underlying credit data but does not include a credit score. Scores are a separate, commercial product offered by each agency.