You're entitled by federal law to free copies of your credit reports from all three bureaus every week — and there are several legitimate ways to see your FICO or VantageScore for free as often as you want. None of them affect your score.
Here's exactly where to pull each one and what to look for once you have it.
Free official sources for your reports and scores
- AnnualCreditReport.com — the only federally authorized site for free reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (weekly access)
- MyFico.com free trial — actual FICO scores from all three bureaus
- Experian.com — free FICO 8 score updated every 30 days
- Credit Karma — free VantageScore from TransUnion and Equifax
- Discover Credit Scorecard — free FICO 8, no card required
Watch out for imposters
Sites that ask for a credit card 'just for verification' are usually subscription traps. AnnualCreditReport.com never asks for payment.
Free scores through your credit card
Most major credit card issuers now print your FICO or VantageScore directly on your monthly statement or inside your online account — free, updated monthly, and with no impact on your score.
- Chase Credit Journey — VantageScore from Experian
- Citi — FICO Bankcard Score 8 from Equifax
- Capital One CreditWise — VantageScore from TransUnion
- Bank of America — FICO 8 from TransUnion
- American Express MyCredit Guide — VantageScore from TransUnion
- Wells Fargo — FICO 9 from Experian
Soft inquiries vs hard inquiries
Checking your own credit is always a 'soft inquiry' — it has zero impact on your score, no matter how often you check.
A 'hard inquiry' only happens when a lender pulls your credit to make a lending decision (new card, auto loan, mortgage). Each hard inquiry can cost you 5–10 points and stays on your report for two years.
Score vs credit report — what's the difference?
Your credit report is the raw data: every account, every payment, every inquiry. Your credit score is a three-digit number a model calculates from that data.
The score gets attention, but the report is where mistakes live — and where disputes happen. Always pull both.
What to look for on every report
- Personal information — name, address, employers all correct?
- Accounts — every one belongs to you?
- Payment status — any 'late' marks that should be 'on time'?
- Balances and credit limits — current and accurate?
- Collections and public records — legitimate and correctly dated?
- Hard inquiries — did you authorize each one?
Frequently asked
How often should I check my credit?+
Pull your full reports at least once every four months (rotate bureaus) and watch your score monthly through a card or free app. Check more often before any big application.
Why do different sites show different scores?+
Each scoring model (FICO 8, FICO 9, VantageScore 3, VantageScore 4) weighs things slightly differently, and each bureau may have slightly different data. Differences of 10–40 points between sources are normal.
Which score do lenders actually use?+
Mortgage lenders almost always use FICO 2/4/5. Auto lenders use FICO Auto Score 8. Credit card issuers commonly use FICO Bankcard 8. VantageScore is popular with free consumer tools but less common in lending decisions.
Get expert help
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