Your credit score reflects the information on your credit report, such as whether you pay on time and how much of your available credit you use. If your score is lower than you'd like, because of late payments, a default or a county court judgment (CCJ), or because you have little credit history, there are steps that can help over time.

This guide explains them, with anonymised ClearScore data on how scores changed for people who took them. The data shows patterns across large groups of users, not cause and effect, and your own results will vary.

Check Your Credit Rating

Before anything else, check your credit report at one or more of the UK credit agencies or score providers (ClearScore provides this for free) to see where you stand and to be aware of any errors on your record. Fixing any errors (they do happen) can go a long way towards improving your record. Once you are confident that the report is accurate, the real work begins. Here are some steps you can take to boost your credit score.

Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

Reducing what you owe, paying on time every month and staying within your credit limits can all help improve your credit score over time. There are some other strategies you might not have heard of, such as verifying your identity and even unlinking to financial associates (e.g., your ex).

If you have a credit card, paying at least the minimum on time each month and staying within your limit both count towards your credit history. Paying the full balance each month also means you won't pay interest on purchases.

Among first-time cardholders, those who kept their balances low and never missed a payment saw the biggest average rise, at 165 points over a year. Those with high balances and missed payments saw an average fall of 70 points. Paying on time seemed to matter even more than keeping balances low. Cardholders with high balances but no missed payments still gained 98 points on average.

Paying on time

Payment history is one of the most important parts of your credit report. A single missed payment can have a noticeable effect, even if your score is high.

Among ClearScore users, a single missed credit card payment was followed by an average fall of about 48 points after one month. Those with higher scores tended to lose more, around 76 points for scores between 700 and 899. Scores partly recovered over the following three months. Setting up a Direct Debit for at least the minimum payment can help you avoid missing a payment.

Should You Close Underused Credit Cards?

Keeping unused credit cards open can actually be beneficial. While you may have heard advice to close unused accounts, there are two reasons to consider keeping them open. First, length of credit history is a component in your credit report. The agencies factor in the length of time you’ve had credit accounts open and the general rule of thumb is, "The best credit is old credit." So it can be wise to leave your oldest accounts open, even if you don’t use them much.

Credit Utilisation

The second reason to keep an underused credit card open is to manage your "credit utilisation" score. Credit utilisation is a measure of how much you have borrowed relative to your credit limits. For example, if you owe £900 on a credit card with a credit limit of £1,000, then your credit utilisation is 90% (£900/£1,000) - which is high. (Ideally, keep your credit utilisation below 30%.)

Lower credit utilisation is better, because it indicates that you are not maxed out or strained financially - you still have room to borrow. Closing a credit account will lower the sum of your available credit limits, which raises your credit utilisation. Keep these points in mind when deciding which accounts to keep open, and which to close.

Among ClearScore users who started above 30% utilisation, those who brought it below 30% generally saw their scores rise. The higher they started, the bigger the rise, up to a median of 42 points over 12 months for those who started over their limit.

Users who brought their utilisation below 30% and kept it there saw a median gain of 14 points. Those who dropped below 30% but then went back above it saw no change.

Registering on the electoral roll

The median score for ClearScore users on the electoral roll was 676, compared with 443 for those not on it. Being on the roll does feed into your credit score and helps lenders confirm your identity and address. But registering won't add 230 points on its own, because the gap also reflects other differences between the two groups. Register to vote on GOV.UK.

Why is Your Credit Score so Important?

A good credit score can open doors to a wider array of financial products and potentially lower interest rates. People with higher credit scores are often offered lower interest rates.

Among ClearScore users, the median credit card APR was 39.9% for scores below 400, compared with 26.9% for scores of 800 or more. For personal loans, it fell from 48.7% for scores below 300 to 9.8% for scores of 800 or more. Eligibility and acceptance are decided by each lender and depend on its own criteria and checks. Checking your eligibility does not guarantee that you'll be accepted.

FAQs

How quickly can you improve your credit score?

It depends on what's on your report. Some changes can show within a few months. In ClearScore data, for example, people who brought their credit card use below 30% and kept it there saw a median rise of 14 points over 12 months. Negative entries such as defaults stay on your report for six years, but they usually count for less over time. New-to-credit ClearScore users who opened their first payment account, such as a phone contract, saw an average rise of 67 points over 12 months.

What is a good credit score UK?

Each credit reference agency uses its own scale. 'Good' is 531–670 on Equifax's 0–1,000 scale and 861–1,000 on Experian's 0–1,250 scale. TransUnion is moving from a 0–710 scale (where 'Good' is 604–627) to a 0–999 scale (where 'Good' is 653–785) between September 2026 and June 2027. ClearScore shows your Equifax score with its own band names. Lenders use their own criteria, so no score guarantees you'll be accepted.

Can paying rent improve credit score?

It can. Some landlords and social housing providers report rent payments to Experian through its free Rental Exchange scheme, and some third-party services let tenants report their own rent payments (fees vary). Experian says it needs at least six months of payment history before rent payments are added.

Does paying interest affect credit score?

Paying interest doesn't directly affect your credit score. However, paying interest is a sign that you have outstanding borrowings - if these are high relative to your credit lines/limits, then your credit utilisation will be high and this can negatively affect your credit score.