Whether you’re applying for a credit card, a mortgage or a new phone contract, your credit score can affect whether you’re accepted, how much you can borrow and how much it costs. The good news is that your score isn't fixed. It changes to reflect the information on your credit report, and the 10 steps below can help improve it over time.

This applies whether your score has been held back by late payments, a default or a county court judgment (CCJ), or simply because you don't have much credit history yet. 

ClearScore is a credit broker, not a lender. 

Where we use anonymised ClearScore data, it shows patterns across large groups of UK users, not cause and effect. Your own results will vary.

Quick answer 

To improve your credit score:

• check your credit report and fix any mistakes

• pay every bill on time

• understand credit utilisation (lower is generally better than high)  

• register on the electoral roll

• space out credit applications, and check your eligibility first

• build a record by having some bills in your own name

Some changes, like fixing errors, can show within weeks. Others, like showing consistent on-time payments, can take months to have an impact on credit score.

What is a credit score?

A credit score in the UK is a number that represents your creditworthiness to lenders, such as whether you pay on time, how much credit you're using and how long you've had credit. 

Your credit score plays a crucial role in determining whether you qualify for loans, credit cards, or mortgages - and at what interest rate. A low score can cost you thousands in added interest over time, but the good news is that learning how to improve credit score doesn't have to be hard. 

The score you see on ClearScore is Equifax’s consumer credit score. Lenders may use their own scoring systems alongside credit-report information and other details, so their assessments can differ from this score and from one another.

The UK has three main credit reference agencies, and each calculates its own score on its own scale:

Because each agency holds slightly different information and scores it differently, your scores can vary between them. ClearScore shows your Equifax credit report and score for free.

Related reading: What is the average credit score in the UK?

What credit score do you start with?

It's a common misconception that everyone starts with a credit score of zero. In fact, your score develops as information is added to your credit report, such as when you open a phone contract, a bank account with an overdraft or a credit card. Among ClearScore users who are new to credit, the median score is 449 out of 1,000 (compared to 605 for those with an established credit history).

A limited history scores lower by design. It doesn't mean you've managed money badly. See steps 7 and 8 below for some ways to build a history.

If you've never used credit, you may have little or no credit history, which can make it harder for lenders to assess you. This is sometimes called being "credit invisible". It's common if you're young, have recently moved to the UK, or have always shared bills and accounts in someone else's name.

Building a history can make a difference. Among ClearScore users who were new to credit, those who opened their first payment account, such as a phone contract, saw their score rise by an average of 67 points over 12 months. Steps 7 and 8 below cover ways to start building a history.

How to improve your credit score: 10 steps

1. Check your credit report and fix mistakes

Mistakes on your credit report can pull your score down. Examples include an account shown as open when you've closed it, a payment wrongly marked as late, or an address you've never lived at.

If you find a mistake, ask the credit reference agency that holds it to correct it. Because ClearScore's report comes from Equifax, raise errors on your ClearScore report with Equifax. The agency will check with the lender, and you can add a notice of correction (up to 200 words) to explain something while it's being looked into.

It's worth checking your report with all three agencies, as each may hold different information.

Check for signs of fraud. Look at the searches section of your report for credit applications you don't recognise. If you think someone has applied for credit in your name, contact the lender and the credit reference agencies. You can report fraud to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 (in Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101).

2. Pay on time, every time

Payment history is one of the most important parts of your credit report. A missed payment is recorded and can lower your score, 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. People with higher scores tended to lose more: around 76 points for scores between 700 and 899. Scores partly recovered over the following months. For that group, the average fall had eased to 49 points by month three.

Setting up a Direct Debit for at least the contractual minimum on credit cards, and for the amount due or agreed payment on other bills, can help avoid missed payments. Make sure there is enough money in the account when payments are collected.

Related reading: How Long Do Late Payments Stay on Your Credit Report?

3. Monitor credit utilisation

Your credit utilisation is how much of your available credit you're using. For example, if you owe £900 on a card with a £1,000 limit, your utilisation is 90%. High utilisation can suggest you're stretched, so lower utilisation is generally seen more favourably than high utilisation. It can also change quickly, because it reflects your balances each month. 

Among ClearScore users who started above 30%, those who brought their utilisation below 30% generally saw their scores rise. Users who brought their utilisation below 30% and kept it there saw a median rise of 14 points over 12 months. Those who dropped below 30% and then went back above it saw no change.

You can check your utilisation on your ClearScore report.

4. Register on the electoral roll

Lenders use the electoral roll to confirm your name and address. Being on it feeds into your credit score.

The median score for ClearScore users on the electoral roll was 676, compared with 443 for those not on it. Registering won't add 230 points by itself, because the gap also reflects other differences between the two groups. 

Being registered for longer was also linked with better odds of being accepted for a credit card: among ClearScore users who applied for a credit card between April and June 2026, the initial decline rate was 32% for people not on the roll and 18% for those registered for 21 years or more.

You can register to vote on GOV.UK. If you're not sure whether you're registered, check with your local council's electoral registration office. If you can't register to vote, you can add a notice of correction to your credit report explaining why, and lenders may ask for other proof of address.

5. Space out credit applications

Each full credit application leaves a hard search on your credit report, which other lenders can see. Several hard searches in a short time can suggest to lenders that you're relying heavily on credit. If you're turned down, it's worth checking your credit report before applying again rather than making several applications in a row.

6. Check your eligibility before you apply

Eligibility checkers use a soft search, which only you can see and which doesn't affect your credit score. They show how likely you are to be accepted before you make a full application. On ClearScore, you can see offers you're eligible for, including some marked as pre-approved.

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.

7. Get bills in your own name

Mobile phone contracts and many energy accounts are reported to the credit reference agencies, so paying them on time adds to your credit history. If you share a home and the bills are in someone else's name, your payments won't show on your report.

As noted above, new-to-credit ClearScore users who opened their first payment account saw an average rise of 67 points over 12 months. Those who stayed with no payment accounts saw an average fall of 7 points.

Some landlords and social housing providers also report rent payments to Experian through its free Rental Exchange scheme (see the FAQs).

8. How credit card balances and payments affect your score 

Paying at least the minimum on time each month and staying within your limit both count towards your credit history. And if you pay your full statement balance by the due date, you usually won’t be charged interest on purchases. Check your card’s details as terms vary (and note this doesn’t normally apply to cash withdrawals or balance transfers).

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 (compared to their limits) 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.

Related reading: What credit limit will you get? Average starting limits by credit score

9. Think before closing old accounts

The length of your credit history can count towards your score, so keeping older accounts that you've managed well can help. Closing a credit card also reduces the total credit available to you, which raises your utilisation if you have balances on other cards. If an unused card has an annual fee, weigh that against these effects.

10. Break financial links you no longer need

If you have a joint account or joint credit with someone, you're financially linked, and lenders may consider their credit history when looking at yours. Once any joint accounts are closed and the financial link has ended, for example with an ex-partner, you can ask each credit reference agency for a notice of disassociation.

Why your credit score matters

A higher credit score can mean more choice and 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. However, many other factors affect the rate you're offered as well, and lenders make their own decisions.

How to improve your credit score with no credit history

If you've just moved to the UK, a credit history from another country doesn't usually transfer, so you start building a new one here. Registering on the electoral roll (if you're eligible), putting bills in your own name and paying them on time can help.

Some credit cards, often called credit-builder cards, are designed for people with limited or poor credit history. They usually have low limits and higher interest rates. Using one for small purchases and paying the balance in full and on time each month builds a record of repayments, but if you don't clear the balance, the interest can be high. Read more: how to build a credit history from scratch

Frequently asked questions

How quickly can I improve my credit score?

It depends on what's on your report. Fixing a mistake can show within a few weeks, once the agency has updated your report. Building a record of on-time payments or lowering your credit use usually takes several months. In ClearScore data, 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 missed payments and defaults stay on your report for six years, but they usually count for less over time.

What's the fastest way to improve my credit score?

The changes that can show the fastest are correcting mistakes on your credit report, registering on the electoral roll and reducing credit card balances that are high compared with your limits. 

Can I improve my credit score in 30 days?

Possibly, if your report has a mistake that gets corrected, if you weren't on the electoral roll and register, or if you pay down a large card balance. Lenders usually update credit reference agencies monthly, so changes can take a few weeks to appear. Bigger improvements usually take longer.

What is a good credit score in the UK?

Each 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 for a financial product.

Can paying rent improve my 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 my credit score?

Not directly. But paying interest usually means you're carrying a balance, and high balances compared with your credit limits raise your utilisation, which can lower your score.

Key points

• Check your credit report with all three agencies and correct any mistakes.

• Pay on time: a single missed card payment was followed by an average fall of about 48 points among ClearScore users.

• Lower credit utilisation is generally seen more favourably than high utilisation. In ClearScore data, users who brought theirs below 30% and kept it there saw a median rise of 14 points over 12 months. 

• Register on the electoral roll.

• Space out applications and check your eligibility first.

• Build your history with bills in your own name.

Check your credit score and report for free with ClearScore