Stable, reliable, with a good debt-to-income ratio. If this sounds like your perfect partner, you have that in common with banks and lenders.

When you apply for a loan or other credit product, the lender has to decide whether or not to lend to you. Lenders look for certain signs to help them decide what risk you pose as a borrower. The more signs that you’re a safe bet, the higher your eligibility for credit.

ClearScore is not a credit reference agency, but we give you your credit score and report for free using data from Equifax - and we show you your live eligibility score for many of your offers. We show this next to your offer, displayed as a percentage. So if you see ’90%’ next to a product, this means the lender estimates you have a strong chance - around 90% - of being accepted. It’s an estimate based on a soft search, not a guarantee. We calculate your eligibility score using the latest information available, so it reflects your current circumstances as closely as possible.

But what if you see a great loan or credit card offer on ClearScore (a credit broker, not a lender) but your eligibility score is too low? Find out what that means and how you can increase your eligibility to get the product you want.

Your eligibility scores on ClearScore are calculated by banks and lenders based on their own criteria. Most lenders look at two things in particular: your credit report and your affordability (whether you can afford to take out credit).

When you browse your offers on ClearScore, banks and lenders send us live eligibility scores based on your current information. This means we can show you fresh results and eligibility scores every time you check your offers.

Sometimes, you might be ‘pre-approved’ for an offer. This means the lender has told us that, provided you pass their fraud checks and give correct information on your application, they expect to offer you that product - though acceptance is still subject to their own checks.*

Want to see your eligibility scores? View your offers on ClearScore now.

ClearScore is a credit broker, not a lender, and works with a range of lenders and other credit brokers rather than exclusively with one.

What your eligibility percentage actually means

Your eligibility percentage is a lender's own estimate of how likely they are to approve you for that specific product, based on the information in your credit report and what they know about your affordability. A 70% eligibility indicates the lender considers your chances good rather than certain, though each lender models this differently. It isn't a pass mark and it isn't a promise - it's a probability, and it tells you whether applying now is a good use of a hard search.

Reading the bands: low, moderate, strong and pre-approved

Why eligibility isn't the same as your credit score

Your credit score is a single general measure of how you've handled credit, and checking it on ClearScore won't affect it - it's a soft search only you can see. Your eligibility score is product-specific and comes from the lender, not from us. That's why someone with an excellent score can see a low eligibility on one product: the lender may cap borrowing at a certain multiple of income, or may not lend to people in your employment situation at all. Equally, a modest score can produce a high eligibility on a card designed for exactly that profile.

Why the same lender can show different scores on different products

Lenders set separate criteria for each product they offer. A balance transfer card, a purchase card and a personal loan from the same bank are assessed differently, because the risk and the margin are different. Seeing 85% on one and 35% on another from the same name isn't a mistake - it's the lender telling you which of their products you fit.

Why your eligibility can change between one check and the next

Eligibility scores are live, so they move when anything behind them moves. A newly reported balance, a recent hard search, a change to your reported income, or a lender tightening its criteria can all shift the number within days. A drop doesn't necessarily mean you've done something wrong - it often reflects a lender's appetite rather than your behaviour. If it falls sharply, check your report for anything unexpected.

Does checking your eligibility affect your credit score and report?

No. Checking your eligibility on ClearScore does not affect your credit score or report, because it uses a soft search rather than an application. Eligibility scores are generated using a soft search, which is invisible to other lenders and has no impact on your rating. You can check your offers as often as you like without any consequence for your credit file.

What is a soft search, and why doesn't it affect your score?

A soft search is a light-touch look at your credit report. The lender sees enough information to judge how likely they are to accept you, but the check isn't treated as an application. Because you haven't asked to borrow anything, there's nothing for other lenders to interpret as a sign of financial pressure, so credit scoring models simply ignore it.

When does a lender run a hard search instead?

A hard search happens when you formally apply for a product - a loan, a credit card, a mortgage, car finance or a mobile phone contract. At that point the lender needs a complete view of your file, and the search is recorded for other lenders to see. A single hard search usually has only a small, short-lived effect. Several in a short space of time is what causes problems, because it can look like you're relying on credit to get by.

Do eligibility checks on ClearScore show on your credit report?

Soft searches do appear in the searches section of your own report, but only you can see them. When you check your report, you may notice entries from lenders whose offers you've viewed. That's normal. Lenders assessing a future application will only see the hard searches.

Can other lenders see that you've checked your eligibility?

No. Browsing your offers, comparing rates and viewing eligibility percentages is completely private. No lender is told that you looked at a rival's product, and no lender can factor it into a decision. This is exactly why it's worth checking before you apply - you get a realistic read on your chances without paying for it with your score.

How many eligibility checks can you do before it matters?

There's no limit. You could check every day for a year and your score would be unaffected. Refreshing your offers regularly is actually sensible, because lenders update their criteria and your own circumstances change. What you should avoid is submitting multiple full applications in quick succession - that's the behaviour that leaves a mark.

What happens to your score if you apply and get declined?

Being declined isn't recorded on your credit report, so lenders can't see the rejection itself. What they can see is the hard search that came with the application. If you're turned down, resist the temptation to immediately try somewhere else. Each attempt adds another search, and a cluster of them makes the next lender more cautious still.

The better move is to find out why you were declined, spend some time strengthening your file, and use your eligibility scores to identify products where your chances are genuinely strong before you apply again. View your offers on ClearScore to see where you stand today.

How to improve your eligibility

There are two simple ways you can improve your eligibility and become a highly desirable applicant.

Firstly, boost your credit score by working on your credit report. Secondly, show that you can afford the credit (improve your affordability).

1. Keep an eye on your credit report

As your credit report holds a lot of importance in the eyes of lenders, it’s worth checking your report regularly and giving your score a boost.

Check your report thoroughly to make sure it’s a fair reflection of you. In particular, check your repayment history is accurate, any debts that you’ve settled are shown as ‘paid’ and that there are no ‘searches’ you don’t recognise. If anything looks incorrect, raise a dispute through ClearScore.

If your credit score is lower than you’d like, and you’ve got some time before you need to apply for credit, consider taking out a credit builder card. By spending small amounts on it and paying it back in full every month, you’ll build up a good track record of payments which lenders love to see.

In your ClearScore account, take a look at how much of your credit limit you’re using. Keeping utilisation below around 30% is a widely used rule of thumb that tends to signal good credit management and that you’re not overly reliant on borrowing, though lenders weigh it differently. If your utilisation is higher than 30%, there are many ways you can lower it.

If you’re on the electoral roll - which means you’re registered to vote - lenders find it easier to verify who you are and where you’re living. And if you’ve been at the same address for a while, lenders will view you as lower risk. (We know this seems unfair. But even if you do move around a lot, the main thing is to keep a good repayment history.)

You can check if you’re on the electoral roll in your ClearScore account.

Lenders like to see that you’ve got at least one credit account that you’ve used for a few years. This is because it shows that you’re trustworthy and capable of building a stable relationship with your creditor.

If your debt levels are going up and down dramatically, or if you’ve been applying for lots of credit in a short period of time, this may be taken as a sign that your financial position isn’t very stable.

Read our article on the factors that affect your credit score and report to learn more.

2. Work on your affordability

Lenders like to know that you’ll be able afford your monthly payments. To do this, they look at your debt-to-income ratio, which is your total monthly debt repayments expressed as a percentage of your gross monthly income.

To work out your debt-to-income ratio, divide your total monthly debt payments by your gross monthly income. For example, let’s say you make £2,500 a month and you pay £250 each month on student loans and £250 per month on car finance, making a total of £500. £500 divided by £2,500 is 0.20, so your debt-to-income ratio is 20%.

To lower your debt-to-income ratio, see if you can increase the amount you pay monthly towards your debt. Extra payments can help lower your overall debt more quickly. You could also consider postponing any big purchases and instead look at paying down your debts.

Obviously, lenders will also be looking at how much you earn. So, the best time to apply for a loan is when you have a consistent income and are living within your means.

Ready to see your eligibility scores? View your offers on ClearScore.

*Pre-approval doesn’t always guarantee acceptance.

What to do when your eligibility is low for the product you want

A low eligibility score is information, not a verdict. It tells you that this particular lender, for this particular product, at this particular amount, is unlikely to say yes today. Almost every part of that sentence is something you can change - and changing one of them is nearly always cheaper than applying anyway and hoping.

Ask whether you actually need this specific product

Start by separating the goal from the product. If you want a 0% purchase card to spread the cost of a new washing machine, the goal is affordable repayment, not that specific card. A personal loan, a smaller card with a shorter promotional period, or simply saving for another two months might all achieve the same outcome. People often fixate on a headline deal they've seen advertised, when a product they'd sail into approval on would cost them very little more.

Consider a smaller borrowing amount or a shorter term

Eligibility is calculated against what you've asked for. Request £10,000 and the lender tests whether you can afford those repayments alongside your existing commitments; request £6,000 and the same file may look more affordable, though the lender still weighs your income, existing borrowing and overall affordability. Adjusting the amount or the term and re-checking your offers costs nothing and often moves the percentage significantly. It's the quickest test of whether the problem is you or the size of the ask.

Look at products designed for thinner or damaged credit files

If your file is short, sparse or has some history behind it, mainstream products will keep returning low scores no matter how carefully you manage your money. A credit builder card is built for exactly this situation. The credit limit is low and the interest rate is high, so it's not a card for carrying a balance - the point is to spend a small amount each month and clear it in full, generating the record of reliable repayment that mainstream lenders want to see. Six to twelve months of that behaviour changes the products available to you far more than any single application ever could.

Whether a guarantor or joint application is worth considering

A guarantor loan or a joint application can unlock borrowing your own file wouldn't support, but the responsibility is real and shared. A guarantor is legally liable if you don't pay, and a joint application will usually create a financial association that links your credit files at the credit reference agencies - meaning the other person's record can affect your future applications, and yours theirs. It's worth considering with someone who fully understands what they're taking on, and worth avoiding entirely if the relationship couldn't survive a missed payment.

Why applying anyway is usually the most expensive option

Applying with a low eligibility score is the one option that costs you something whatever happens. If you're declined, you've added a hard search to your file and made the next lender more cautious. If you're accepted, it's frequently at a worse rate than the one advertised, because lenders reserve their headline rates for their strongest applicants. Two or three rejections in a row can set you back months. Checking your live eligibility first and applying only where your chances are strong is not caution for its own sake - it's how you protect your ability to borrow later.

When to speak to free debt advice instead of borrowing more

If your eligibility is low because your existing debts are already stretching you - you're using credit for essentials, making minimum payments only, or borrowing to cover other borrowing - more credit isn't the answer, and a lender declining you may be doing you a favour. Free, impartial debt advice from a charity can restructure what you already owe, often reducing what you pay each month without new borrowing. It's a better starting point than another application, and it costs nothing. Where the pressure is manageable rather than acute, paying down your debts is the route back to a strong eligibility score.

How long does it take to improve your eligibility?

Some changes lift your eligibility within a fortnight; others take years to work through. Knowing which is which lets you sequence your actions and time your application properly, particularly if you're planning a mortgage, car finance or a large loan. Here's a realistic timeline for the most effective steps.

• Within days: Registering on the electoral roll is the quickest win available. Once your council confirms your registration, it can appear on your credit file within a few days to a month, and it makes you far easier for lenders to identify. Correcting errors works fast too - if a settled debt still shows as outstanding or there's a search you don't recognise, raise a dispute and the lender has 28 days to respond. A successful correction can move your eligibility immediately.

• Within one to two months: Lowering your credit utilisation. Lenders report your balances monthly, so paying a card down below 30% of its limit shows up on your file at the next update. This is the single fastest lever most people have, because it doesn't require new accounts or a change in income. If your balances are high across several cards, there are many ways you can lower it.

• Three to six months: Building a clean run of repayments and letting recent hard searches settle. Three to six consecutive on-time payments start to outweigh an older blip, and most lenders pay closest attention to searches from the last three to six months. If you've had a flurry of applications, waiting six months before the next one materially improves your odds. This is also the window in which a credit builder card, used for small purchases and cleared in full each month, begins to show results.

• Six to twelve months: Ageing your accounts and reducing your debt-to-income ratio. Lenders want to see at least one account you've held and managed for a while, and account age can only be earned. Over this period, overpaying on existing debts and avoiding new commitments can move your debt-to-income ratio down by several percentage points - enough to change which loan sizes and terms you qualify for. Time at your current address also counts in your favour as it builds.

• Two to six years: Waiting out the serious markers. Hard searches stay visible for around 12 months (though most lenders weight the last six most heavily). Missed and late payments remain for six years. Defaults, County Court Judgments and bankruptcies also stay for six years from the date they were recorded, even if you've paid them off - though a satisfied marker is viewed considerably more favourably than an outstanding one, and its influence fades noticeably after the first two years.

• If you need credit sooner than your timeline allows: Focus on the products where you already stand a strong chance rather than the ones you want in principle. Borrow a smaller amount, consider a shorter term, and check your live eligibility before every application so you're not spending hard searches on long shots. Where the borrowing isn't urgent, postponing by even two or three months while you cut utilisation and add clean repayments will usually get you a better rate than applying today.