{
  "generated": "2026-10-31",
  "answers": [
    {
      "type": "answer",
      "slug": "does-checking-your-credit-score-lower-it",
      "question": "Does checking your own credit score lower it?",
      "topic": "credit-reports",
      "url": "https://www.piggybankloans.co.uk/answers/does-checking-your-credit-score-lower-it",
      "short_answer": "No. Checking your own credit report or score is a soft search. Only you and the credit reference agency can see it, so it does not affect your credit score. What can affect it is a hard search, which happens when you apply for credit. Other lenders can see hard searches, and several in a short time can make you look a higher risk.",
      "sections": [
        {
          "heading": "Soft searches and hard searches",
          "text": "MoneyHelper explains that a soft search can only be seen by you and the credit reference agency, which is why it does not affect your score. You can check your own report as often as you like.\nA hard search is different. It is recorded when you apply for credit and other lenders can see it. Experian says most hard searches stay on its report for 12 months, Equifax keeps them for one year, and TransUnion says they stay visible to lenders for around two years."
        },
        {
          "heading": "How to shop around without harming your file",
          "text": "When you are comparing credit, MoneyHelper suggests asking a lender for a quotation search, or using an eligibility checker, so the search does not affect your credit report. Only make a full application once you have chosen."
        }
      ],
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "How to check your credit report",
          "publisher": "MoneyHelper",
          "url": "https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/credit/how-to-check-your-credit-report"
        },
        {
          "title": "Searches and credit checks",
          "publisher": "Experian",
          "url": "https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/guides/searches-and-credit-checks.html"
        },
        {
          "title": "Credit reference data retention",
          "publisher": "Equifax",
          "url": "https://www.equifax.co.uk/privacy-hub/crain/retention"
        },
        {
          "title": "Consumer support",
          "publisher": "TransUnion",
          "url": "https://www.transunion.co.uk/consumer/consumer-support"
        }
      ],
      "last_reviewed": "2026-10-28",
      "credit_report_partner": {
        "name": "CheckReport",
        "url": "https://checkreport.co.uk/",
        "headline": "The UK’s most detailed credit report and score",
        "description": "Join 5 million others who trust the only credit report that combines data from all three major credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.",
        "price": "Free for 7 days, then £14.99 a month. Cancel online at any time.",
        "provided_by": "Checkmyfile (Credit Reporting Agency Limited, FCA firm reference 690175)",
        "disclosure": "CheckReport is provided by Checkmyfile (Credit Reporting Agency Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference 690175). PiggyBank is an official introducer for Checkmyfile and may be paid if you sign up. That never changes what we write."
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "answer",
      "slug": "why-is-my-credit-score-different-at-each-agency",
      "question": "Why is my credit score different at Experian, Equifax and TransUnion?",
      "topic": "credit-reports",
      "url": "https://www.piggybankloans.co.uk/answers/why-is-my-credit-score-different-at-each-agency",
      "short_answer": "There is no single UK credit score. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion each use their own scoring model and their own scale, and they can hold different information about you, because each lender chooses which agencies it reports to. Lenders also use their own criteria, so the scores you see are a guide rather than the number a lender uses.",
      "sections": [
        {
          "heading": "Each agency uses a different scale",
          "text": "Because the scales differ, a score from one agency cannot be compared directly with another. Many older web pages still quote the previous Experian and TransUnion ranges.",
          "table": {
            "caption": "UK credit reference agency score ranges",
            "head": [
              "Agency",
              "Score range"
            ],
            "rows": [
              [
                "Experian",
                "0 to 1250 (it was 0 to 999 until Autumn 2025)"
              ],
              [
                "Equifax",
                "0 to 1000"
              ],
              [
                "TransUnion",
                "0 to 999 (it used to be out of 710)"
              ]
            ]
          }
        },
        {
          "heading": "They can hold different information",
          "text": "The ICO explains that each lender decides which credit reference agency it uses, if any. If one lender reports to Equifax but not Experian, that account only shapes your Equifax file. Free apps also show one agency each: ClearScore uses Equifax data and Credit Karma uses TransUnion."
        },
        {
          "heading": "What lenders look at",
          "text": "MoneyHelper says a high score does not guarantee you will get credit, because each lender uses its own criteria. ClearScore, for example, says lenders do not see your ClearScore number; they look at the data in your credit report and apply their own scoring. That is why the details on your report matter more than the number."
        }
      ],
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "The new Experian Credit Score",
          "publisher": "Experian",
          "url": "https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/1250-score.html"
        },
        {
          "title": "Credit score",
          "publisher": "Equifax",
          "url": "https://www.equifax.co.uk/products/credit/credit-score.html"
        },
        {
          "title": "Consumer support",
          "publisher": "TransUnion",
          "url": "https://www.transunion.co.uk/consumer/consumer-support"
        },
        {
          "title": "Credit",
          "publisher": "Information Commissioner’s Office",
          "url": "https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/credit/"
        },
        {
          "title": "How to check your credit report",
          "publisher": "MoneyHelper",
          "url": "https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/credit/how-to-check-your-credit-report"
        },
        {
          "title": "Credit scores and your ClearScore",
          "publisher": "ClearScore",
          "url": "https://help.clearscore.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005332845-Credit-scores-and-your-ClearScore-rating"
        }
      ],
      "last_reviewed": "2026-10-28",
      "credit_report_partner": {
        "name": "CheckReport",
        "url": "https://checkreport.co.uk/",
        "headline": "The UK’s most detailed credit report and score",
        "description": "Join 5 million others who trust the only credit report that combines data from all three major credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.",
        "price": "Free for 7 days, then £14.99 a month. Cancel online at any time.",
        "provided_by": "Checkmyfile (Credit Reporting Agency Limited, FCA firm reference 690175)",
        "disclosure": "CheckReport is provided by Checkmyfile (Credit Reporting Agency Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference 690175). PiggyBank is an official introducer for Checkmyfile and may be paid if you sign up. That never changes what we write."
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "answer",
      "slug": "why-was-my-credit-application-declined",
      "question": "Why was my credit application declined, and what can I do?",
      "topic": "bad-credit",
      "url": "https://www.piggybankloans.co.uk/answers/why-was-my-credit-application-declined",
      "short_answer": "Each lender sets its own criteria, so there is no single pass mark. Common reasons include missed payments, too little credit history, an identity or address the lender could not confirm, or several applications close together. If a credit reference agency’s information led to the refusal, the lender must tell you which agency it used. You can ask for the main reason and a review. Then check your credit files before you apply anywhere else.",
      "sections": [
        {
          "heading": "Why lenders turn people down",
          "text": "The lender makes the decision, not the credit reference agency. Experian says agencies are not even told when you are refused, or why. Every lender has its own requirements, so being turned down by one does not mean every lender would say the same.\nExperian lists these common reasons:\n- Late or missed payments, defaults or county court judgments on your file.\n- Not enough credit history, for example if you have not used credit before or are new to the UK.\n- The lender could not confirm your identity or address, which can happen if you are not on the electoral register or have recently moved or changed your name.\n- A mistake on the application form, such as a flat number written the wrong way.\n- Several credit applications in a short time.\n- A financial link to someone with a poor credit history.\n- An IVA or debt management plan, which suggests you cannot afford more debt right now.\n- You are not the kind of customer that lender wants, or your income or job history did not meet its rules."
        },
        {
          "heading": "What the lender has to tell you",
          "text": "Under section 157 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, if a lender decides not to go ahead because of information from a credit reference agency, it must tell you that, and give you the agency’s name, address and telephone number. This does not apply to hire agreements or to borrowing secured on your home.\nIn other cases you can write to the lender and ask which agency it used. You need to ask within 28 days of the application ending.\nThe lender does not have to give you a full explanation. But the ICO says that if you think you were refused unfairly, you can ask the lender to explain the main reason and to review its decision. It may still say no after a review."
        },
        {
          "heading": "What to do next",
          "text": "1. Stop and do not apply again straight away: Experian says several applications in a short time can lower your score and your chances, and suggests no more than one application every three months.\n2. Check your credit files: Look at the file held by the agency the lender named, and ideally all three main agencies, because they can hold different information. Check your name, addresses, accounts, missed payments and anyone you are financially linked to.\n3. Get mistakes corrected: Raise anything wrong as a dispute with the agency. If you are linked to someone you no longer share finances with, the ICO says you can ask the agencies for a disassociation. If an entry is accurate but there is more to it, you can add a notice of correction explaining your situation.\n4. Check you are on the electoral register: Experian says registering to vote at your current address helps lenders confirm who you are."
        },
        {
          "heading": "Your free statutory credit reports",
          "text": "Alongside the CheckReport option above, you have a legal right to see what each agency holds about you for free. The ICO says you do not need to pay a fee or sign up to a subscription for this. Look for the words ‘statutory report’ on the Experian, Equifax and TransUnion websites.\nIf you were applying because money is tight, pause before trying anywhere else. Free debt advice from StepChange, National Debtline, Citizens Advice or MoneyHelper can help you look at your budget and your options."
        }
      ],
      "sources": [
        {
          "title": "Credit (For the public)",
          "publisher": "Information Commissioner’s Office",
          "url": "https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/credit/"
        },
        {
          "title": "Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 157: Duty to disclose name etc. of agency",
          "publisher": "legislation.gov.uk",
          "url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/39/section/157"
        },
        {
          "title": "Declined credit? What you should know and what to do next",
          "publisher": "Experian",
          "url": "https://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/guides/refused-credit.html"
        }
      ],
      "last_reviewed": "2026-10-31",
      "credit_report_partner": {
        "name": "CheckReport",
        "url": "https://checkreport.co.uk/",
        "headline": "The UK’s most detailed credit report and score",
        "description": "Join 5 million others who trust the only credit report that combines data from all three major credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.",
        "price": "Free for 7 days, then £14.99 a month. Cancel online at any time.",
        "provided_by": "Checkmyfile (Credit Reporting Agency Limited, FCA firm reference 690175)",
        "disclosure": "CheckReport is provided by Checkmyfile (Credit Reporting Agency Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference 690175). PiggyBank is an official introducer for Checkmyfile and may be paid if you sign up. That never changes what we write."
      }
    }
  ]
}