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You can check a FICO score through myFICO or a participating bank, card issuer, auto lender, or mortgage servicer. Before relying on the number, check which credit bureau file, FICO model and version, and calculation date it represents. A lender may use a different bureau or scoring model—or a non-FICO score—so no single consumer score is guaranteed to match what a lender uses.
How to check your FICO score
Start with an account or service you already use, then verify the score details before deciding whether you need broader coverage.
Check with your bank or another financial institution
Some banks, card issuers, auto lenders, and mortgage servicers provide customers with FICO scores at no charge through FICO Score Open Access. FICO says it works with more than 130 financial institutions on access to some FICO scores; participation and the bureau, model, and update schedule offered vary. Check your institution’s app or website, or ask its support team whether the score shown is a FICO score and which version it is. FICO Score Open Access
Check through myFICO
myFICO’s plan page currently lists a free option with one-bureau Equifax coverage, monthly updates, and FICO Score 8. It lists paid Basic at $19.95 per month with one-bureau Experian coverage, Advanced at $29.95 per month with three-bureau coverage and updates every three months, and Premier at $39.95 per month with three-bureau coverage and monthly updates. These are the monthly prices and features listed on myFICO’s page when accessed in 2026; confirm current terms before subscribing, since they can change. Paid plans include additional score-version features. myFICO plans
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myFICO cautions that a lender or insurer may use a different FICO version or another type of credit score altogether. A broader plan gives you more score information, but cannot guarantee a match to a particular lender’s model.
Check your credit reports if a score surprises you
A FICO score is calculated from information in a credit bureau file. If a score seems unexpected, review the underlying report for inaccurate, missing, or differently reported information. A score alone does not show which details in the file contributed to it.
What a FICO score tells you—and what it does not
FICO scores are based on credit-file information from a bureau at the time the score is requested. Bureau files can differ, and updates may reach bureaus at different times. A score is therefore a snapshot of a particular file, not a universal number attached to you.
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FICO’s base scores range from 300 to 850. Its industry-specific scores, such as scores designed for auto lending or bankcard use, range from 250 to 900. Check the model before interpreting a number; the base-score range does not apply to every FICO score. FICO Score versions and uses
Why the score you see may differ from a lender’s
There is no single score that every lender sees. FICO Score 8 is the most widely used base FICO score, but lenders may choose other base versions, industry-specific versions, or another score type. They also choose which bureau’s data to use. FICO says 90% of top U.S. lenders use FICO Scores, based on third-party data covering all versions of FICO Scores sold to lenders—not just Score 8. That figure does not identify the model a particular lender uses. FICO Scores
As a general pattern, credit-card and other general credit evaluations typically use one bureau score, while mortgage lenders typically pull information from all three bureaus. Practices vary, so neither pattern guarantees what will happen with a specific application.
Mortgage score versions
myFICO currently lists these bureau-specific FICO versions used in mortgage lending:
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| Bureau | Listed mortgage FICO version |
|---|---|
| Experian | FICO Score 2 |
| Equifax | FICO Score 5 |
| TransUnion | FICO Score 4 |
These are versions listed for mortgage lending, not a promise that every mortgage lender uses them or follows the same process today. If you are preparing to apply, ask the lender or loan officer which bureaus and score models apply to your specific application.
How to compare two scores
Before comparing numbers, record the details that identify what each one measures:
- Score type: Is it explicitly a FICO score, or another kind of score?
- Bureau: Does it use Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion information?
- Model and version: Is it a base FICO score such as Score 8, or an industry-specific version?
- Date: When was the score calculated?
Different bureau files, calculation dates, and model designs can produce different scores. Even when the underlying information is the same, bureau-specific model design can result in differences. A mismatch does not by itself show that either score is wrong.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does checking your own score hurt it?
myFICO says checking your own credit does not hurt your score. Its pricing page makes this statement in the context of checking your own credit. myFICO plans
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