Check your credit score for free

Banks decide on your card application mostly from your credit score. Look at yours first, so a refusal does not add a hard enquiry to your report.

What the number means

Scores run from 300 to 900. Most banks look for 750 or more for a regular credit card. Between 650 and 750 you may still be approved for entry-level cards. Below that, a secured card against a fixed deposit is the usual way to start building a score.

Checking your own score is safe

Looking at your own report is a soft enquiry and does not lower your score. A hard enquiry happens when a bank checks your report because you applied for credit, and too many in a short time can pull it down a little.

Before you apply for a card

• Which cards can I get? Match your age and income to each bank's published minimums.
• Which card is best for me? Your best card after fees, from your own spends.
• How your credit score is worked out, and the habits that move it.

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