Why FICO

Our Story

We invented the FICO Score 30 years ago — a score that made getting credit faster and fairer. We have led the industry ever since, innovating new ways to expand access to affordable credit for more people in the U.S.

In 2001 we launched myFICO.com to empower consumers to check their own FICO Scores and tap into FICO's credit expertise. Our complete solution gives consumers the best tools and information to prepare for a mortgage, auto loan and more.

We empower you

We offer the most complete solution with the score that lenders use to help you prepare for a mortgage or auto loan.

FICO Score

Not all credit scores are FICO Scores, and most free online scores are not FICO Scores. Unless a website specifically says it's a FICO Score, it's not, and chances are it's a score rarely used by lenders. With us, you get the FICO Score — the same industry-standard credit score that over 90% of lenders use.

Score Lenders Use

You have more than one FICO Score — different lenders use different versions of the FICO Score when evaluating your credit. For example, a mortgage lender will likely use a different score than an auto lender. With myFICO, you have access to 28 specialized score versions — so you know you're seeing what your lender sees.

Accuracy Matters

Other credit scores may vary by as much as 100 points from your FICO Scores, leading you to underestimate (or overestimate) your creditworthiness. When it comes to your credit and financial goals, accuracy matters.

We give you the whole picture

We have the most comprehensive plans with all three bureaus, plus identity features to give you peace of mind.

3-Bureau Coverage

Each of the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) has different information about your credit history. We provide comprehensive scores and reports with side-by-side comparison across all three bureaus.

The Middle Score You Need

Mortgage lenders typically pull scores from each bureau and use your middle score. We give you the score from each bureau to help you avoid surprises.

Identity Features

Our 3-bureau plans have identity features that help you spot signs of identity theft. We alert you to changes we detect to your credit across all three bureaus plus threats we find on the dark web, making it easier to spot identity theft early.

Questions? We Can Help

Who is myFICO?

myFICO is the consumer division of FICO, launched in 2001 to help consumers get their FICO Score directly from the people that make the FICO Score. We have an A+ rating from the BBB and our headquarters are in San Jose, CA.

What is the FICO Score?

The FICO Score is the most widely used credit score, used by more than 90% of top lenders. Some free online score sites use credit scores that are calculated differently than FICO Scores and many lenders won't use them.

How does this compare to free score sites?

Some free score sites are giving away credit scores, but beware — not all credit scores are FICO Scores. Many free credit scores have been designed to look like FICO Scores but are not actually FICO Scores. Even if they look similar, the mathematical formulas used by each scoring company are unique. As a result, these non-FICO credit scores are often significantly different from the real FICO Scores — sometimes by 100 points or more. Unlike FICO Scores, which are used in over 90% of lending decisions, non-FICO credit scores may rarely, if ever, be used by lenders when they are deciding whether to approve you for a loan.

Do I get a FICO Score from free score sites?

Most free credit score sites do not provide FICO Scores. Unless a website specifically says it's a FICO Score, it is not a FICO Score.

How is myFICO different than what I get from my bank?

We work with over 170 financial institutions to give customers free access to a FICO Score with the FICO Score Open Access program. If your bank, credit card issuer, auto lender or mortgage servicer participates in FICO Score Open Access, you can see a FICO Score, along with the top factors affecting your score, for free.

At myFICO, we give you more versions of the FICO Score, including versions used for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards, plus 3-bureau credit reports and deeper analysis to help you identify what is helping or hurting your FICO Score. We let you monitor your credit and FICO Scores, provide a wealth of tools and insight, and help you to detect threats to your identity or recover from identity theft.

Does my free annual credit report include credit scores?

No, your free annual credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com does not include any credit scores. AnnualCreditReport.com is the government-mandated service that lets you get a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each credit bureau. It only provides your credit reports and does not provide a credit score.

With myFICO, you can access your FICO Scores as well as updated credit reports quarterly or monthly. You get all 28 of your specialized FICO Scores (the scores your lenders will most likely use), alerts whenever we detect a change in your report or score, identity theft features, expert score analysis, score simulators, and a whole lot more. If you're getting ready to apply for a loan, working on your score, or just want to be prepared, our plans are the right choice for you.

Why check my credit with all 3 bureaus?

Both your credit reports and FICO Scores can vary from bureau to bureau, and your lender may pull your report and FICO Scores from any or all 3 of them. Having scores from all 3 bureaus is also important if you're preparing for a mortgage. Out of the 3 credit scores from each bureau, mortgage lenders will use what's called the "middle score". You need your score from all 3 bureaus to identify your middle score.

Still have questions?

Call our toll-free, US-based customer support at 1-800-319-4433.