How To Raise Your Credit Score
Has your history with credit cards left you wondering how to raise your credit score? Though there are tremendous benefits to using credit, there are also action steps you can take to raise your score – no matter where your credit score lands at the moment. Experian Boost is completely free and can instantly raise your credit scores. Plus, Get credit for your Netflix®, Hulu™, Disney+™, HBO™, phone, utilities and rent payments—only with Experian Boost.
What Is a Credit Report?
It’s essential to know how your credit report is built. Simply put, it’s your history with your credit. Think of it as a relationship that’s either going great, average, or poorly. And in the same way that relationships can turn around for the better, a credit report can improve drastically with a few strategic changes. Who determines your credit score? Equifax, Experian, and Transunion are three credit bureaus that are responsible for tracking your credit history.
Recovery Time
Depending on where your credit score lands, it can take as short as 3 months or as long as 10 years to see dramatic improvement. But take heart – rarely does someone end up in a situation that will require more than 6-7 years for a significant turn-around.
What Makes up a Credit Score?
If you’ve made late payments in the past, this will impact your score significantly as it makes up 30% of your credit score. Next up is your credit utilization. This represents how much of the total credit line you are using. Because this factor also makes up 30% of your credit score, it is important to use anywhere between 10%-30% of your credit line at any point in time. This will ensure that your use of credit is positively impacting your credit score. The length of your credit history is the third contributing factor to your credit score. It makes up 15% of your score and is decided by the average age of your credit accounts.
Your credit mix is the fourth contributing factor to your credit score and represents the variety of credit accounts you have. It makes up 10% of your credit score. If you have a personal loan, car loan, or a credit card – your score will be higher than if you only have one credit card. This mix of credit shows that you are able to balance the responsibility of different loans and can be trusted with a mortgage loan in the future, for example. Lastly, new credit makes up 10% of your score, and in general, opening new credit sources or debt can be beneficial as long as the payments can be managed, and they’re opened with spans of time in between.
Consistency Is Key
The good news is that because there are multiple contributing factors to your credit score, there are multiple ways to improve your score as well. Here’s what you need to know. Consistency is key. If you’re looking to boost your score, paying off credit quickly and consistently can be the number one contributing factor to improving your score.
Avoid Credit Report Errors
One easy fix is ensuring there are no errors on your credit report. These errors are not uncommon and are worth checking on. Then, make sure to keep credit accounts open and become an authorized user on an already-existing account such as a company credit card if you’re able. Having your credit connected with an account that already has a great credit score is a huge plus.
Don’t Check It Too Often
Avoiding multiple credit inquiries and applications will help keep your score up as well. Instead of applying to multiple accounts, take time to learn about each credit card’s strengths and weaknesses. Another way to boost your score is to report your rent and utility payments. Anytime you can prove to the credit bureau that you’re making payments on time, it’s a tremendous benefit. And lastly, applying for a secured credit card is an additional way to improve your credit score.
Your Future Will Thank You
When taking all of these factors into play, there are many ways to improve your credit score. And though it can be easy to delay the process, your future will thank you for acting now to see a change in your credit score. Bigger decisions such as purchasing a home or your dream car will be less stressful when you’ve taken the time to strengthen your credit score ahead of time.
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- Monthly Fee
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Net First Platinum
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- Credit Recommended
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Bad Credit Cards
- Credit Recommended
- Fair/Bad/Poor/Damaged/Limited/No Credit/
- Intro (Purchases)
- See website for Details*
- Intro (Transfers)
- See website for Details*
- Regular APR
- See website for Details*
- Annual Fee
- See website for Details*
FIT™ Platinum Mastercard®
- $400 Initial Credit Limit
- Less than perfect credit? We understand. The FIT Mastercard is ideal for people looking to rebuild their credit.
- Unsecured credit card requires No Security Deposit
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- Credit Recommended
- Fair/Poor/Bad
- Regular APR
- 35.90% Fixed
- Annual Fee
- See terms
- Return Payment Fee
- Up to $41.00
- Late Payment Fee
- Up to $41.00
First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
- Earn 1% Cash Back Rewards with First Progress Prestige!
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- Build your credit history across 3 major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.¹
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- ¹Cardholders who keep their balance low and pay their credit card bill on time every month typically do see an increase in their credit score.
- Credit Recommended
- Poor/Limited/No Credit
- Regular APR
- 14.49% (V)
- Annual Fee
- $49
- Credit Line
- $2,000
- Cash Advance APR
- 23.49% (V)
Freedom Gold Card
- $750 Unsecured Credit Limit (Usable only at TheHorizonOutlet.com)
- Instant Approval*
- No Credit Check
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- Bad Credit - OK
- Credit Line
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*See site for details
Surge® Platinum Mastercard®
- Up to $1,000 Initial Credit Limit
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- Less than perfect credit? We understand. The Surge Mastercard is ideal for people looking to rebuild their credit.
- Unsecured credit card requires No Security Deposit
- Perfect card for everyday purchases and unexpected expenses
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Access to your Vantage 3.0 Score from Experian (when you sign up for e-statements)
- Use your card everywhere Mastercard is accepted at millions of locations
- Enjoy peace of mind with Mastercard Zero Liability Protection for unauthorized purchases (subject to Mastercard guidelines)
- Regular APR
- 35.90% Fixed
- Late Payment Fee
- Up to $41.00
- Return Payment Fee
- Up to $41.00
- Intro Rate
- See website for Details*
Reflex® Platinum Mastercard®
- Up to $1,000 Initial Credit Limit
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- Less than perfect credit? We understand. The Reflex Mastercard is ideal for people looking to rebuild their credit.
- Unsecured credit card requires No Security Deposit
- Perfect card for everyday purchases and unexpected expenses
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Access to your Vantage 3.0 Score from Experian (when you sign up for e-statements)
- Use your card everywhere Mastercard is accepted at millions of locations
- Enjoy peace of mind with Mastercard Zero Liability Protection for unauthorized purchases (subject to Mastercard guidelines)
- Regular APR
- 35.90% Fixed
- Credit Limit
- up to $1,000
- Annual Fee
- $75 - $125
- Late Payment Fee
- Up to $41.00
Milestone® Mastercard®
- Greater access to credit than before - $700 credit limit
- Get a Mastercard accepted online, in store and in app
- Account history is reported to the three major credit bureaus in the U.S.
- $0 liability* for unauthorized use
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- *Fraud protection provided by Mastercard Zero Liability Protection. If approved, you'll receive the Mastercard Guide to Benefits that details the complete terms with your card.
- Credit Recommended
- Fair/Good
- Credit Limit
- $700
- Cash Advance Fee
- See terms
- Regular APR
- See terms
First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
- Get a First Progress Select Card and Earn 1% Cash Back Rewards!
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- All credit types welcome to apply!
- Build your credit history across 3 major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.¹
- ¹Cardholders who keep their balance low and pay their credit card bill on time every month typically do see an increase in their credit score.
- Credit Recommended
- Poor/Limited/No Credit
- Regular APR
- 18.49% (V)
- Annual Fee
- $39
- Credit Line
- $2,000
- Cash Advance APR
- 24.49% (V)
Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®
- $200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Plus account and making 3 debit card transactions*
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- Credit Line
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- Regular APR
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- Regular Transfer APR
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- Annual Fee
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*To qualify for the welcome bonus, you must open and fund a new Rewards Checking Plus account through Upgrade and make 3 qualifying debit card transactions from your Rewards Checking Plus account within 60 days of the date the Rewards Checking Plus account is opened. If you have previously opened a checking account through Upgrade or do not open a Rewards Checking Plus account as part of this application process, you are not eligible for this welcome bonus offer. Your Upgrade Card and Rewards Checking Plus account must be open and in good standing to receive a bonus. To qualify, debit card transactions must have settled and exclude ATM transactions. Please refer to the applicable Upgrade Visa® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information. Welcome bonus offers cannot be combined, substituted, or applied retroactively. The bonus will be applied to your Rewards Checking Plus account as a one-time payout credit within 60 days after meeting the conditions.
Reflex® Platinum Mastercard®
- Up to $1,000 Initial Credit Limit
- See if you Pre-Qualify with No Impact to your Credit Score
- Less than perfect credit? We understand. The Reflex Mastercard is ideal for people looking to rebuild their credit.
- Unsecured credit card requires No Security Deposit
- Perfect card for everyday purchases and unexpected expenses
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Access to your Vantage 3.0 Score from Experian (when you sign up for e-statements)
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- Enjoy peace of mind with Mastercard Zero Liability Protection for unauthorized purchases (subject to Mastercard guidelines)
- Regular APR
- 35.90% Fixed
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- up to $1,000
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Merrick Bank Secured Credit Card
- Choose your own credit line based on how much money you want to put down as a security deposit.
- Initial deposits can be from $200 to $3,000. You can increase your credit line at any time by adding additional money to your security deposit, up to $3,000.
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- Credit Recommended
- See website for Details*
- Regular APR
- 22.95% Variable
- Annual Fee
- $36 for first year. Billed $3 per month thereafter
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- Cash Advance APR
- 27.95%
Destiny Mastercard®
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- Credit Limit
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- Regular APR
- See terms
- Annual Fee
- See terms
OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card
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- Credit Recommended
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- Regular APR
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Fair Credit Cards
- Time for a new Credit Card
- Improve your credit with responsible use
- Credit Cards for Fair Credit
- Credit Recommended
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- Intro (Purchases)
- See website for Details*
- Intro (Transfers)
- See website for Details*
- Regular APR
- See website for Details*
- Annual Fee
- See website for Details*
Good Credit Cards
- Take advantage of your good credit to get competitive APRs and rewards
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- Bonus offers – up to 50,000 points or miles
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- Terms vary by partner. Please see individual application for product terms and conditions.
- Clicking Apply Now will take you to CreditSoup.com to compare Credit Cards for Good Credit from participating partners
- Credit Recommended
- Fair/Good/Limited/No Credit/Excellent
- Intro (Purchases)
- See website for Details*
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- See website for Details*
- Regular APR
- See website for Details*
- Annual Fee
- See website for Details*
*See Card for Terms and Conditions
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
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- *See Rewards Terms and Conditions for more information
- Credit Recommended
- No credit, Poor, Fair
- Regular APR
- 24.89% (variable)
- Annual Fee
- $35
- Credit Line
- $200-$3000 at time of application
Poor Credit Cards
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- Credit Recommended
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- Intro (Purchases)
- See website for Details*
- Intro (Transfers)
- See website for Details*
- Regular APR
- See website for Details*
- Annual Fee
- See website for Details*
Search, Compare and Apply! Creditsoup.com offers you a better way to get a card offer.
*See Card for Terms and Conditions
Surge® Platinum Mastercard®
- Up to $1,000 Initial Credit Limit
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- Less than perfect credit? We understand. The Surge Mastercard is ideal for people looking to rebuild their credit.
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- Perfect card for everyday purchases and unexpected expenses
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Access to your Vantage 3.0 Score from Experian (when you sign up for e-statements)
- Use your card everywhere Mastercard is accepted at millions of locations
- Enjoy peace of mind with Mastercard Zero Liability Protection for unauthorized purchases (subject to Mastercard guidelines)
- Regular APR
- 35.90% Fixed
- Late Payment Fee
- Up to $41.00
- Return Payment Fee
- Up to $41.00
- Intro Rate
- See website for Details*
FIT™ Platinum Mastercard®
- $400 Initial Credit Limit
- Less than perfect credit? We understand. The FIT Mastercard is ideal for people looking to rebuild their credit.
- Unsecured credit card requires No Security Deposit
- Perfect card for everyday purchases and unexpected expenses
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Access to your Vantage 3.0 Score from Experian (when you sign up for e-statements)
- Use your card everywhere Mastercard is accepted at millions of locations
- Enjoy peace of mind with Mastercard Zero Liability Protection for unauthorized purchases (subject to Mastercard guidelines)
- Credit Recommended
- Fair/Poor/Bad
- Regular APR
- 35.90% Fixed
- Annual Fee
- See terms
- Return Payment Fee
- Up to $41.00
- Late Payment Fee
- Up to $41.00
Applied Bank® Unsecured Classic Visa® Card
- Get Pre-Qualified in Less Than a Minute
- A $300 Unsecured Credit Line which can be used at Grocery Stores, Gas Stations, Discount Stores, ATM's and Online!
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- No Penalty Rate. Your Rate Won't Go Up Even If You are Late
- Access Additional Credit With On-Time Payments and Responsible Usage
- A True Unsecured EMV enabled (chip) Visa Credit card
- Does not require perfect credit for approval
- Fixed APR and Manageable Monthly Payments
- Credit Recommended
- Poor/Damaged Credit
- Regular APR
- 29.99%
- Late Payment Fee
- Up to $38
- Return Payment Fee
- Up to $38
- Card Brand
- Visa®
OpenSky Launch Secured Visa® Credit Card
- Excellent option for a low fully refundable security deposit, get started with just $100
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- Looking to build or rebuild your credit? 2 out of 3 OpenSky cardholders increase their credit score by an average of 41 points in just 3 months
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- Build your credit history across 3 major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion
- Add to your mobile wallet and make purchases using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay
- Easy application, apply in less than 5 minutes right from your mobile device
- Offers flexible payment due dates which allow you to choose any available due date that fits your payment schedule
- Now you can make smaller partial payments towards funding your security deposit over 60 days
- Over 1.4 million cardholders have used OpenSky Secured Credit Card to improve their credit
- Credit Recommended
- No credit, Poor, Fair
- Regular APR
- 29.24% (variable)
- Annual Fee
- $24 during the first year, paid in installments of $2 per month. $36 after the first year, paid in installments of $3 per month.
- Credit Line
- $100- $1,000
Excellent Credit Cards
- Take advantage of your excellent credit to get the best rates and rewards
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- Excellent credit can lead to higher credit lines
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- Terms vary by partner. Please see individual application for product terms and conditions.
- Clicking Apply Now will take you to CreditSoup.com to compare Credit Cards for Excellent Credit from participating partners
- Credit Recommended
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- Intro (Purchases)
- See website for Details*
- Intro (Transfers)
- See website for Details*
- Regular APR
- See website for Details*
- Annual Fee
- See website for Details*
