Where to Check Your FICO Score (and Why It Matters)

Written By Alontia Standberry

If you’re serious about building credit or applying for a major loan, knowing your FICO score is crucial. While apps like Credit Karma give you a VantageScore, over 90% of lenders use FICO scores to decide whether to approve you—and at what interest rate.

Here’s where you can check your FICO score:

1. Credit Card Issuers & Banks (Free)

Many major banks and credit card companies now provide FICO scores for free. Some popular options include:

  • Discover Scorecard – Free for everyone, even non-customers.

  • American Express, Citi, Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo – Usually available for cardholders via their mobile app or online banking.

2. Credit Unions & Community Banks (Free)

Many credit unions, such as Navy Federal Credit Union or PenFed, give free FICO score access to their members. Local Banks and Credit Unions also provide Free credit reports to their members. Just ask, you can even attempt to open an account and they will automatically pull your report.

3. MyFICO.com (Paid, But Most Accurate)

The official FICO website provides the most detailed and accurate scores, including industry-specific versions for mortgage, auto, and credit cards.

  • Plans start at about $19.95/month, but this is ideal if you’re about to apply for a big loan.

    visit www.myfico.com to create an account

4. Lenders (When Applying for Loans)

When you apply for a car loan, personal loan, or mortgage, lenders will pull your FICO score. You can ask them for a copy of the report they used.

5. Free Trials & Identity Monitoring Services (Limited)

Some services like Experian CreditWorks offer free FICO scores with a 7-day trial. Just be sure to cancel if you don’t want to pay after the trial ends.

Places That Don’t Give You FICO Scores

  • Credit Karma & Most Free Apps → They show VantageScore, not FICO.

  • AnnualCreditReport.com → You can get your free credit reports here, but no scores.

Bottom Line

If you’re preparing for a big purchase or want to improve your borrowing power, always focus on your FICO score—that’s what lenders trust most.

We will be sure to cover the difference between a Vantage score and a FICO in the next weeks blog.

Alontia Standberry
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