What It Means
A credit score is a number, calculated from the information in your credit reportCredit reportA record of how you've borrowed and repaid, kept by credit bureaus and sold to lenders, landlords, insurers and others who decide whether to deal with you. See more, that lenders use to estimate how likely you are to pay back what you borrow. Scoring models come from companies such as FICOFICO scoreA credit score made by the company FICO from your credit report; base FICO Scores, including the widely used FICO Score 8, run from 300 to 850. See more and VantageScoreVantageScoreA credit scoring model from the company VantageScore; version 4.0 runs from 300 to 850 and gives payment history the most weight, at 41%. See more. Two of them, FICO Score 8 (the base version lenders use most, according to myFICO) and VantageScore 4.0, both run from 300 to 850, and a higher score means a lender sees less risk. Because there are several models and versions, you don't have one credit score but many.
Try It: Pick a Scoring Model and See Where a Score Sits
Choose a scoring model and type in a score. The bar shows where that score sits on that model's own range.
300 to 850
250 to 900
How far up the range the score sitsmyFICO calls FICO Score 8 the base version lenders use most.
Industry-specific FICO Scores are tuned for car loans or credit cards, and their wider range puts the same number at a different point.
VantageScore 4.0 gives payment history 41% of the weight, according to VantageScore.
That score is outside this model's range.
How People Say It
- "My credit score dropped twenty points and I don't know why."
- "The app says 742 but the dealer said 718."
- "We need to get our scores up before we apply for a mortgage."
The Breakdown
A short example. Priya and Sam want to buy a car. Priya checks a free score in her banking app and sees 742. At the dealership, the lender quotes her a rate based on a different number, and Sam's score comes back lower than either of them expected because his card balance had been sitting near its limit.
Where it goes wrong. They assumed "credit score" meant one fixed number. The app may have shown one model while the lender pulled another: myFICO lists base FICO Scores on a 300 to 850 range and industry-specific auto and card versions on a 250 to 900 range, and VantageScore 4.0 is its own model on 300 to 850. Sam didn't know how much his balance counted. In a FICO Score, amounts owed make up 30%, second only to payment historyPayment historyThe record in your credit reports of whether you paid each credit account on time, late or not at all; it's about 35% of a FICO Score. See more.
What to watch for
- Ask every lender which scoring model and version it used.
- Pay every credit account on time, since payment history is the largest factor in both FICO (35%) and VantageScore 4.0 (41%).
- Keep card balances low compared with their limits.
- Compare scores only when they come from the same model.
| Model | Range | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| FICO Score 8 | 300 to 850 | Payment history is the largest factor, at 35% |
| FICO Auto or Bankcard Score | 250 to 900 | Same foundation as the base score, tuned for car loansCar loanAn installment loan used to buy a vehicle, repaid in monthly payments over a set term, with the vehicle as collateral. See more or cards |
| VantageScore 4.0 | 300 to 850 | Payment history is the largest factor, at 41% |
Good to Know
myFICO says the five FICO factor weights describe the general population, and how much each matters for you depends on your own credit profile. For mortgagesMortgageA loan used to buy or refinance a home, secured by the home itself and repaid in monthly installments over a set term. See more sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as of September 2026, lets lenders choose, on an interim basis, between Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0, so a mortgage application may not use the same score your banking app shows. When a lender turns you down or offers worse terms, ask which score it used and what it was.
FAQ
What is a good credit score?
Each lender decides what counts as good for its own loans. On the 300 to 850 range used by FICO Score 8 and VantageScore 4.0, a higher number means a lender sees less risk.
Why is my credit score different on different apps?
There are several scoring models and versions, each built differently. myFICO lists base FICO Scores on 300 to 850 and industry-specific versions on 250 to 900, and VantageScore 4.0 is a separate model on 300 to 850.
Which credit score do mortgage lenders use?
For loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as of September 2026 FHFA lets lenders choose, on an interim basis, between Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0. Ask your lender which model it used for your application.
Do It in Buhata
Bills, Reminders
With Plus, add every card and loan to Bills with its due date, since payment history is the biggest factor in both FICO and VantageScore models.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- FICO score
A credit score made by the company FICO from your credit report; base FICO Scores, including the widely used FICO Score 8, run from 300 to 850.
- VantageScore
A credit scoring model from the company VantageScore; version 4.0 runs from 300 to 850 and gives payment history the most weight, at 41%.
- Credit report
A record of how you've borrowed and repaid, kept by credit bureaus and sold to lenders, landlords, insurers and others who decide whether to deal with you.
- Payment history
The record in your credit reports of whether you paid each credit account on time, late or not at all; it's about 35% of a FICO Score.
- Credit utilization
The share of your available revolving credit you're using, found by dividing your card balances by your credit limits.
- Credit bureau
A company that collects information about how people use credit and sells it as credit reports; Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are the three nationwide ones.
Sources
myFICO, "What is a Credit Score?"; myFICO, "How are FICO Scores Calculated?"; myFICO, "FICO Score Types: Why Multiple Versions Matter for You"; VantageScore, "The Complete Guide to Your VantageScore 4.0 Credit Score"; Federal Housing Finance Agency, "Credit Scores"
- www.myfico.com/credit-education/credit-scores
- www.myfico.com/credit-education/whats-in-your-credit-score
- www.myfico.com/credit-education/credit-scores/fico-score-versions
- vantagescore.com/consumers/blog/the-complete-guide-to-your-vantagescore
- www.fhfa.gov/policy/credit-scores
Last updated .