Credit Scores UK: Reports, Agencies, Score Ranges and Rebuilding Credit

Is 700 a Good Credit Score UK? — Full Breakdown by Agency

Is 700 a good credit score in the UK? See what 700 means on Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, what you can get approved for, and how to improve.

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700 credit score means different things depending on the agency. Here’s exactly what 700 gets you on each UK credit reference agency.

Read more: See our Credit Scores guide for a complete overview of this topic.

700 Score — Quick Assessment by Agency

AgencyScale700 ratingAssessment
Experian0-999Poor❌ Below average
Equifax0-1000Good✅ Above average
TransUnion0-710Good✅ Near maximum

700 is excellent on TransUnion, good on Equifax, but poor on Experian.

Experian: 700 = Poor

Experian score bands

Score rangeRatingWhere 700 sits
0-560Very Poor
561-720Poor700 is here
721-880Fair
881-960Good
961-999Excellent

On Experian, 700 is in the “Poor” category — below 70% of the population.

What 700 on Experian gets you

ProductAvailability
Mainstream credit cards❌ Limited
Best credit card rates❌ No
Store cards✅ Some
Personal loans (mainstream)❌ Difficult
High-interest loans✅ Available
Mobile contracts⚠️ May require deposit
Mortgages⚠️ Specialist lenders
Car finance (mainstream)❌ Limited
Subprime car finance✅ Available

Priority: Improve quickly

If your Experian score is 700, aim for:

  • 721+ → Fair (opens more options)
  • 881+ → Good (mainstream products)
  • 961+ → Excellent (best rates)

Equifax: 700 = Good

Equifax score bands

Score rangeRatingWhere 700 sits
0-438Very Poor
439-530Poor
531-669Fair
670-739Good700 is here
740-1000Excellent

On Equifax, 700 is solidly in the “Good” category — better than most people.

What 700 on Equifax gets you

ProductAvailability
Most credit cards✅ Yes
0% balance transfer cards✅ Some
0% purchase cards✅ Yes
Rewards credit cards✅ Most
Personal loans✅ Competitive rates
Mobile contracts✅ All
Mortgages✅ Mainstream rates
Car finance✅ Good rates
Overdrafts✅ Yes

Room to improve

To reach Excellent (740+), you’ll unlock:

  • Best available interest rates
  • Highest credit limits
  • Premium rewards cards

TransUnion: 700 = Excellent

TransUnion score bands

Score rangeRatingWhere 700 sits
0-550Very Poor
551-565Poor
566-603Fair
604-627Good
628-710Excellent700 is here

On TransUnion, 700 is near-maximum — in the top tier.

What 700 on TransUnion gets you

ProductAvailability
All credit cards✅ Yes
Best rates available✅ Yes
Premium rewards cards✅ Yes
0% interest deals (longest)✅ Yes
Personal loans (cheapest)✅ Yes
Mortgages (best rates)✅ Yes
Any car finance✅ Yes
Business credit✅ Yes

700 on TransUnion is essentially as good as it gets — you’ll qualify for the best products.

Side-by-Side: What 700 Means

AspectExperian 700Equifax 700TransUnion 700
RatingPoorGoodExcellent
PercentileBottom 30%Top 40%Top 20%
Action neededUrgent improvementMaintain/improveMaintain
Credit accessLimitedGoodFull
Best ratesNoSomeYes

How Lenders Use These Scores

Lender typePrimary agencies used
High street banksAll three
Credit card companiesVaries (often Experian)
Mortgage lendersAll three
Car financeVaries
Online lendersOften Experian or Equifax
Buy now pay laterOften TransUnion

Because different lenders use different agencies, you should check all three scores.

Improving From 700 — Timeline

If 700 on Experian (Poor)

TargetScore neededTypical timePriority actions
Fair721+2-4 monthsPay on time, reduce utilisation
Good881+6-12 monthsAll above + time
Excellent961+12-24 monthsPerfect credit behaviour

If 700 on Equifax (Good)

TargetScore neededTypical timePriority actions
Excellent740+2-4 monthsKeep utilisation low, no missed payments

If 700 on TransUnion (Excellent)

TargetScore neededTypical timePriority actions
Maximum7101-2 monthsMaintain current behaviour

Quick Wins to Boost Your Score

ActionImpactTimeframe
Register on electoral roll+10-50 points1 month
Pay bills on time+20-50 points1-3 months
Reduce credit utilisation to <30%+30-80 points1-2 months
Fix errors on report+10-100 points1-2 months
Stop multiple applicationsStops declineImmediate
Pay off small debts+10-30 points1 month

Where to Check Your Score Free

AgencyFree access via
ExperianExperian app, MSE Credit Club
EquifaxClearScore
TransUnionCredit Karma

Check all three — your score varies between agencies.

700 Score: Action Summary

Your 700 onWhat to do
ExperianPrioritise improvement — you have limited credit access
EquifaxGood position — maintain and slowly improve
TransUnionExcellent — focus on maintaining

Products You Can/Can’t Get at 700

Credit cards

Card typeExperian 700Equifax 700TransUnion 700
Credit builder cards✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes
Standard cards⚠️ Some✅ Yes✅ Yes
0% purchase cards❌ Unlikely✅ Some✅ Best deals
0% balance transfer❌ No⚠️ Some✅ Best deals
Rewards/cashback❌ No✅ Some✅ Yes
Premium cards (Amex)❌ No⚠️ Maybe✅ Yes

Loans

Loan typeExperian 700Equifax 700TransUnion 700
Payday loans✅ (avoid)✅ (avoid)✅ (avoid)
High-interest personal✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes
Mainstream personal❌ Difficult✅ Yes✅ Yes
Low-rate personal❌ No⚠️ Some✅ Yes

Mortgages

Mortgage typeExperian 700Equifax 700TransUnion 700
Specialist/subprime✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes
Standard rates⚠️ Higher deposit✅ Yes✅ Yes
Best rates❌ No⚠️ Maybe✅ Yes

Key Takeaways

QuestionAnswer
Is 700 good on Experian?❌ No — it’s Poor (improve urgently)
Is 700 good on Equifax?✅ Yes — it’s Good
Is 700 good on TransUnion?✅ Yes — it’s Excellent
Can I get a mortgage at 700?Depends on agency — check all three
What should I do?Check which agency shows 700, then act accordingly
Which score matters most?The one your lender uses — check all three

A 700 credit score can mean anything from poor to excellent depending on the credit reference agency. Check your score on Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion (all free), identify which one shows 700, and focus your improvement efforts accordingly. If it’s Experian, take immediate action — if it’s TransUnion, you’re in great shape.

Sources

  1. Experian — Credit Score Ranges
  2. Equifax — Understanding Your Score
  3. TransUnion — Credit Scores Explained