What Are the Best Things to Do to Increase My Credit Score?
Published 15th of October 2012·Updated 25 April 2026
Reviewed by: Reviewed for accuracy April 2026
The best things you can do to increase your credit score are: never miss a payment, keep your credit card balances below 25 per cent of your limit, register on the electoral roll, correct any errors on your credit file, and avoid applying for multiple credit products in a short period. These five actions address the main factors that credit scoring models assess.
Short Summary
The most damaging thing you can do to your credit score is miss a payment. A single missed payment can drop your score significantly and stays on your file for six years.
Keeping credit card balances low relative to your limit is one of the fastest ways to see score improvements. Reducing a balance from 80 per cent utilisation to below 25 per cent can improve your score within one to two months.
If you have no credit history, a credit builder card from a provider such as Vanquis, Aqua or Capital One is the most reliable way to establish one.
There is no quick fix. Any company or tool that claims to boost your credit score by large amounts overnight is not credible. The factors that matter most take months or years of consistent behaviour to change.
Never miss a payment
Payment history is the most heavily weighted factor in your credit score. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion all treat missed payments as a significant negative event. Set up direct debits for every credit card, loan and bill to remove the risk of forgetting a payment date.
If money is tight and you cannot cover a full payment, pay at least the minimum. A minimum payment on time is far less damaging than a missed payment. If you are struggling to meet a payment, contact your lender before the due date. Most high-street lenders including Barclays, Halifax and NatWest have hardship provisions that allow a deferral without a negative mark on your file.
Missed payments stay on your credit file for six years. Their impact fades over time, but the best strategy is to avoid them entirely.
Reduce your credit card balances
Credit utilisation is the percentage of your available credit that you are currently using. For example, if your combined credit limit across all cards is £4,000 and you have a balance of £3,200, your utilisation is 80 per cent. That signals financial pressure to lenders.
Most credit scoring experts recommend keeping utilisation below 25 to 30 per cent. Reducing balances is one of the fastest ways to improve your score because utilisation is recalculated each time a lender reports your balance to the credit reference agencies, typically monthly.
| Utilisation level | Signal to lenders |
|---|---|
| Below 25% | Positive; responsible credit management |
| 25-50% | Neutral to slightly negative |
| 50-75% | Negative; approaching financial pressure |
| Above 75% | Strongly negative; high-risk indicator |
Use a credit card to build positive history
Using a credit card responsibly and paying it off in full each month is the most effective ongoing habit for building positive credit history. Each monthly on-time repayment adds a positive entry to your payment history.
If you have a credit card you rarely use, use it for one or two regular purchases each month (such as petrol or groceries) and repay the full balance. This is more beneficial than not using the card at all, as unused accounts contribute less to your score.
If you do not currently have a credit card or have been refused for mainstream products, a credit builder card is the alternative. Providers such as Vanquis, Aqua and Capital One cater specifically for people with poor or limited credit histories. These cards carry high interest rates, so clearing the full balance each month by direct debit is essential.
Register on the electoral roll and check your personal details
Register to vote at your current address via gov.uk/register-to-vote. Lenders use the electoral roll to verify your identity. Not being registered can result in automatic rejections from many mainstream lenders, even if your payment history is strong.
Check that your name and address are consistent across your credit file, bank statements and bill accounts. Any discrepancy between the address on your credit file and the address on a loan or card application is a common reason for rejection.
If you have moved recently, update your address with all financial providers. The update should appear on your credit file within two to three months.
Avoid unnecessary credit applications
Every credit application typically generates a hard search on your credit file. Hard searches are visible to other lenders for 12 months. Multiple hard searches in a short period suggest you are actively seeking credit, which lenders associate with financial pressure.
Use eligibility checkers before applying. Services from Experian, MoneySavingExpert's Credit Club and most comparison sites use soft searches that do not affect your score. Apply only when your eligibility is rated as good or very good.
If you are turned down for credit, wait at least two to three months before applying again. Each refusal does not appear on your file, but the hard search from each application does.
Pay off long-standing balances
A credit card or overdraft that has carried the same balance for months or years is a negative signal. These products are designed for short-term use. A persistent balance suggests you are unable to clear your debt, which raises concerns about your financial position.
Prioritise paying down any credit card with a long-standing balance. Once cleared, continue to use the card for small purchases but repay in full each month. An overdraft that is routinely used and not cleared between salary payments should also be a priority to reduce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the single most effective thing I can do to improve my credit score?
Never missing a payment is the single most impactful habit. Payment history carries the most weight in credit scoring models. If you have no direct debits set up for your bills and credit commitments, setting those up today is the highest-value action you can take.
Should I close credit cards I do not use?
It depends. Closing a credit card reduces your total available credit, which can push your utilisation ratio higher if you carry balances on other cards. It also removes account history, which may shorten your credit history length. Only close a card if it carries an annual fee you are not getting value from, or if having it open is causing you to spend more than you intend.
Does paying off a loan early help my credit score?
Paying off a loan reduces your total debt, which is generally positive. However, it also closes a credit account, removing an ongoing source of positive payment history. The overall effect depends on your full credit profile. In most cases, paying off debt is beneficial for your financial position even if the immediate score impact is modest.
How often should I check my credit score?
Check your credit score and report monthly through ClearScore (Equifax), Credit Karma (TransUnion) and Experian's free service. Monthly checks let you track progress and spot unexpected changes, such as a new account you did not open, which may indicate identity theft.
Will getting a pay rise improve my credit score?
Your income does not appear on your credit file and does not directly affect your credit score. However, a higher income improves your affordability assessment when applying for credit, which is a separate factor lenders consider alongside your credit score. Higher income alone will not fix a poor credit score.
How long does it take to go from a poor credit score to a good one?
Moving from "poor" to "fair" typically takes 12 to 18 months of consistent positive behaviour. Moving from "fair" to "good" takes a further 12 to 24 months. If your score is low due to a default or CCJ, recovery is slower because those entries remain on your file for six years, though their impact reduces over time.