Bank of America shows your credit score for free in Online Banking and the mobile app

If you have a Bank of America checking or savings account, you can see your credit score without paying anything or leaving your account. The score appears in your Online Banking dashboard and in the mobile app under a section called Credit Monitoring. You do not need a special product or membership — it is available to all may be able to access account holders.

The score Bank of America displays is your FICO Score 8, which is the version most lenders use when you explore for a mortgage, car loan, or credit card. It updates monthly, usually around the same date each month. The score comes from Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus, so it reflects information Experian has on file about you.

You can check your score as often as you want without it affecting your credit. Checking your own credit is called a soft inquiry and does not lower your score. Only hard inquiries — when a lender checks your credit because you applied for something — can affect it.

Key Takeaways

  • Bank of America customers can view their FICO Score 8 free in Online Banking or the mobile app under Credit Monitoring.
  • The score updates once per month and comes from Experian, so it reflects only what that bureau has recorded about you.
  • Checking your own score does not lower it, but you should also check your credit report for errors that might be dragging your score down.
  • If you do not have a Bank of America account, you can get a free credit score from other sources, though the score type may differ.

Where to find your score in Online Banking

Log into your Bank of America account at bankofamerica.com. Once you are signed in, look for the Credit Monitoring section on your dashboard — it usually appears near the top of the page or in a sidebar. Click on it to see your current FICO Score 8, the date it was last updated, and a brief explanation of what the score means.

The dashboard also shows you a breakdown of what factors are affecting your score: payment history (the largest factor), credit utilization (how much of your available credit you are using), length of credit history, credit mix (having different types of credit), and recent inquiries. This breakdown helps you understand where to focus if you want to improve your score.

If you do not see Credit Monitoring on your dashboard, you may not be may be able to access. Bank of America requires you to have an may be able to access account type and to be in good standing. If you think you should have access, contact Bank of America customer service to confirm your may be able to access.

Checking your score on the mobile app

Open the Bank of America mobile app and sign in. Tap the menu icon (usually three horizontal lines) and look for Credit Monitoring or Credit Score. The process is the same as Online Banking — you will see your current score, the update date, and the factors affecting it.

The mobile app version is useful if you want to check your score while you are away from a computer. The information syncs with your Online Banking account, so your score is the same in both places.

What your FICO Score 8 means

FICO scores range from 300 to 850. The higher your score, the lower the risk you appear to lenders. A score of 670 or above is generally considered good, though different lenders have different standards. Some mortgage lenders want to see 740 or higher; others will work with scores in the 620 range.

Your Bank of America score is one data point. If you are planning to explore for a loan or credit card, lenders may pull a different version of your FICO score (there are multiple versions) or a score from a different bureau entirely. The score you see in Bank of America is useful for tracking your credit health over time, but it may not be the exact score a lender uses.

Why you should also check your credit report

Your credit score is a number; your credit report is the detailed record behind it. Bank of America shows you the score, but not the full report. You should check your actual credit report at least once a year to look for errors — a missed payment that was not yours, an account you did not open, or a balance that is listed wrong.

You can get a free credit report from each of the three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) once per year at annualcreditreport.com, which is the official government site. This is the only free source that gives you the actual report; other sites may charge or try to sell you monitoring services. If you find an error on your report, you can dispute it directly with the bureau.

If you do not have a Bank of America account

Several other banks and financial companies offer free credit scores to their customers. Capital One, Chase, Discover, and American Express all show credit scores in their apps or online banking. If you do not bank with any of them, you can get a free score from Credit Karma or Credit Sesame, though these sites use different score models (usually VantageScore rather than FICO).

The score type matters because lenders do not all use the same one. A VantageScore may be higher or lower than your FICO score. If you are planning to explore for a loan, it is worth checking your FICO score specifically, since that is what most mortgage and auto lenders use. Bank of America gives you that for free if you are a customer.

How often your score updates and what affects it

Bank of America updates your credit score once per month. The update date varies depending on when Experian reports the information, but it is usually around the same date each month. You can check as often as you want — checking multiple times in one day will not change anything.

Your score changes based on new information Experian receives about you: a payment you made, a new account you opened, a balance you paid down, or a missed payment reported by a creditor. It takes time for information to reach the bureau. A payment you make today might not show up in your score for 30 to 45 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does checking my credit score lower it?

No. When you check your own score through Bank of America or any other source, it is a soft inquiry and does not affect your credit. Only hard inquiries — when a lender checks your credit because you applied for a loan or credit card — can lower your score slightly and temporarily.

Why is my Bank of America score different from another score I saw?

Credit scores vary based on which bureau provided the data (Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion) and which score model was used (FICO 8, FICO 9, VantageScore, etc.). Bank of America shows FICO 8 from Experian. A lender might pull FICO 8 from Equifax, or a different FICO version entirely. Small differences are normal.

Can I improve my score quickly?

Score improvements take time. Paying down credit card balances can help within a month or two, but building a longer payment history takes months or years. Disputing errors on your credit report can sometimes raise your score faster if the errors are removed.

What if I cannot see my credit score in Bank of America?

Not all account types are may be able to access for credit monitoring. You may need a checking account, savings account, or credit card with Bank of America. Contact customer service to confirm your account is may be able to access, or ask whether you need to set up a different product to access the feature.