Bank of America shows your credit score free, but only if you have certain account types
Bank of America displays your credit score for free if you hold a checking or savings account, a credit card, or a mortgage with them. You can see it by logging into your online account or the mobile app — no separate sign-up required. The score comes from one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion), though which one varies by account type and region.
The score Bank of America shows is your VantageScore, not your FICO score. VantageScore and FICO are calculated differently and range from 300 to 850, so a score that looks good in one system might not be the same in the other. Most lenders use FICO when deciding whether to approve you for a loan or credit card, so the Bank of America number is useful for tracking trends but not a perfect predictor of what a lender will see.
If you do not have a Bank of America account, you can still check your credit score through other free sources — your credit card issuer, your mortgage lender, or services like Credit Karma and Experian's free annual report. But if you already bank there, the Bank of America tool is the fastest way to check without leaving your account.
Key Takeaways
- Bank of America customers with checking, savings, credit card, or mortgage accounts can view their credit score free in the online banking portal or mobile app.
- The score shown is a VantageScore from one of the three major credit bureaus, not the FICO score most lenders use for lending decisions.
- You can find your score under the "Credit" or "Accounts" section of your Bank of America dashboard, depending on your account type.
- Checking your own credit score does not lower it — only hard inquiries from lenders or creditors affect your score.
Where to find your credit score in Bank of America online banking
Log into your Bank of America account at bankofamerica.com or open the mobile app. On the dashboard or home screen, look for a section labeled "Credit" or "Accounts." If you have a Bank of America credit card, the score often appears directly on the card details page. If you have a checking or savings account, it may be under a "Credit Insights" or "Credit Score" tab.
The exact location varies depending on whether you use the website or app, and whether your account is a personal or business account. If you cannot find it when ready, use the search function within the app or website and type "credit score." Bank of America's interface updates periodically, so the path may shift, but the feature is available to all may be able to access account holders.
Once you locate your score, the page will also show you factors that affect it — things like payment history, credit utilization, and length of credit history. This breakdown is useful for understanding what to focus on if you want to improve your score over time.
What to do if your Bank of America credit score looks wrong
If the score seems inaccurate or lower than you expected, the first step is to check your actual credit report, not just the score. You can request a free copy of your credit report from each of the three bureaus once per year at annualcreditreport.com. This is the official government site — do not use other sites that claim to be free but ask for a credit card.
Look for errors on your report: accounts you did not open, payments marked late when you paid on time, or balances that are wrong. If you find an error, contact the bureau that issued the report directly and file a dispute. The bureau must investigate within 30 days and remove the error if it cannot verify it. You can also contact the creditor or lender that reported the wrong information and ask them to correct it.
If your report is accurate but your score is lower than you want, focus on the factors Bank of America shows you. The most common score-killers are late payments, high credit card balances relative to your limits, and too many recent hard inquiries. These take time to improve — typically months or years — but they do improve as old negative marks age and you build a record of on-time payments.
The difference between VantageScore and FICO
Bank of America shows you a VantageScore, which is one of several credit scoring models. FICO is the score most banks and lenders use when you explore for a mortgage, auto loan, or credit card. Both range from 300 to 850, but they weight the same factors differently, so your VantageScore and FICO score may not match.
VantageScore tends to be more forgiving of recent negative marks and gives more weight to recent payment history. FICO is stricter about late payments and older negative marks stay on your report longer. If your VantageScore is 750 but your FICO is 680, a lender will likely use the FICO number and may deny you or offer worse terms.
You can see your FICO score through some credit card issuers (Discover, Capital One, and others offer it free), through myfico.com (which charges a fee), or by checking with the lender you are explore to — many will tell you your FICO score after you submit an process. For the most accurate picture before you explore for credit, check both your VantageScore through Bank of America and your FICO through another free source.
How often Bank of America updates your credit score
Bank of America updates your credit score monthly, usually around the same time each month. The exact date depends on when the credit bureau reports new information, which varies. You may see your score change slightly from month to month as new account activity, payments, and inquiries are added to your credit report.
Small changes — a few points up or down — are normal and usually reflect recent activity like a new credit card process or a payment posted. Large drops (50 points or more) often signal a missed payment, a high balance reported to the bureau, or a new collection account. If you see a big drop, check your credit report at annualcreditreport.com to find out what caused it.
What checking your own credit score does and does not do
Checking your own credit score through Bank of America does not lower your score. This is called a "soft inquiry" or "soft pull," and it does not affect your credit at all. You can check as often as you want without any penalty.
A "hard inquiry" — which does lower your score by a few points — happens only when you explore for credit and a lender or creditor pulls your report to make a lending decision. Checking your own score is never a hard inquiry, so use Bank of America's tool as often as you want to monitor your progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a specific type of Bank of America account to see my credit score?
No. Any Bank of America checking account, savings account, credit card, or mortgage account gives you access to your credit score. If you have multiple accounts with Bank of America, you may see the score in more than one place, but it is the same score across all of them.
Can I see my credit score if I only have a Bank of America debit card?
A debit card alone does not give you access to the credit score feature. You need a checking or savings account, a credit card, or a mortgage. If you have a debit card linked to a checking account, you can see your score through the checking account portal.
Why is my Bank of America credit score different from the score another lender showed me?
Different lenders use different credit scoring models. Bank of America shows VantageScore, but most mortgage and auto lenders use FICO. The same credit report can produce different scores depending on which model is used. This is normal and does not mean one score is wrong.
How long does it take for changes to my credit to show up in Bank of America?
Bank of America updates your score monthly, usually within a few days of when the credit bureau reports new information. A payment you make today may not show up for 30 to 45 days, depending on when your creditor reports it to the bureau.
What should I do if I see fraud or accounts I did not open on my credit report?
Contact the credit bureau that issued the report and file a dispute. You can also contact the creditor directly and ask them to remove the fraudulent account. If the fraud is recent, consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your report through the bureau — this is free and prevents new accounts from being opened in your name without extra verification.