Bank of America shows your credit score free, but only if you have certain account types

Bank of America displays your credit score at no cost through its online banking platform and mobile app, but access depends on what kind of account you hold. If you have a Bank of America checking or savings account, a credit card, or a mortgage with them, you can view your score. The score you see comes from Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus, and updates monthly.

The score Bank of America shows is your FICO Score 8, which is the version most lenders use when deciding whether to approve you for credit. It ranges from 300 to 850. Seeing this number is useful because it gives you a baseline for how lenders are likely to view your creditworthiness, though the actual score a lender pulls may differ slightly depending on which bureau and which FICO version they use.

Key Takeaways

  • Bank of America displays your Experian FICO Score 8 free through online banking or the mobile app if you have a checking, savings, credit card, or mortgage account with them.
  • Your score updates once per month, so checking it more frequently will show the same number.
  • The score Bank of America shows is one version of your credit score; different lenders may pull different versions or bureaus and see slightly different numbers.
  • You can also request your credit report from all three bureaus free once per year at AnnualCreditReport.com, which shows the details behind your score.

Where to find your score in Bank of America online banking

Log into your Bank of America account on their website or open the mobile app. On the web version, look for a section labeled "Credit" or "Credit Insights" in the main menu or dashboard. On the mobile app, this usually appears as a card on your home screen or under a menu labeled "Accounts" or "Tools."

Click or tap into that section and your FICO Score 8 will display prominently. Below the number, Bank of America typically shows a range (for example, "Good" or "Excellent") and a brief explanation of what that range means for your borrowing power. Some versions also show a graph of how your score has moved over the past few months, which helps you see whether recent actions have helped or hurt your credit.

What the score does and does not tell you

Your FICO Score 8 is a snapshot of your credit risk based on five factors: payment history (35 percent of the score), amounts you owe relative to your credit limits (30 percent), length of your credit history (15 percent), mix of credit types you use (10 percent), and recent credit inquiries or new accounts (10 percent). A higher score means lenders see you as lower risk.

What the score does not show you is the specific reason it moved up or down, or what accounts or behaviors are dragging it down the most. For that level of detail, you need to look at your actual credit report, which lists every account, payment, and inquiry in your file. Bank of America's score display is a summary; the report is the full picture.

How often Bank of America updates your score

Bank of America refreshes your credit score once per month, usually around the same date each month. The exact date depends on when Experian updates their data, which typically happens when credit card companies and lenders report your account activity to the bureaus.

If you check your score multiple times in one week, you will see the same number. Checking your own score does not hurt your credit, so you can look as often as you want without penalty. What does hurt your score is when a lender or creditor pulls your report as part of a lending decision — that is called a "hard inquiry" and can lower your score slightly.

Getting your full credit report from all three bureaus

Bank of America's score covers only Experian data. To see the complete picture, you should also request your credit reports from Equifax and TransUnion, the other two major bureaus. These reports may contain different information because not all creditors report to all three bureaus.

You can request one free report from each bureau once per year at AnnualCreditReport.com, which is the official site run by the three bureaus themselves. You can stagger these requests — pull one report every four months — to monitor your credit throughout the year. Each report shows your accounts, payment history, inquiries, and any negative marks like late payments or collections.

Why your Bank of America score might differ from other scores you see

If you see a different credit score elsewhere — from a credit card company, a loan offer, or a credit monitoring service — do not be alarmed. Several reasons explain the difference. First, different companies use different FICO versions. Bank of America shows FICO Score 8, but some lenders use FICO Score 9 or industry-specific versions like FICO Auto Score or FICO Bankcard Score. Second, the three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) may have different information in your file, so your score varies by bureau.

Third, the timing matters. If you just paid down a credit card balance, that information may have reached Experian but not yet reached Equifax. Your Bank of America score might reflect the lower balance while another lender's score still reflects the higher one. These differences are usually small — within 20 to 30 points — but they can happen.

What to do if you cannot see your score in Bank of America

If you log in and do not see a credit score section, you may have an account type that Bank of America does not include in this feature. Business accounts, for example, do not get access to personal credit scores. If you have a personal checking or savings account but still do not see the score, try logging out and back in, or clear your browser cache and try again.

If the issue persists, contact Bank of America customer service. They can confirm whether your account type is may be able to access and, if it is, help troubleshoot why the feature is not displaying. You can also request your credit report directly from Experian at Experian.com if you want to see your score and report details outside of Bank of America's system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does checking my credit score on Bank of America hurt my credit?

No. Checking your own score is a "soft inquiry" and does not affect your credit at all. Only hard inquiries — when a lender pulls your report to make a lending decision — can lower your score slightly.

Can I see my credit score if I only have a Bank of America credit card?

Yes. Bank of America offers credit score access to customers with checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, or mortgages. Having a credit card alone is enough to view your score through their online banking or app.

What should I do if my Bank of America score seems wrong?

Request your full credit report from Experian at Experian.com to see the details behind your score. If you spot an error — a late payment you did not make, an account you did not open, or a balance that is wrong — you can dispute it directly with Experian. They have 30 days to investigate.

Is the FICO Score 8 the same score lenders use?

Most lenders use FICO Score 8 for general credit decisions, so it is a good indicator of how they will view you. However, some lenders use different versions or pull from different bureaus, so your actual approval odds depend on their specific criteria.

Can I improve my score quickly?

Credit scores move slowly. Paying down credit card balances helps within one or two months once the payment reports. Paying on time every month builds your score over time. Older negative marks like late payments or collections fade after several years but do not disappear when ready.