How to improve your credit score
Written byEmily Tye
Updated:Dec 16, 2025
5 min read
Two of the most important factors for improving your credit score are paying your bills on time and keeping your credit utilisation low (or in other words, using a small amount of the total credit you've been given). However, there are many other factors to consider.
In this guide, I explain the factors that contribute to your credit score growth and practical steps to increase it.
How to improve your credit score in the UK
Your credit score increases when you demonstrate responsible financial behaviour. Here are the main ways you can achieve this:
1. Pay your bills on time
Making timely payments on your credit cards, loans, and other financial obligations is the most critical factor. Setting up automatic payments can help ensure you never miss a due date.
If you can afford to, aim to pay off your balance in full each month.
2. Keep your credit utilisation low
Your credit utilisation is simply the percentage you use of your credit limit. For example, if you have a £1,000 credit limit, and you use £500 of it, your credit utilisation is 50%.
This percentage is an important factor as it can help suggest that you manage credit responsibly. This is because a low utilisation rate suggests that you do not rely too heavily on borrowed money.
If possible, aim to keep your credit utilisation below 30%. So, if you had a £1,000 credit limit, you would use £300 or less.
3. Maintain long-standing accounts
The longer your credit accounts are active and in good standing, the better it is for your credit score. This is because it can act as evidence of your financial stability and experience over many years. Avoid closing old accounts unless absolutely necessary.
4. Avoid excessive credit applications
Each time you apply for credit, a 'hard' inquiry appears on your credit report. Multiple applications in a short period can lower your score, so only apply for new credit when you truly need it.
Note: With Zable, you can check your eligibility with a 'soft search' before fully applying, which has no impact on your credit score.
5. Regularly monitor your credit report
Check your credit report regularly for errors. If something doesn't look right (like a payment being wrongly reported as late), you can contact the credit reference agency (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) to have it corrected.
Checking your credit report can also help you spot fraud early. For example, you could see if someone fraudulently opens an account in your name.
6. Diversify your credit types
Having a mix of credit accounts (credit cards, personal loans, mortgages) can positively impact your score, as it shows lenders that you can manage different types of credit responsibly.
Can you increase your credit score quickly?
That depends on the current state of your credit, but while significant improvement usually takes time, you may be able to see a quick boost by focusing on two key areas:
Pay down your credit card balances, if you can afford to do so. This lowers your credit utilisation (the amount you owe vs. your limit), which, as mentioned earlier, can improve your score.
Correct errors on your credit report. If you remove something negative (like an incorrectly reported missed payment), you could see a sudden jump.
How long does it take to improve your credit score?
The time it takes to see an increase in your credit score depends on your financial situation and the actions you take, but here’s a rough timeline you could follow.
Immediate impact: Correcting an negative error on your credit report and paying off your credit card balances (if you can afford to do so) can have a quick effect.
1-3 months: Consistently paying bills on time can start showing results.
6-12 months: Sustained low credit utilisation over several months can provide a significant score boost.
1-2 years: Maintaining long-standing accounts and avoiding hard inquiries show gradual improvement.
Overall, your credit score can increase over time through responsible financial habits, such as paying bills on time, reducing debts, and avoiding unnecessary credit applications. Regularly monitoring your credit report and understanding how your score is calculated can then help you to maintain a good credit score.
Why improve your credit score?
Improving your credit score has the potential to save you money and can open doors to better financial opportunities in the future. Specifically:
You may find you are offered lower interest rates as lenders are more likely to see you as low-risk. This could save you a lot of money in interest payments.
The higher your score, the more likely you are to be approved for credit cards, loans, mortgages, and even apartment rentals. Though there are loans and credit cards for people with low credit scores, approval is not guaranteed and may come with higher interest rates.
You may qualify for the best financial products, such as higher credit limits and exclusive rewards credit cards.
This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Please speak to a qualified financial adviser before making financial decisions.