Bank of America shows your credit score free through CreditWise
Bank of America customers can see their credit score at no cost using CreditWise, a tool built into the Bank of America mobile app and online banking portal. You do not need a separate account or sign-up — if you already log into your Bank of America account, you can access your score immediately. The score updates monthly and comes from TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus.
CreditWise displays your score alongside a breakdown of what affects it: payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, credit mix, and recent inquiries. You can also see alerts if something changes on your credit report, such as a new account opened in your name or a missed payment reported.
This is a monitoring tool, not a full credit report. If you need the complete report — the detailed list of every account, payment, and inquiry — you will need to order it separately, usually from the bureau itself or through annualcreditreport.com, which is the official government site for free annual reports.
Key Takeaways
- CreditWise is free to all Bank of America customers and shows your TransUnion credit score updated each month.
- You access it through the Bank of America mobile app or website using your existing login — no separate registration required.
- The tool shows what factors are affecting your score but does not display your full credit report with all account details.
- Bank of America also offers a separate service called MyCredit Guide that provides educational resources about credit building and score improvement.
- Your Bank of America score is one of three bureau scores; lenders may use Equifax or Experian instead, so your actual score with them could differ.
Where to find CreditWise in your Bank of America account
On the Bank of America website, log in and look for the Credit Monitoring or CreditWise section, usually found in the main menu or under "Accounts & Services." On the mobile app, tap the menu icon and search for "credit score" or "CreditWise." The score appears as a large number with a color-coded range showing whether it falls in the poor, fair, good, very good, or excellent category.
If you do not see CreditWise in your account, check that you are using a personal checking or savings account, not a business account — the tool is not available for business banking. You also need to be enrolled in online banking. If you have not set up online access yet, you can do so on the Bank of America homepage by clicking "Log In" and then "Enroll Now."
What the CreditWise score tells you and what it does not
The score you see in CreditWise is a VantageScore, a credit scoring model created by the three major bureaus. It ranges from 300 to 850, with higher scores indicating lower credit risk. The factors that move your score are the same ones that affect other scores: whether you pay on time, how much of your available credit you are using, how long your accounts have been open, the mix of credit types you have, and recent hard inquiries from lenders.
However, many lenders use a different scoring model called FICO, which weighs these factors slightly differently. Your FICO score from Equifax or Experian may be higher or lower than your VantageScore from TransUnion. Bank of America does not show your FICO score through CreditWise. If you need your FICO score, you can get it free from some credit card issuers, from myfico.com (which charges a fee for ongoing monitoring), or from annualcreditreport.com in some cases.
CreditWise also does not show your full credit report — the detailed history of every account, payment, collection, or inquiry. It shows alerts and trends, but not the complete record. To see your full report, order it from TransUnion directly or use annualcreditreport.com, which provides one free report per year from each of the three bureaus.
How often your score updates and what triggers changes
Your CreditWise score updates once per month, usually around the same date each month. The update happens when TransUnion receives new information from your creditors — typically your credit card companies, banks, loan servicers, and other lenders report to the bureaus monthly after your statement closes.
Your score can move up or down based on changes in your credit activity. Paying down a credit card balance lowers your utilization ratio and often raises your score within a month. Missing a payment or having a late payment reported can drop your score significantly and may take months to recover from. Opening a new account triggers a hard inquiry, which can lower your score by a few points temporarily. Closing an old account can raise your utilization ratio if you carry balances on other cards, which may lower your score.
CreditWise sends alerts when certain events happen — for example, if a new account is opened in your name, if a payment is reported late, or if your score drops by a certain amount. These alerts can help you catch fraud or identity theft early, though they are not a substitute for regularly checking your full credit report.
Comparing CreditWise to other free credit score tools
Bank of America is not the only place to check your score for free. Many credit card issuers — Chase, Capital One, Discover, American Express — offer free credit scores to their cardholders. Some use VantageScore, others use FICO. Websites like Credit Karma and Experian also offer free scores, though they may ask for permission to show you targeted credit offers.
The advantage of checking through Bank of America is convenience: if you already log in regularly, your score is right there. The disadvantage is that you see only the TransUnion VantageScore, not your FICO score or scores from the other bureaus. If you want a fuller picture, checking your score through multiple sources — your credit card issuer, Credit Karma, and annualcreditreport.com for your full reports — gives you a better sense of where you stand with different lenders.
None of these free tools hurt your score. Checking your own credit is a soft inquiry and does not affect your credit rating. Only hard inquiries from lenders who are considering you for new credit count against your score.
What to do if your score is lower than expected
If your CreditWise score is lower than you thought, start by checking what factors the tool lists as affecting it most. Usually the biggest drivers are payment history and credit utilization. If you have missed or late payments, those will drag your score down significantly — they can stay on your report for up to seven years, but their impact weakens over time as you build a record of on-time payments.
If your utilization is high — meaning you are carrying large balances relative to your credit limits — paying those down is often the fastest way to raise your score. Even paying down to 30% of your available credit can make a noticeable difference within a month or two. If you have no missed payments and low utilization but your score is still lower than you expected, check your full credit report at annualcreditreport.com to see if there are errors, accounts you do not recognize, or collections that are dragging you down.
Bank of America also offers MyCredit Guide, an educational tool within your account that provides tips on building credit and improving your score. It is not personalized financial advice, but it can help you understand the mechanics of credit scoring and what actions typically help or hurt your score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does checking my credit score through Bank of America hurt my credit?
No. Checking your own credit score is a soft inquiry and does not affect your credit rating. Only hard inquiries from lenders you have applied to for credit count against your score. You can check your score as often as you want without any negative impact.
Why is my Bank of America credit score different from the score another lender showed me?
Different lenders use different credit bureaus and scoring models. Bank of America shows your TransUnion VantageScore, but another lender might use your Equifax or Experian FICO score. These can differ by 50 points or more. Your actual creditworthiness is the same, but the number varies depending on which bureau and model the lender uses.
Can I see my full credit report through CreditWise?
No. CreditWise shows your score and alerts about major changes, but not your complete credit report. To see your full report — all accounts, payments, collections, and inquiries — order it from annualcreditreport.com, which provides one free report per year from each of the three bureaus.
What should I do if I see fraudulent accounts on my credit score alert?
Contact Bank of America immediately and report the suspicious activity. Then order your full credit report from annualcreditreport.com to see all accounts in your name. If you find accounts you did not open, file a dispute with the bureau that reported them and consider filing an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission at identitytheft.gov.
How long does it take for a payment to show up and affect my score?
Your creditor typically reports payments to the bureaus monthly, usually after your statement closes. Your CreditWise score updates once per month, so it may take 30 to 60 days for a payment to show up and affect your score. Late payments are reported immediately and can drop your score within days.