Checking your credit score regularly is an important habit if you want to understand your financial health and catch potential issues early. The Bank of America app makes this simple by giving eligible customers free access to their FICO score directly inside the mobile app.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to check your credit score for free on Bank of America app, what your FICO score means, and how to understand the factors that influence your credit rating.
How to Check Your Credit Score for Free on Bank of America App
To check your credit score through the Bank of America app, start by opening the app and going to your main account screen.
Follow these steps:
- Scroll down past your banking accounts until you reach the credit card section.
- Tap on one of your Bank of America credit cards.
- Once the credit card page opens, scroll down until you find the Bank of America section.
- Tap on “View Your FICO Score.”
- If this is your first time using the feature, Bank of America will show you a welcome screen explaining the available credit tools.
- Tap through the introduction to access your credit score dashboard.
After loading, you will see your latest FICO score displayed at the top of the page.
What Is a FICO Score?
Before looking at your number, it helps to understand what a FICO score actually represents.
FICO is a credit scoring company that created one of the most widely used credit scoring systems in the United States. When people talk about their “credit score,” they are usually referring to their FICO score.
A FICO score is a number between 300 and 850 that lenders use to estimate how likely someone is to repay borrowed money. The higher your score, the lower the risk you generally represent to lenders.
Bank of America provides this score for free every month, and checking it does not damage your credit score.
Does Checking Your Credit Score Lower It?
A common misconception is that checking your own credit score can hurt your credit. This is not true.
When you check your own score through Bank of America, it is considered a soft inquiry. Soft inquiries do not affect your credit score, and you can check your score as often as you want.
The type of credit check that can affect your score is called a hard inquiry. This happens when a lender reviews your credit report as part of an application for a new loan, mortgage, or credit card.
How to View Your Latest FICO Score
Once you access the “My Credit” section in the Bank of America app, you will see your latest FICO score on the snapshot page.
Bank of America uses the standard FICO scoring range:
- 300–579: Poor
- 580–669: Fair
- 670–739: Good
- 740–799: Very Good
- 800–850: Exceptional
A score above 740 generally puts you in a strong position when applying for major loans, such as mortgages and auto loans, because lenders typically view higher scores more favorably.
Understanding the Credit Information Behind Your Score
Below your score, Bank of America shows details about where the score comes from. For example, your score may show that it is a FICO Score 8 based on information from Experian.
This information is important because you do not have only one credit score.
There are three major credit bureaus:
- Experian
- Equifax
- TransUnion
Each bureau maintains its own credit information, and different lenders may use different versions of your credit score.
There are also several types of FICO scores, including:
- FICO Score 8
- FICO Score 9
- FICO Auto Score
- FICO Bankcard Score
Each version is designed for different lending decisions.
Because of this, the score shown in the Bank of America app may not be exactly the same number a lender sees when you apply for a mortgage or another type of loan. A difference of 20 or 30 points is possible depending on the scoring model and credit bureau used.
How Often Can You Refresh Your Credit Score?
Bank of America also provides a refresh option near the top of the credit score page.
You can update your score up to three times every 30 days. This can be useful if you recently:
- Paid down a large credit card balance
- Opened or closed an account
- Made changes that could affect your credit profile
Refreshing your score lets you see whether those changes had an impact.
What Impacts Your FICO Score?
One of the most useful parts of Bank of America’s credit score feature is the “What’s Impacting Your Score?” section.
This area explains the five main factors that determine your FICO score.
Payment History
Payment history is the most important factor and makes up about 35% of your score.
It shows whether you pay your bills on time. Late payments can have a significant negative effect on your credit.
Amounts Owed
Amounts owed account for around 30% of your score.
This mainly refers to how much of your available credit you are using, also known as credit utilization. Keeping your balances low compared to your credit limits can help improve your score.
Length of Credit History
The length of your credit history makes up about 15% of your score.
Having older accounts and a longer history of responsible credit use can benefit your score.
New Credit
New credit represents around 10% of your score.
This factor considers how recently you applied for or opened new accounts. Opening several new accounts in a short period can temporarily affect your score.
Credit Mix
Credit mix makes up about 10% of your score.
Having different types of credit, such as credit cards and installment loans, can help demonstrate responsible management of different credit products.
How Bank of America Helps You Improve Your Credit Score
The credit score dashboard does more than just show your number. It also explains how each factor affects your score.
For example, if one category is rated lower, such as new credit, Bank of America can help you understand why. A recent account opening may temporarily lower that factor, but it can improve as the account becomes older.
Checking this section every month works like a free credit report card. If your score changes, you can identify what caused the movement and decide what actions to take.
You can also tap “View All Score Factors” to see a more detailed breakdown.
Explore Additional Credit Tools in the Bank of America App
Besides your score breakdown, Bank of America includes additional features that can help you monitor your credit.
At the top of the page, you may find options such as:
- Score Details
- Identity Monitoring
The identity monitoring feature is especially useful because it is included as a free benefit and can help you stay aware of potential identity-related issues.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to check your credit score for free on Bank of America app is a simple way to stay informed about your financial health.
The Bank of America app gives you free monthly access to your FICO score, explains what affects your rating, and helps you understand where you can improve.
Remember that checking your own score will not hurt your credit. By reviewing it regularly and paying attention to the factors that influence it, you can make smarter decisions and work toward maintaining a stronger credit profile.
