How do I build a US credit score?

Your UK credit record doesn’t follow you to the US. You arrive “credit invisible”, which can make renting, getting a phone contract, a credit card or a car loan harder and more expensive at first.

Why you start from zero

A credit score is a number lenders use to judge how likely you are to repay. US scores are worked out only from US credit reports, so newcomers usually have none. The CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal consumer finance regulator) counts recent immigrants among the millions of “credit invisible” adults. Using a debit card or prepaid card doesn’t build a record.

Who keeps your file

Three nationwide bureaus collect your credit history: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Lenders don’t all report to all three, so your reports can differ. Since September 2023 the bureaus have offered free weekly reports permanently at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only official free site. Your report is free; your score often isn’t, though many banks and card issuers show it free.

What makes up a FICO score

FICO publishes these weights as a guide, not an exact formula. Other models, such as VantageScore, weigh things differently.

What stays on your report

How to build a record

1. Open a US checking account first: see Opening a US bank account
2. Ask about cards that use your UK history. American Express has worked with Nova Credit to let newcomers from the UK apply using a converted UK credit report: check the current terms
3. Or get a secured card: you pay a refundable deposit that becomes your limit. Ask the issuer whether it reports to all three bureaus, and whether it “graduates” to a normal card
4. A credit-builder loan from a bank or credit union is another option: you repay small amounts over 6 to 24 months and get the money at the end
5. Pay the full balance every month by automatic payment, and keep the balance reported each month low compared with your limit
6. Don’t apply for several cards at once, and keep your name and address the same on every application

If you don’t have a Social Security number, some lenders accept an ITIN, but many don’t. See Social Security numbers and US tax. A partner with a US history can also add you as an authorised user on their card.

Medical bills and buy now pay later

A CFPB rule that would have removed medical debt from credit reports was struck down by a federal court in July 2025, so unpaid medical bills sent to collections can still appear, although some states have their own rules. Buy now pay later (BNPL) loans increasingly show up too: Affirm reports to Experian and TransUnion, and FICO has launched score versions that include BNPL data. Treat BNPL like any other credit.

Fixing mistakes

Check all three reports a few months after you open your first account. If something is wrong, dispute it with the bureau and the lender, free. You don’t need to pay a “credit repair” company, and accurate negative information can’t be removed early.