TransUnion, one of the United Kingdom’s three primary credit reference agencies, is implementing a significant overhaul of its credit scoring methodology beginning later this month. The change involves expanding the maximum credit score from 710 to 999, moving away from the previous narrower scale to provide what the company describes as a clearer picture of consumers’ credit health.
Under the new system, the majority of consumers—approximately 58%—will remain in the same score band. However, 36% of people will be elevated to a higher bracket, while 6% will experience a decline to a lower bracket. Alongside the numerical change, TransUnion has updated certain terminology, renaming the two lowest bands from “poor” and “very poor” to “low” and “very low.” The company states that the new model incorporates additional data sources and examines how account balances evolve over time and how consumers utilize credit cards, offering what it characterizes as a more comprehensive assessment of credit management patterns.
A key point emphasized by TransUnion is that despite changes in the visible score, the underlying credit report information shared with lenders will remain identical. The company asserts that this transition will not influence lending decisions during the change period. Industry experts corroborate this position, noting that lenders focus on the detailed information within credit reports rather than the score band itself when evaluating applications.
The rollout will occur in stages between late September and June 2027, meaning some users may temporarily see different scores depending on which platform or service provider they access. This gradual implementation could result in inconsistencies across various apps and providers during the transition period.
TransUnion’s move follows similar recent adjustments by its competitors. Experian previously increased its maximum score from 999 to 1,250 and began factoring in rental payment history. Equifax modified its range from 0-700 to 0-1,000 in 2021. Unlike TransUnion’s current change, Equifax is not anticipated to undertake another adjustment in the near term. Experts counsel consumers not to be concerned about score band fluctuations, emphasizing that understanding one’s credit report contents is more valuable than monitoring specific numerical scores.
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