How long does it take to improve your credit score?

Discover how long it takes to improve your credit score, the actions you can take to improve it and how an Aqua credit card can improve your credit profile

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Written by Hayley Bevan and Jide Davies

Published on April 20th, 2026

Last reviewed on April 20th, 2026

6 mins read

Understanding credit cards

How long it takes to improve your credit score depends on a range of factors. Where small improvements can happen within a few weeks, more significant changes tend to take longer.

But improving your credit score isn’t achieved through a single action. It’s a gradual process built on long-term financial behaviour that shows you’re sensible with lending.

Factors more likely to affect your score can include a long-standing credit history, making repayments on time, and maintaining a low credit utilisation of 30% or below.

By having a healthy credit score, you can open doors to other financial opportunities, such as getting a loan, securing a mortgage, and even potential employment opportunities.

If you want to improve your credit score, but don’t know where to start, here’s our tips to get you on the right track.

What is a credit score?

A credit score is a three-digit number that shows how well you’ve managed credit in the past. It’s calculated by credit reference agencies and used by lenders to assess your creditworthiness.

Although a credit score isn’t the only deciding factor for lenders, having a healthy score can put you in a stronger financial position to get a loan or secure a mortgage.

Even if you currently have a bad score, it’s important to know that nothing is permanent. By continuing to demonstrate sensible financial behaviour, you’ll be on your way to improving your credit score.

Best ways to improve your credit score quickly

There are several ways to increase your credit score quickly, and with a little focused effort you could start to see your score climb.

Pay off as much debt as you can to show lenders you have financial control. By carrying a significant balance from one month to the next, it signals you’re dependent on credit and potentially a higher risk for lending.

Ask for an increased credit limit to lower your credit utilisation ratio to 30% or below of your overall borrowing capacity. If it’s approved, be responsible and focus on paying down your debt. When using your higher credit limit, keep in mind that this could mean you spend more and build up a larger debt – which may take longer and cost more to pay back.

Dispute any errors on your credit report –like an incorrect address history or inaccurate late payment records – that could be pulling down your score. Any errors should be reported to a credit reference agency immediately.

Set up direct debits for the minimum payment on all your cards. If you can’t make the minimum payment, call your bank or lender immediately and get a payment plan in place.

Protect your credit history by maintaining old credit card accounts wherever possible. Even if the account is rarely used, it’s longevity can still positively influence your credit score.

Not implementing these actions could be one of several reasons why your credit score has gone down. So it’s always best to make positive financial changes wherever possible.

How quickly your score updates will depend on your lender and credit reference agency. Where Experian, Equifax, and ClearScore tend to make updates once a month, TransUnion usually takes four to six weeks.

Any significant financial activity can result in speedier updates, with negative markers (such as defaults or late payments) staying on your report anywhere from three to six years.

How Aqua Coach can help you keep track of your credit score

Aqua Coach is our free credit-building tool that helps to manage credit and helps you improve your credit score. It’s powered by TransUnion and offers personalised next steps based on where you are on your credit journey.

As well as tracking your score in real-time 24/7, you can also discover what’s driving improvements, set up payment reminders, and potentially find ways to cut the cost of interest using the in-app Repayment Calculator.

By using Aqua Coach to keep track of your credit score, you’ll could be in a stronger position to improve it. If you have an Aqua card, sign up in the Aqua app today.

There’s no quick fix to improving your credit score. It’s a gradual process built on consistency and sensible borrowing behaviour.

Should you continue to make repayments on time, pay down your debt, and maintain a low credit utilisation, you can expect to see changes in a few weeks, with significant changes taking longer.

By understanding how credit scores are calculated and key factors that influence a score, you’re in a stronger position to make the right financial decisions. To learn more, check out our credit score explainer.

Representative 39.9% APR (variable) on Aqua Classic.

FAQs

What constitutes a ‘good’ credit score?

What constitutes a good credit score will depend on the credit reference agency used to calculate your score. With Experian, for example, a good score is between 861 to 1,000 on a 0 to 1,250 scale. With other agencies, the scoring model will vary. By having a good credit score, you’re typically viewed as a lower risk for lending and more likely to be accepted for loans, credit cards, and other financial products.

Do all credit reference agencies show the same score?

No, all credit reference agencies will not show the same score. Not only due to varying scoring models, but because each agency holds different information about your financial activity.

What affects your credit score?

Your credit score is affected by a range of financial activities including payment history, credit mix, balance shifts, credit utilisation, and new credit inquiries. Being aware of each factor is a smart way to better understand how your score could be impacted.

How often should I check my credit score?

Getting into the habit of checking your credit score at least once a month is a proactive way to protect your overall credit health. It helps you spot errors early and track your progress. Despite the credit myths, looking at your own score counts is a soft check, which never affects your credit score.

Does checking your credit score affect it?

Checking your score yourself has no impact. Only hard credit checks can temporarily lower your score, and these usually occur when a lender reviews your credit during an application. Several hard checks in a short period can temporarily lower your credit score.

Why did my credit score decrease?

Your credit score may have decreased due to a missed or late payment, a series of new inquiries, increased credit utilisation, or possibly incorrect details on your credit report. It can also decrease or fluctuate due to changes in scoring models set by credit reference agencies.

How long do negative markers stay on your record?

Negative markers such as late payments, defaults, and county court judgements (CCJs) can stay on your credit report for up to six years. For that reason, it’s important to make payments on time and only borrow what you can comfortably afford to repay each month.

How can I improve my credit score if I have no credit history?

To improve your credit score with no credit history, you can get on the electoral roll, open a bank account, or secure a credit-builder product such as an Aqua credit card. You should also build a positive payment history by making payments on time and always stay well below your credit limit. Provided your account is managed sensibly, you can expect to see changes in your credit score within six months.

Failure to make payments on time or to stay within your credit limit means that you will pay additional charges and may make obtaining credit in the future more expensive and difficult.

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