As we’ve mentioned previously Citibank are offering free FICO scores, these scores should now be accessible to Citi cardholders. You’ll be able to access these free scores if you have a consumer Citi / AAdvantage credit card, there are two exclusions:
- Business credit card holders will not have access to this score
- Citi Prestige credit card holders will also not have access to this score
This score will be based on your Equifax credit report and is the same score that Citi uses in their credit card lending decisions/approval process. This is an industry specific score (bankcard enhanced 2008 model) and has a different range to the classic FICO score.
- Classic FICO score range: 300-850
- Bankcard enhanced FICO score range: 250-900
You’ll be able to access this free score by logging into your Citi account, it will be under the “Card Benefits” area. This score will only be available to the primary cardholder, any authorized users or secondary card holders will not have access to this benefit.
A few days ago an announcement was made by President Obama that a number of other credit card issuers would be offering free FICO scores as well. Here is the run down of who is doing what:
- American Express is currently running a pilot program before deciding whether or not they will offer this benefit to all cardholders. This pilot program is being based on your Experian credit report.
- Bank of America will be offering a free FICO score “sometime later this year”.
- Barclaycard offers a free FICO score to all of their cardholders. This is based on your TransUnion credit report and uses the classic 2008 model.
- Chase will be offering a free FICO score, but this will only be available to Chase Slate credit card holders. This is not currently available but will be available sometime in 2015.
- Discover offers a free FICO score to all cardholders, based on your TransUnion report and uses the 2008 classic model.
- First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) offers a free FICO score to all cardholders. This is based on your Experian credit report and uses an industry specific 2008 model (bankcard enhanced).
- PenFed offers a free NextGen FICO score to all cardholders based on their Equifax credit report.
- Merrick Bank offers a free FICO score to cardholders of their non-secured credit cards. They use the TransUnion bankcard enhanced 2008 scoring model.
- PSECU offer an Experian classic 2004 model FICO score to all of their cardholders, but these cards are by invitation only and you must live in Pennsylvania.
- State Employees Credit Union. Any active lending relationship will qualify you for a free FICO score, they use Equifax for data and the classic 2008 model.
- Walmart has two co-branded credit cards and they both offer a free FICO score. This uses the TransUnion credit report for data and the classic 2008 scoring model.
There are lots of other ways to get access to your FICO score for free, I’d recommend reading this post for a full list of different ideas and methods.
Doc, I have the Hhonors Citi Reserve card, and it has a place for it under “benefits” but it is not showing up for my card. Also, would you be able to tell me why credit karma and Barclay have such different transunion scores for me? Both were updated the same day. Do they use different models?
Credit Karma uses the Vantage Score v3 scoring model, where as Barclay uses TransUnion FICO classic 08 scores. I don’t think it will show up on the Hilton co branded cards unfortunately.
Equifax is changing the names of its models.
Specifically, the score Citi provides is the FICO Bankcard Score 8 by Equifax, formally known as BEACON Bankcard Industry 09 or BEACON 09.
See page 10 here:
http://www.equifax.com/technical_client_services/documents/Equifax_Fall_2014_Release_Guide.pdf
Yeah, I tend to just use the common names given to the scoring models. BEACON was just Equifax’s own branding, they are rebranding it to the normal Bankcard Score 8 because consumers are becoming more educated about the different scoring models.
I have a American airline platinum card, and I get access to the FICO score.
Is that the only Citi card you have? Citi originally said it wouldn’t be on those cards, interesting that it is.
Yes. That’s the only card I have and I just called the customer service and they confirmed that every citi card has such benefit.
Thanks for letting me know, updating the post. Looks like their press team gave me the wrong information, again. You think they would get these types of positive benefits right.
Anytime. Definitely, especially for those cards which they are heavily advertised.