Boost: Your questions answered

First, connect your main current account to your Experian account through Open Banking. It's completely safe and secure. Read more about how Open Banking works.

Boost checks your information and shows you how it will affect your score. It could go up, down, or stay the same.

• It then gives you insights into what's affecting your score and why.
• Boost may also improve your eligibility for offers because it gives lenders a better picture of how you manage your finances.
• You can remove Boost at any time. You're always in control of the information you share.

We want to give everyone more ways to improve their score. With Boost you can do this by sharing information from your bank accounts that credit scores usually ignore, including bills, rent and everyday spending.

Boost now also explains what's helping your score and what's holding it back – so you know what action to take.

Boost still allows you to instantly improve your score for free, just by connecting your current account.

What's new:

• You get more ways to improve your score with more of your everyday spending taken into account.
• Your score could now go up, down or stay the same.
• Boost will show you the impact it will have on your score.
• It now shows you what's helping your score, what's holding it back, and what action to take.
• More Boost offers than ever before – you could save money by unlocking better rates.
• If we find regular, on-time rent payments in the accounts you've connected, this adds points through Boost.
• Rent will also show in your Experian Credit Report, for as long as you're connected.

• You could instantly improve your score by up to 116 points.
• Boost now helps you understand what's affecting your score and how you can improve it.
• You get a sneak peek at how your money habits look to lenders, so you know what matters before you apply.
• Boost can help you get better offers.

Yes. Experian Boost is free.

No. Your score could go up, down, or stay the same. Boost will always show the impact it will have on your score, and you can disconnect it at any time.

Even if your score doesn't increase, you'll still benefit with Boost. You'll get extra insights into how lenders may see you, we'll tell you how you can improve your score and you'll get offers that are better matched to you.

If the account you connect shows patterns of spending that look less positive, Boost could lower your score. Boost will always show how it changes your score, and you can remove it anytime.

If your score goes down, though, Boost is particularly useful because it shows you why that's happened and how you can fix any issues that may put lenders off.

Before, Boost looked for a small number of positive signs, so it could only increase your score.

The new Boost looks at a broader range of information from the current account you connect. This allows us to give you more insights into ways to improve your score, but it also means your score could go down.

Boost will always show you the impact it will have on your score. It will also now show you how to fix any issues that may put lenders off. Remember you can disconnect your current account from Boost at any time – you're in control.

Connecting to Boost is really useful, even if it makes your score go down. Why? Because it shows how lenders may look at your everyday spending. And if Boost finds anything that may put lenders off, it will tell you how to fix it. So staying connected to Boost can help by warning you of things that could lower your chances of getting credit.

If your score goes down, it doesn't mean it was inaccurate before you connected Boost. It just reflects the additional information you chose to share. Remember you can disconnect Boost at any time.

Boost will always show you the impact it will have on your score. And if you connect to Boost, you're in control. You can remove it at any time.

Boost rewards good money management. It looks at the money coming in and out of your current account including income, rent, council tax, everyday spending, and regular payments including bills and subscriptions for services like Netflix or Spotify.

We'll give you insights into what's affecting your Boost result, so you know what's helping and what could be holding it back.

Yes – if we find regular rent payments in the account you connect to Boost, those payments can add to your score.

Soon after, your rent payments will show on your Experian Credit Report, too, and they'll count for as long as you're connected.

We might not be able to pick up your rent to start with, but soon we'll introduce a way for you to flag up your rent in your transactions so we know to report it.

If you're connecting the account that you're paying your rent from, we will let you know after connecting to Boost if we've found rent payments. Boost will then add your rent payments to your Experian Credit Report, for as long as you're connected.

We might not be able to pick up your rent to start with. If that's the case, we will soon be introducing a way for you to manually pick your rent from your transactions for it to start being reported.

We can't share the exact calculation as it's quite technical and will be different for each person.

But we'll show the main factors affecting your Boost result, including what's helping, what could be holding it back and what to focus on next.

Boost refreshes at the same time as your credit report does, in line with the type of Experian account you have. So, if you have a free account, it's every 30 days, if you log in.

Yes. Boost uses regulated Open Banking to connect your account. We don't store your bank login details and we can only read your information. You can withdraw your permission and disconnect your account at any time.

You can connect eligible UK current accounts through Open Banking. We'll tell you if the account you connect doesn't give us enough information to calculate your Boost result – it might be because you've not shared the account your income goes into. You can add more than one account. At the moment you can't add credit card accounts or savings accounts but we'll let you know if this changes.

Connecting your bank account usually takes a few minutes.

No. You can use Boost with a free Experian account, so you'll get the same insights into what's impacting your credit score.

Sometimes we can't calculate your Boost result, for example if your account is new or doesn't show enough information. It might be that you just need to add the account that your income goes into.

You can connect another account or try again later when there is more history.

We'll invite you to move to the updated Boost. You'll need to reconnect your current account and accept updated permissions. We'll then show you how the new Boost changes your score and the main factors behind it.

No, because the previous version of Boost is being replaced. You might be able to keep it for a little while during the transition. But when we've moved to the new Boost, you won't be able to get the old version.

If you've used the previous version of Boost, you'll need to reconnect your current account to switch to the new one. We'll make it clear what steps you need to take.

Your current connection will continue until it's time to renew it. We'll then ask you to move to the updated Boost.

You can also move to the new Boost before your current Boost connection expires. If you do not renew, reconnect or accept the permissions needed, your connection to Boost will end. We'll let you know before this happens.

Yes. We need your permission every 90 days to keep your current account connected to Boost. When it's time to renew your connection, we'll ask you if you want to connect to the new Boost.

If you choose not to connect, Boost will no longer apply to your account or affect your score. But you won't lose Boost without being asked first.

Yes. You can remove Boost at any time, through the Experian app or website.

If you remove Boost, its effect will no longer be included in your score, so your score could change. Your Boost data will be removed and will no longer be shared with lenders when you search or apply for credit. You can reconnect to Boost at any time.

Yes. Lenders who use Boost will base their offers on the information you've shared in the accounts you've connected. This means you could get better deals that are more accurately matched to your finances, whether your score goes up, down or stays the same with Boost.

If you use the new Boost, lenders may consider the extra information you've agreed to share – such as your history of making regular payments for bills including your Council Tax or subscriptions like Netflix and Spotify. They might use this alongside your credit history and other information.

Not all lenders use Boost, and each lender chooses what information to use when they assess you.

Not all lenders use Boost. Lenders that do, may use the current account information you've agreed to share alongside other information to help them decide whether to offer you credit.

When you apply for credit, lenders often look at your credit report, your application, and information they already hold about you.

Lenders that use Boost may also consider the current account information you've agreed to share. Each lender uses its own criteria when making a decision. Not all lenders use Boost.

Lenders that do, may use the current account information you've agreed to share alongside other information when deciding whether to offer you credit.

Lenders that use Boost can see your latest Boost information when they check your credit history.

This could happen when you search or apply for credit or when a lender reviews an existing account. Each lender uses its own criteria when deciding whether to lend to someone.

When you apply for credit, lenders often look at your credit report, your application, and information they already hold about you.

Lenders that use Boost may also consider the current account information you've agreed to share. Each lender uses its own criteria to make decisions.

Lenders that use Boost can check the latest information you've shared through Boost, alongside your credit history and the other information. This could help you get better offers when you search or apply for credit or when a lender reviews an existing account. Each lender has their own criteria to help them decide whether to lend to someone.

With Boost you'll also get insights into what's affecting your score, so you can make changes to your spending habits and make yourself even more appealing to lenders.

Yes, it could. Lenders that use Boost may consider the extra information you've shared, alongside your credit history and other information. This could help you get better offers that are more accurately matched to your finances.