How Often Do Credit Cards Update Free FICO Scores?

Your card's free FICO typically refreshes once a month, right after the issuer sends its latest report to the credit bureaus; most issuers report near the statement close date, so a new score appears within a few days of that date, although a few issuers (for example, Chase) may display the updated score daily once the bureau receives the data, while others only update when you log in.

Daily refreshes happen when the issuer's system recalculates your free FICO score every 24 hours using the most recent bureau data it has. Issuers that pull bureau files nightly - such as Capital One or Discover - can show score changes the day after a large purchase, a paid‑off balance, or a newly added authorized user, provided the underlying data was already reported. Expect quick, incremental movements, but remember the score can only shift based on information already on the credit bureaus' files.

Monthly refreshes occur when the issuer updates the score only after its regular reporting cycle, usually once per statement period. Most major banks - Chase, American Express, and many others - receive the bureau file once a month, recalc the FICO score, and then push the new number to your online portal. Consequently, you'll see your score jump after the statement close date and may wait several weeks before the next update. See the next section on how issuer reporting schedules affect timing for deeper insight.

Issuer reporting schedules act as the gatekeeper for when your FICO score can change. When a credit card issuer sends your latest balance, payments, and credit limit to the bureaus - usually once a month after the statement closes - the bureaus incorporate that data into the next score refresh, so a delay in reporting pushes the score update later.

Because each issuer follows its own calendar, the timing varies. Some banks push reports within a few days of the close date, others wait a week or more, and a few issue interim updates for large balance swings. Consequently, even if your card's internal dashboard shows a 'daily' refresh, the FICO score may not move until the issuer's data reaches the bureaus. Understanding this cycle will help you anticipate the lag before you dive into the next section on statement close dates and score timing.

The statement close date marks the end of your billing cycle; that is when the credit card issuer typically packages your activity and sends a report to the credit bureaus, triggering the next FICO score refresh.

If your cycle ends on the 12th, most issuers forward the report within 1  -  3 business days, so the bureaus receive it around the 13th or 14th. The FICO score usually recalculates within 24  -  48 hours of receipt, meaning you can expect a new score to appear by the 15th or 16th. Issuers that batch reports earlier in the month (e.g., on the 2nd business day) will produce an update sooner, while those that wait until the 5th business day will shift the refresh a few days later.

These timing patterns repeat each cycle, so watching your statement close date lets you anticipate when your free FICO score will change.

Your card's free FICO can differ from the scores you see on the three credit bureaus because the issuer's data feed, timing, and scoring model aren't always identical to the bureau's latest snapshot.

• Issuers usually send updates once a month, often after the statement close; bureau scores may reflect additional activities (new accounts, inquiries) that haven't been reported yet.
• Some cards use a 'FICO Score 2' or 'FICO Score 8' version tailored for lenders, while the bureaus display the generic FICO version most consumers see.
• The free score may be based on a 'pre‑refresh' cache that updates only when the issuer's system runs its nightly batch, causing a lag of several days.
• Dispute resolutions, fraud alerts, or authorized‑user changes can pause the issuer's feed but still appear in bureau calculations once resolved.
• Promotional or 'educational' scores sometimes omit hard‑pull data, leading to a higher number than the bureau's comprehensive score.

(See 'how issuer reporting schedules affect your score timing' for timing details, and 'find when your issuer last reported to bureaus' for checking your specific feed.)

Your issuer's most recent reporting date shows up on your monthly statement and in the online account activity page.

1. Open your latest statement; look for a line labeled 'Reporting Date' or 'Date Reported to Bureaus.' This date is typically the day the issuer sent balances to the three credit bureaus.
2. Log into the issuer's website or mobile app; the transaction history often includes a note such as 'Reported to Experian on MM/DD.' The exact wording may vary by issuer.
3. Download your free annual credit report from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guide to credit reports. In the account details, the 'Date reported' field confirms the last submission.
4. Call the issuer's customer service line and ask, 'What was the last date you reported my account to the credit bureaus?' Write down the response for reference.
5. Some credit‑monitoring services (e.g., Credit Karma) display a timestamp like 'Last updated MM/DD' for each linked card; use it as a quick cross‑check.

These steps let you pinpoint when the issuer last refreshed your data, which in turn explains any lag you notice in your free FICO score update.

Chase updates its free FICO score daily, American Express typically refreshes weekly, Discover and Capital One both update weekly (with occasional daily refreshes for newer accounts).

• Chase: posts a new FICO score every day after the issuer's nightly data feed reaches the credit bureaus (may be delayed one business day during holidays).
• American Express: runs a weekly refresh, usually on Wednesdays; some newer cardmembers see daily updates after the first three months.
• Discover: refreshes the score once a week, most often on Tuesdays; new accounts may receive a daily snapshot for the first 30 days.
• Capital One: updates the FICO score weekly, generally on Thursdays; customers with a Capital One Credit Wise profile can see a daily refresh after the initial onboarding period.

Accelerate your FICO refresh by acting on the factors you control, not just waiting for the issuer's reporting calendar.

• Pay before the statement closing date.
  Most issuers post balances to the bureaus after the cycle ends; settling the bill early reduces the reported balance and triggers a quicker score recalculation.
• Request an interim update via the issuer's app or website.
  Some banks, like Capital One and Chase, let you tap 'Refresh Score' after a major account change; this forces a real‑time pull from the bureau.
• Add or remove an authorized user strategically.
  Adding a user with a strong credit history can boost the score the next time the issuer reports, while removing a high‑risk user can eliminate negative weight faster.
• Correct errors promptly.
  Dispute inaccurate balances or late‑payment marks through the issuer's dispute portal; once the bureau resolves the issue, the score typically refreshes within a few days.
• Opt into 'instant reporting' if available.
  A few issuers (e.g., American Express) offer a premium feature that pushes updates to the bureaus within 24 hours after a transaction or payment.

These actions let you influence the timing of your score's next calculation, setting the stage for the next section on how freezes, disputes, or authorized‑user changes can stall updates.

Freezes, active disputes, and adding or removing authorized users can temporarily halt the FICO score refresh because they interrupt the data that credit card issuers send to the bureaus.

When a freeze is on your file, bureaus still receive monthly reports from the issuer, but they cannot share that information with lenders or score‑viewing platforms, so the score you see may stay unchanged until the freeze lifts.

If a dispute is open, the contested line remains 'under review' and the bureaus hold the old balance or status in the scoring model; the score updates only after the dispute resolves and the corrected data posts. Adding an authorized user does not affect the primary account's balance until the next statement‑close cycle, so the score may not reflect the new user until that reporting window passes.

These delays are separate from the regular issuer reporting schedule covered earlier, and they pause the timing you expect from daily or monthly refreshes. Once the freeze is removed, the dispute settled, or the next reporting date arrives, the FICO score will update automatically - no extra action required.

The next section explains how soft and hard pulls interact with these stalled updates, helping you avoid unintended score changes while your data settles.

Soft pulls don't change your FICO score, while hard pulls can cause a small, temporary dip that may push the next automatic update a day or two later.

• A soft inquiry (e.g., checking your own score or a pre‑approval) records no risk, so issuers treat it as invisible to the scoring model; the next refresh occurs on the regular reporting schedule.
• A hard inquiry (e.g., a new credit‑card application) signals new debt risk; most models subtract a few points for 12‑14 months, and issuers may wait until the next monthly batch to recalculate, effectively delaying the score update.
• Multiple hard pulls within a short window can compound the delay, especially if the issuer's reporting cycle is already near its end‑of‑month cutoff.

Because soft pulls never affect the calculation, they won't stall your refresh; hard pulls only cause a brief lag, after which the score settles back to the pattern described in 'how issuer reporting schedules affect your score timing.'