Does Equifax Use FICO Or VantageScore?

Equifax gives you its own proprietary Equifax Credit Score, a 300‑850 number that shows up on your free Equifax consumer report. This score is separate from the FICO and VantageScore models that lenders may request using Equifax data; those models also range from 300 to 850 but are calculated with different algorithms. The Equifax score is designed for consumer‑facing products such as credit‑monitoring services, while lenders typically pull a FICO or VantageScore for underwriting decisions.

In the next section we'll break down exactly what lenders see on your Equifax report, and later we'll detail how the Equifax proprietary score is calculated.

Lenders look at the scoring model they request - typically a FICO or VantageScore - calculated on the data Equifax holds, and that three‑digit number (300‑850) appears on the Equifax report they receive. For example, a mortgage lender may pull a FICO 5‑1 score, while a credit‑card issuer might request VantageScore 3.0.

The 'Equifax score' shown on consumer‑facing portals is a proprietary Equifax number, also ranging 300‑850, but it is not the score lenders use; it's a monitoring tool that can be based on an older FICO version or a custom algorithm and may differ from the lender's pull despite identical underlying data (Equifax credit scoring models).

The Equifax score is Equifax's own consumer‑facing credit model; it is a numeric value, typically 300 - 850, that only you see on your free Equifax report and is separate from any FICO or VantageScore calculated on Equifax data for lenders. It reflects the same data (payment history, balances, inquiries) but uses Equifax's proprietary weighting and risk thresholds.

For example, a 720 Equifax score puts you in the 'good' range and may correspond to a 710 FICO score that a lender pulls, while a 650 Equifax score lands in the 'fair' tier and could appear as a 640 VantageScore on a loan application. If your Equifax report shows 590, you're in the 'poor' bracket and lenders will likely see a similarly low FICO number, even though the exact figure may differ.

Understanding this distinction helps when you compare the numbers discussed in what score lenders see on your Equifax report and before you dive into how Equifax calculates your score.

Equifax builds its consumer‑facing Equifax Score by applying a proprietary algorithm to the data in your credit file.

• Payment history - on‑time payments raise the score, while late payments, charge‑offs or collections lower it; the impact grows with the amount missed and how recent the delinquency is.
• Credit utilization - balances as a percentage of limits on revolving accounts affect the score; lower utilization (typically under 30 %) improves it, and recent spikes weigh more heavily.
• Length of credit history - the age of your oldest account, average age of all accounts, and time since the most recent opening are all considered; longer, stable histories boost the score.
• Types of credit - a mix that includes revolving, installment and mortgage accounts signals responsible borrowing and can increase the score, while reliance on a single credit type may limit gains.
• Recent inquiries and public records - hard inquiries, bankruptcies, tax liens, and civil judgments each subtract points, with newer items having a larger negative effect.

Both FICO scores and VantageScore models that lenders pull from Equifax share the identical 300‑850 numeric scale, so the ranges line up perfectly. The two models also use the same industry‑standard banding to describe credit quality.

• 300‑579 : Poor
• 580‑669 : Fair (sometimes called 'Average')
• 670‑739 : Good
• 740‑799 : Very Good
• 800‑850 : Exceptional

For a detailed breakdown see the FICO score range guide.

FICO scores and VantageScore are the two most common models lenders pull from your Equifax file, and both translate directly into the interest rate you receive. Lenders group scores into tiers - typically 760‑850, 720‑759, 680‑719, and so on - and assign a lower APR to each higher tier, because a higher number signals lower credit risk. As a result, moving from a 690 to a 720 can shave several percentage points off a mortgage or auto loan rate.

The two models cover the same 300‑850 range, but their internal calculations differ, so a 700 on a FICO chart may be treated as a 690 on a VantageScore chart. Mortgage lenders almost always rely on FICO, while many credit‑card issuers and some auto lenders prefer VantageScore. Some lenders also supplement these pulls with the Equifax proprietary score described earlier, especially when they have custom pricing formulas. Knowing which model your lender uses lets you target the right score improvements to secure the best rate.

You can view both a FICO Score and a VantageScore that are calculated on your Equifax credit file by using a few free or paid services.

1. Create an Equifax account - Register at Equifax consumer portal. After verification, purchase the 'FICO Score' or 'VantageScore' option; the site pulls the data directly from your Equifax file. Scores range from 300 to 850.
2. Use free credit‑monitoring apps - Sign up for Credit Karma or Credit Sesame. Both services display a VantageScore (300‑850) derived from your Equifax report at no cost.
3. Buy a FICO directly from myFICO - Go to myFICO.com, select a single‑score or multi‑score product, and choose the version that uses Equifax data (e.g., FICO 8 or 9). The site provides the official FICO number and the underlying credit file.
4. Ask a lender for the score they used - When you apply for a loan or credit card, request a copy of the 'credit‑score disclosure' the lender received. It will show the exact FICO or VantageScore tied to your Equifax file.
5. Check your credit‑card portal - Many issuers (e.g., Discover, Capital One) show the FICO Score they pulled from Equifax in the online account dashboard. Log in and look for the 'credit score' section.

These steps let you see the exact 300‑850 scores lenders reference, separate from the proprietary Equifax consumer score discussed earlier.

Your Equifax score can differ because the data, model, and timing behind each pull aren't always the same.

• The consumer‑facing Equifax score uses a proprietary model, while lenders often request a FICO score or VantageScore calculated on the same Equifax data; each model weighs factors differently.
• Recent activity (payments, new accounts, or inquiries) may have been added to the file after one score was generated, so a later pull reflects newer information.
• Credit‑file errors - mis‑posted balances, duplicate accounts, or outdated personal details - can skew one score while another pull uses corrected data.
• Thin‑file or new‑credit profiles trigger a special 'limited‑data' version of the Equifax score, which assigns different weights than a full‑file calculation.
• Certain categories, such as medical collections or paid‑off collections, receive lighter or heavier treatment in the proprietary score versus FICO/VantageScore, leading to score gaps.

Raise the lender‑visible score by improving the key drivers that FICO and VantageScore evaluate on your Equifax file.

• Pay down revolving balances; keep utilization below 30 % and ideally under 10 % (credit utilization and its impact).
• Make all payments on time; a single missed payment can drop the score several points.
• Limit hard inquiries; each new application adds a small, temporary dip.
• Keep the oldest credit accounts open; length of credit history accounts for about 15 % of the score.
• Add a mix of credit types (installment, revolving) if you have only one category; diversification modestly boosts the score.
• Dispute accurate errors on your Equifax file; correcting mis‑reported balances or statuses can raise the score quickly.

Address these factors consistently and the score lenders see - whether a FICO or VantageScore model built on Equifax data - will climb, improving loan‑rate eligibility.

Ignore a TransUnion Interactive entry only when the tag is harmless and the underlying account data is correct. If the note shows any inaccuracy, potential fraud, or an unreasonable impact on your score, escalate the case.

• Minor clerical errors - spelling mistake in a merchant name, outdated payment status, or a duplicate entry that does not change the balance; the score impact is usually negligible, so you can let it age off (typically 24‑30 months).
• Verified positive activity - a promotional offer or 'account opened' note that aligns with your records; keeping it does no harm and may even help future lenders see a complete history.
• Discrepancies in balances or dates - the tag shows a higher balance, missed payment date, or a collection that you never incurred; these can lower your score, so file a dispute.
• Potential fraud or identity theft - any Interactive label that references an unfamiliar creditor, a sudden large debt, or a status you never authorized; immediately contact TransUnion and the creditor.
• Repeated tagging on the same account - multiple Interactive notes over a short period suggest an ongoing reporting error; request a formal investigation and ask for removal of erroneous tags.
• Negative score impact - if you notice a dip in your credit score shortly after the Interactive entry appears, treat it as a red flag and dispute the entry.

When you choose to dispute, the next step is to gather the supporting documents outlined in the following section before you submit your case.

Equifax generates its proprietary consumer score for thin‑file or brand‑new profiles from the few tradelines that are present, applying the same 300‑850 scale it uses for all consumers.

When a file contains only a handful of accounts, the model leans on whatever information is available:

• payment history on each tradeline,
• balances relative to credit limits,
• age of the accounts, and
• any alternative data that the bureau has received (for example reported utility or telecom payments).

Because the algorithm's weighting is proprietary, the resulting score can be more volatile than scores built on long credit histories.

Lenders may still request a FICO or VantageScore pull on the same Equifax file; those models have separate formulas designed to handle thin files, so the lender‑seen score can differ from the Equifax consumer score discussed earlier.

For further reading, see Equifax's explanation of its credit‑score product.