What Bills Qualify for Experian Boost?

You can add any recurring monthly bill that Experian can verify through your linked bank or card.

• Utility payments (electric, gas, water, sewer, trash)
• Phone bills (cellular or landline)
• Internet service fees
• Cable or satellite TV subscriptions
• Streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Disney+)

Adding utilities, phone, and streaming services is one of the easiest ways to boost your Experian Boost score. Any recurring monthly payment that appears as a debit or credit‑card transaction can be added, provided the provider is in Boost's partner list.

1. Open the Experian Boost app and link the bank account or credit card you use for these bills.
2. Tap Add Bills and scroll to the Utilities & Services section.
3. Select each provider (e.g., electric, gas, water, internet, cable, cell‑phone, Netflix, Disney+, Spotify).
4. Confirm the monthly amount and the date of the most recent payment. Boost will pull up to 12 months of historic transactions.
5. Save the selection; your credit score updates within 24 hours.

If a provider does not appear, it is typically not partnered with Boost yet - check the which bills you can add to Experian Boost section for a full list. Later you can add rent payments using the same process described in the next section.

You can add rent payments as soon as you link a checking, savings, or credit‑card account to Experian Boost and the rent is paid electronically - through direct debit, a credit/debit card, or an approved rent‑payment service such as RentTrack or PayYourRent. The transaction must show up in your linked account as a recurring 'rent' charge to qualify as an eligible bill.

Boost scans the past 30 days of linked‑account activity, adds any qualifying rent entries, and typically updates your score within 24‑48 hours. One‑time or cash‑only rents won't be captured, so keep the electronic, recurring payment method active. For more details, see the Experian Boost rent payments guide.

You cannot add the following types of bills to Experian Boost.

• Credit‑card balances, personal loans, auto loans, mortgages, and student loans (they are already reported as installment or revolving debt).
• Business expenses, merchant invoices, or corporate utility accounts (they are tied to a business EIN, not a personal SSN).
• Tax payments, insurance premiums, and government fees (these are not regular utility‑type payments).
• One‑time or irregular charges such as medical bills, legal fees, or occasional subscription purchases (Experian Boost only accepts recurring, monthly payments).
• Payments made through cash, money orders, or third‑party apps that do not link to a verified bank or credit‑card account (the platform needs electronic proof of the transaction).

Check your bank or credit‑card statements to confirm that each eligible bill recorded by Experian Boost matches a real payment.

1. Log into your online banking or credit‑card portal and download the most recent statement covering the last 30 days.
2. Locate the transaction line that corresponds to the bill you added (e.g., 'Comcast', 'Spotify', 'Rent via PayYourRent').
3. Verify the amount and date match the payment you made; Experian Boost pulls the exact amount posted on the statement.
4. Ensure the merchant name on the statement aligns with the bill type you categorized in the Boost app; mismatched names (e.g., 'ABC Services' instead of 'UtilityCo') can cause a failed boost.
5. If a transaction is missing or shows a different amount, wait a day for the posting to complete, then re‑run the Boost scan or contact the service provider for clarification.

After confirming the payments, you can move on to mixing bill types for a larger score lift (Experian Boost official guide).

Pick the combination of eligible bills that gives you the highest, most consistent monthly inflow of positive payment data.

• High‑value recurring bills - utilities, phone or internet plans that cost $50 + each month add the biggest point lift because Experian Boost weights larger amounts.
• Monthly rent - if you pay through a Boost‑partner service, rent often dwarfs utility amounts; add it first when possible.
• Streaming subscriptions - low‑cost services (e.g., $10‑$15) still count; include them to broaden your payment mix and keep the data stream steady.
• Multiple providers - using separate accounts for electricity, water, and gas spreads the reporting dates, so Experian receives payment updates on several days of the month, reducing the chance of a single missed report.
• Consistent on‑time history - only payments that clear in the same month they're charged boost your score; set up automatic debit to avoid gaps.
• Avoid overlapping bills - don't add duplicate services (two internet plans) because they waste reporting slots without adding score value.

A balanced mix of a few high‑value bills and several smaller, reliable subscriptions maximizes the boost while keeping your payment calendar simple. Next, see how those added payments translate into actual score changes in the 'when your added bills affect your credit score' section. Learn more about Experian Boost eligibility.

Added bills affect your credit score by usually raising it when Experian Boost records on‑time payments, but a late or high‑balance payment can cause a dip. The change appears as soon as Boost updates the file, often within minutes and definitely within a few days.

The boost works because Experian treats the verified utility, phone or streaming payments as a new revolving account. If the payment history is clean, the extra positive line reduces your overall risk profile and nudges the score upward. Conversely, if the added bill shows a missed payment or a balance that exceeds typical usage, the algorithm may view it as increased debt and lower the score temporarily.

• Example: Adding a $45 monthly cable bill that's always paid on time can add 3 - 7 points after the first verification.
• Example: Adding a $120 electricity bill that was once 30 days late may drop the score 2 - 4 points before the late mark ages out.
• Example: Adding a $15 streaming subscription usually yields a modest gain, while a missed $80 phone bill can produce a small loss.

These dynamics explain why the next section discusses why business and merchant bills usually don't qualify for Boost.

Business and merchant bills usually don't qualify for Experian Boost because the service only pulls personal consumer payments tied to your Social Security Number; business accounts use an EIN and are reported to commercial credit files, not the consumer file Boost accesses. Additionally, merchant invoices often lack a regular monthly schedule and are paid from business checking accounts, which Boost cannot verify.

If the same expense is charged to a personal credit or debit card linked to your SSN, Boost can capture it as an eligible payment - some merchants offer a 'personal billing' option that meets the criteria. These cases are exceptions; the majority of business‑only arrangements remain ineligible, as we'll explore when handling joint accounts and authorized‑user payments next. For more detail, see the Experian Boost eligible payments guide.

Experian Boost counts payments that leave the bank account you link, even if the account is a joint account; any bill paid from that account is treated as your own eligible bill. Authorized user cards only contribute when the underlying primary credit‑card statement shows the transaction, because Boost does not recognize a separate authorized‑user line.

Link the exact joint account in Boost's settings and confirm the statement lists your name or 'Joint' so the system can match it. If you are merely an authorized user, you cannot add those payments yourself; have the primary holder link the account or pay the bill from a personal account you control. This avoids the missing‑payment issues discussed next.

If a payment you added to Experian Boost isn't appearing, first confirm the transaction is listed in the linked bank or card statement and qualifies as an eligible bill.

Next, open the Boost dashboard, tap 'Refresh' and wait up to 48 hours for the update; if the payment still doesn't show, disconnect and reconnect the account, then re‑add the bill ensuring the date falls within the past 90 days and the amount matches the statement.

If those steps fail, reach out to Experian Boost support with a screenshot of the statement and the Boost screen; they can troubleshoot connection issues or suggest an alternative payment method.