What FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) Score Do Lenders Use?

Lenders check the FICO version that matches the model built into their underwriting platform; the majority of credit‑card issuers use the current standard (FICO 8), most mortgage lenders rely on the legacy FICO 2, 4, or 5 scores, and an increasing number of auto‑ and personal‑loan lenders have moved to FICO 9 or 10.

• Credit cards, most personal loans: usually FICO 8 (some newer fintechs may use FICO 9/10)
• Mortgage applications: typically FICO 2, 4, or 5 (the 'classic' models)
• Auto loans: traditionally FICO 4 or 5, with some lenders now preferring FICO 9/10
• Student loans (private): often FICO 8, but a few use FICO 9
• Small‑business loans: many banks still run FICO 8, while alternative lenders may adopt FICO 9 or 10

Most lenders still pull the older, widely‑accepted models - not FICO 9 or FICO 10. The majority of credit‑card issuers, banks, and mortgage lenders default to FICO 5, 8, or the legacy versions (FICO 2/4/5 for mortgages). FICO 9 and the newer FICO 10 have only entered limited use because many underwriting systems haven't been updated and because the credit‑reporting bureaus still deliver the older scores by default.

A handful of forward‑looking lenders - especially some auto‑finance companies, fintech platforms, and premium credit‑card programs - have begun requesting FICO 9 or the optional 'FICO 10 T' (the version used for trended data). Even there, the request is often optional; the lender will fall back to the older score if the newer one isn't available. For a detailed look at which institutions have adopted the newer models, see FICO's official adoption guide.

• Most lenders use the bureau score they pull for the credit check.
• Mortgage lenders typically take Equifax for FICO 2, Experian for FICO 4, and TransUnion for FICO 5.
• Auto and personal‑loan lenders often pick the bureau that returns the highest score.
• Some lenders run all three bureau reports and then apply a 'best‑of‑three' rule, choosing the highest number.
• When a lender specifies a particular bureau in the application, that bureau's score decides the outcome.

Lenders pick one of the three bureau scores - Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion - by applying a preset rule.

Most often they follow one of these approaches:

• Pre‑selected bureau - The lender's policy names a single bureau (e.g., 'we use Experian for all mortgages'). This is common for conventional mortgages and many auto loans.
• Highest score - The lender automatically selects the highest of the three numbers. Credit‑card issuers and some personal‑loan platforms use this to qualify more borrowers.
• Median or average - The lender calculates the middle value or a simple average. A few student‑loan servicers employ this method to smooth out outliers.
• Lowest score - Rare, but subprime lenders may choose the lowest score to tighten risk controls.

Internally, many underwriting systems run all three scores, then apply the rule above without manual intervention. As we noted earlier, the specific bureau a lender prefers can vary by loan type, and the next section breaks down the five rules lenders use to decide which FICO version they pull. For a full list of official FICO models, see FICO's official list of credit score models.

Lenders choose a single FICO score by following a handful of consistent rules.

• Loan‑type model rule - Most lenders match the credit product to a specific FICO version: mortgages (FICO 2, 4, 5), auto loans (FICO 5 or 8), credit‑card accounts (FICO 8 or 9), and small‑business loans (FICO 9 or 10).
• Bureau‑selection policy - Lenders decide which bureau's score to use based on their internal risk appetite: many take the highest score, some the lowest, and a sizable share use the middle score of the three bureaus.
• Recency requirement - The score must be generated within the last 30 days (often 45 days); older scores are rejected as stale data.
• Government‑backed program rule - If a mortgage is sold to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the VA, the lender is forced to use the FICO model those agencies accept (currently FICO 2, 4, or 5). Fannie Mae underwriting guidelines spell this out.
• Industry‑specific score rule - Some lenders rely on specialized models, such as the FICO Auto Score 5 for car financing or the FICO Bankcard Score 8 for credit‑card approvals, instead of the generic 8‑10 versions.

FICO 2, 4 and 5 are the standard models for most mortgage applications; lenders pull the version that matches each major bureau (Equifax = 2, Experian = 4, TransUnion = 5). Auto‑loan underwriting typically uses FICO 4, FICO 5, or the newer FICO 8 depending on the dealer's financing partner. Credit‑card issuers almost always rely on FICO 8, FICO 9 or the latest FICO 10 (or 10T) because those models weigh recent revolving‑balance behavior more heavily.

Personal‑loan lenders most commonly apply FICO 8 or FICO 9, while private student‑loan financiers have moved toward FICO 9 and FICO 10; federal loans still use an income‑based eligibility system rather than a credit score.

Because each loan type favors a different version, the score you see on a credit report can change dramatically from a mortgage pull to a credit‑card pull. This is why the next section explains how industry‑specific FICO scores further tailor the assessment to the product you're seeking.

Lenders switch from the generic FICO 8 or 9 to an industry‑specific model when the loan purpose has its own scoring algorithm, so the credit decision reflects risk factors unique to that product.

Typical examples: auto dealers and finance companies pull the FICO Auto Score 5 (or 8/9) from Experian because it weighs recent auto loan history and vehicle‑related inquiries; credit‑card issuers use the FICO Bankcard Score 8, which emphasizes revolving‑balance behavior and recent payment patterns; mortgage banks rely on the FICO Mortgage Score 2, 4, or 5, which discounts recent credit‑card debt and focuses on long‑term payment history. Some insurers also use the FICO Insurance Score 8 to predict claim probability.

Each model pulls the same three bureau files, but the formula changes, so the number you see on a credit report can differ dramatically depending on which industry‑specific score the lender requests. For deeper insight, see FICO's official score guide.

Soft‑prequal checks use a soft‑pull version of the same FICO model the lender will rely on for underwriting; for example, a mortgage pre‑qualification will display a FICO 5 (or 2/4) soft score from the bureau the lender normally selects, and an auto pre‑qual will show a FICO 8 soft score. The score is read‑only, does not dent your credit file, and mirrors the version the lender would see in a hard pull.

A hard pull generates a full, hard‑pull FICO score of that model - exactly the number the lender will use to make a decision. The version (FICO 5, 8, 9, 10, etc.) depends on the loan type, not on the inquiry type, and the score comes from the bureau the lender chooses, as explained in the earlier 'which bureau score will lenders use' section.

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• Recent payment patterns, especially missed or late payments, signal risk beyond the raw score.
• Debt‑to‑income ratio shows how much of your monthly income is already pledged to credit obligations.
• Credit utilization across all revolving accounts indicates current borrowing pressure.
• recent hard inquiries and the age of your oldest account reveal credit activity and stability.
• Public records, collections, and bankruptcies are flagged even if they haven't yet pulled the score down.

The only reliable way to know which FICO score a lender used is to look at the documentation the lender provides and, if needed, ask them directly.

1. Request the credit‑score disclosure - When you submit an application, the lender must give you a copy of the score they pulled, including the version (e.g., FICO 5, 8, 9) and the bureau (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion).
2. Review the loan estimate or underwriting packet - These PDFs often list 'Credit score model' in the 'Credit' section.
3. Check the credit‑report copy the lender sent - The report header usually reads 'FICO® Score 8 (Equifax)' or similar.
4. Compare with your own credit‑monitoring portal - If your portal shows multiple scores, match the numeric value to the one in the lender's disclosure; the matching version reveals what they used.
5. Ask the lender's underwriting or loan officer - A quick email or phone call asking 'Which FICO version and bureau did you use for my application?' gets a definitive answer.

If the lender's paperwork doesn't specify the model, treat it as an 'unknown' and request clarification before proceeding.

If a lender pulls a low bureau score, request which bureau and FICO version were used and ask whether they will also look at a higher score from another bureau, as discussed in the 'which bureau score will lenders use' section.

Pull all three credit reports, compare the numbers, and dispute any errors using the proper channels (how to dispute credit report errors); meanwhile, provide recent statements that explain a temporary dip such as a large medical bill and outline a plan to reduce balances.

If the lender insists on the low score, consider adding a co‑borrower with a stronger report, or wait until utilization falls below 30 % and payment history solidifies before reapplying, because co‑borrowers or cosigners can change the FICO model the lender uses.

When a loan includes a co‑borrower or a cosigner, the lender pulls a separate FICO score for each person, then applies its usual selection rule - most often the lower of the two scores in the version required for that loan type (mortgages typically use FICO 2, 4 or 5; auto loans often use FICO 8; credit‑card and personal loans may rely on FICO 9 or 10). The lender also picks which bureau's version to use for each pull, usually the one that yields the lowest combined number because overall risk is judged by the weaker applicant.

Consequently, the 'effective' FICO score the lender works with switches from the primary borrower's single number to the lowest score among all parties, and the same FICO model (not a different version) is applied to both pulls.