Most US lenders lean on FICO scores (multiple versions) and sometimes VantageScore. Exact formulas are proprietary, but FICO has long published approximate factor weights for its classic model.
The five classic FICO factors
| Factor | Approx. weight | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Payment history | 35% | On-time vs late, collections, public records |
| Amounts owed | 30% | Utilization on revolving accounts, balances |
| Length of history | 15% | Age of oldest and average accounts |
| New credit | 10% | Recent inquiries and newly opened accounts |
| Credit mix | 10% | Variety across cards, installment loans, etc. |
Different FICO versions and industry scores (auto, bankcard, mortgage) can rank the same person differently. That is normal.
What usually moves a score fastest
- Pay on time, every time. One 30-day late can hurt more than years of perfect rewards optimization.
- Lower revolving utilization. Paying cards down before the statement closing date reduces reported balances.
- Avoid panic applications. Each hard inquiry is small alone; a cluster looks like risk.
- Do not close your only old card without a reason. Average age matters.
What does not “game” the model cleanly
- Carrying a small balance on purpose does not beat paying in full for score purposes in any way that justifies interest.
- Endless new store cards for 10% off can cost more in inquiries and age dilution than the discount is worth.
- Unauthorized third-party “repair” promises that dispute accurate negative items are a red flag.
Score ranges we use on Vistarates
On the homepage selector we group roughly as:
- Excellent: 750+
- Good: 700-749
- Fair: 630-699
- Rebuilding: under 630
Issuers set their own cutoffs. Our tiers are a UX matching tool so you see cards with realistic approval paths (including prequalify CTAs for fair and rebuilding).
Build and rebuild paths
If you are starting thin or recovering, read secured vs unsecured cards and prefer products that report to all three bureaus. On-time payments over months matter more than any single “best card” list.