Tips for teens

Your credit score can only start once you’re 18.

Credit reference agencies (CRAs) work out your score, but they can only do that once you have enough credit history.

Your credit history begins when you get something in your own name, such as:

• a mobile phone contract
• a credit card
• a utility bill (gas, water or electricity)
• a bank account with an overdraft

If you turn 18, get a phone contract, and still don’t have a score at first - that’s normal. Your score will appear once there’s enough information about how you manage your money.

If CRAs don’t have enough information to calculate a score, it’s called having a “thin file”.

You can't start building your credit score until you turn 18, but you can do things now that will make it easier to build a good one later.

Here’s what you can do before 18:

• Join the electoral roll - you can register up to 2 years before you reach voting age in the UK. Being on the electoral roll helps lenders confirm your identity when you’re older.
• Build good money habits - budgeting, saving regularly, and staying in control of your money will help make managing credit easier later on.
• Keep your details up to date - make sure your bank has your correct name, address, and contact details.

These steps won’t create a score yet, but they give you a strong head start for when your credit history begins.