Credit Score
Also known as: CIBIL score, credit rating, bureau score
A credit score is a three-digit rating, usually between 300 and 900 in India, that summarises how reliably you have repaid borrowed money.
Credit scores in India are issued by bureaus including TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, and CRIF High Mark. Each builds a score from the credit information report lenders file about you: loans and credit cards held, balances, and the payment history on each. Scores above roughly 750 are generally treated as strong, and below about 650 as difficult.
Repayment history carries the most weight. A single payment more than 30 days late can be reported and stays on the record for years. Credit utilisation — the share of your card limit you are using — matters next; consistently running near the limit signals stress even when you pay in full. Beyond that, the age of your accounts, the mix of secured and unsecured credit, and the frequency of new applications all contribute.
The score is not just a yes or no. Lenders increasingly price loans off it, so a stronger score can mean a lower interest rate on a home or personal loan. Over a long tenure, a fraction of a percentage point translates into a substantial sum.
Checking your own score is a soft enquiry and does not affect it. Applying for credit creates a hard enquiry, and several applications in quick succession can dent the score — which is why rate-shopping across many lenders at once is worth doing deliberately rather than casually.