What triggers credit score checks?

Lotta

I know that when you apply for credit cards, mortgage and loans a credit check is performed?

For which other activities can you expect a credit check?

I will soon be moving in to my new flat and will need to apply for a new credit card to get some months of 0% APR. I'm just worried I will not be able to get it since there will be many credit score checks for utilities.

Cheers
Lotta

YorkshireBoy

Utility companies will generally (always?) carry out 'ID verification' type searches.

These are classed as 'unrecorded enquiries' on your credit file.

Unrecorded enquiries are only visible to yourself and the credit reference agency, ie they are not seen by other lenders when searching your file for credit purposes.

YorkshireBoy

savingsara wrote: »

If I was to contact Experian for my own credit record would it show that I had opened an new account

You would see any (kind of) search carried out on yourself, regardless of whether it was a credit search (mortgage*, loan*, current account, or credit card) or ID enquiry. However, as stated above, only the 'credit' search would be seen by other lenders when searching your file.

Once a credit account has been set up (for a couple of months or so), you will see some 'history' being reported. This history is visible to other lenders when searching your file for credit purposes.

or bought a financial bond with a bank?

As above, this would (usually) be an ID type search only, and may not even be carried out if you already have a product/relationship with the provider.

* Sometimes it's possible to ask for a 'quotation' search which, whilst gathering information, leaves no footprint for others to see (as in the unrecorded enquiry example given earlier). Usually though, lenders will insist on carrying out a full credit search before finalising their offer to you.


To read more information, check out the Experian website 'download' area looking for the "Your credit report explained" pdf file.