How much does payment history affect your credit score?
Payment history shows how you've paid your accounts over the length of your credit. This evidence of repayment is the primary reason why payment history makes up 35% of your score and is a major factor in its calculation.
FICO Scores are calculated using many different pieces of credit data in your credit report. This data is grouped into five categories: payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%) and credit mix (10%).
There is a very slim margin allowing for late payments before your credit score starts to suffer: 100% – Great. 99% – Good.
by Charles Wallace
Some of the factors—like the length of your credit history and how long your credit cards have been open—are pretty straightforward. But one of the least understood factors—credit utilization ratio—is also one of the most important: it accounts for 30 percent of your score.
This may seem obvious, but the key to a solid payment history is paying your bills on time, every month, without fail. Late payments in your past can't be taken back, but their effect will diminish with time, so if you move ahead without new missteps, your credit scores and standing will tend to improve.
Payment history is the record of all your past payments and whether they were paid on-time or late. Payment history can also include missing payments if no payment was ever made.
It's possible to have an excellent score with 99% on-time payment history; and it's possible to have a fair credit score with a 99% on-time payment history. Check to make sure your credit report is accurate. Sometimes you can get the late payments removed if you request it.
Payment History – High Impact
The margin for error on payment history is really low: 100% is excellent, 99% is good, and 97% is poor. This means it can take some time to recover from just a few missed payments. For example, if you made 100 payments and just 3 of them were late, you've got a poor score of 97%.
That's why payment history is so crucial to your credit scores and why payments made more than 30 days late can have such a negative impact on your credit health. Your FICO® and VantageScore® are two common credit scores lenders can use when looking to assess your financial track record.
If you act quickly by paying within 30 days of the original due date, a late payment will generally not be recorded on your credit reports. After 30 days, you can only remove falsely reported late payments. It's a good idea to regularly check your credit scores and reports.
Can you get a 700 credit score with late payments?
It may also characterize a longer credit history with a few mistakes along the way, such as occasional late or missed payments, or a tendency toward relatively high credit usage rates. Late payments (past due 30 days) appear in the credit reports of 33% of people with FICO® Scores of 700.
Payment history — whether you pay on time or late — is the most important factor of your credit score making up a whopping 35% of your score. That's more than any one of the other four main factors, which range from 10% to 30%.
Anything less than two years is considered a short credit history. Once you have established between two and four years of credit, lenders will better understand how well you manage your credit accounts. A credit age of five years will raise your score as long as you've been managing your accounts well.
Amounts Owed: 30%
This second-most important component looks at the following factors: How much of your total available credit have you used? If you have a higher credit utilization ratio, lenders will be less likely to believe you can manage more debt.
The longer you've been using credit, the more it means to your credit score. Members of the 800 Club average just under 22 years of using credit. Even the youngest ones, Millennials, average more than 14 years.
Event | Average credit score recovery time |
---|---|
Missed or defaulted payment | 18 months |
High credit utilization | 3 months |
Hard credit inquiry | 3 months |
Late mortgage payment (30-90 days) | 9 months |
Whatever your reason for wondering how long it takes to get a credit score, you can generally expect it to take about six months – and usually longer to get into the good-to-exceptional credit score range.
Creditors typically report updated information monthly, so it is possible to improve your score by 100 points in 30 days. It will likely take several months for your score to realize its full potential, though. You can use WalletHub's free credit score simulator to learn how different actions can affect your credit.
Your Payment History
More than anything else, lenders want to get paid back. Accordingly, a potential borrower's track record of making on-time payments is of particular importance. In fact, in calculating a person's FICO score, payment history is the single most important factor, accounting for 35% of the score.
Ask the CRA to Add the Information
Send a copy of a recent account statement and copies of canceled checks (never originals) or other proof of payment showing your payment history. Then, ask the credit reporting agencies to add the information to your file.
Will removing late payments increase credit score?
Late credit card payments can negatively impact your credit score, but if a late payment appears on your credit report in error you may be able to have it removed. Generally, late payments drop off your credit history after 7 years, but it is important to get your credit card back in good standing as soon as possible.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 580 to 669, considered Fair. A 594 FICO® Score is below the average credit score. Some lenders see consumers with scores in the Fair range as having unfavorable credit, and may decline their credit applications.
FICO ® Scores are the most widely used credit scores—90% of top lenders use FICO ® Scores. Every year, lenders access billions of FICO ® Scores to help them understand people's credit risk and make better–informed lending decisions.
If you've ever wondered what the highest credit score you can have is, it's 850. That's at the top end of the most common FICO® and VantageScore® credit scores. And these two companies provide some of the most popular credit-scoring models in America. But do you need a perfect credit score?
The process is easy: simply write a letter to your creditor explaining why you paid late. Ask them to forgive the late payment and assure them it won't happen again. If they do agree to forgive the late payment, your creditor should adjust your credit report accordingly.
References
- https://www.myscoreiq.com/credit-goals/how-to-improve-your-fico-auto-score/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/656-credit-score/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/670-credit-score/
- https://www.quora.com/Is-a-99-credit-history-of-payments-good
- https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-raise-your-credit-score-overnight
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/credit-cards/average-credit-card-limit/
- https://www.credit.com/blog/720-good-credit-score/
- https://www.creditstrong.com/credit-score-statistics/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cs/how-can-i-raise-my-credit-score-100-points-in-30-days-2140832310/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/840-credit-score/
- https://www.moneylion.com/learn/reset-credit-score/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-credit-score/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/750-credit-score/
- https://fortune.com/recommends/credit-cards/average-credit-card-debt/
- https://www.remotefinancialplanner.com/get-higher-credit-score/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/pl/how-much-can-i-borrow-with-a-650-credit-score-1000508-2140806921/
- https://www.investopedia.com/what-credit-score-do-you-need-to-buy-a-car-5181034
- https://www.netspend.com/blog/whats-a-good-credit-score-for-a-20-year-old
- https://www.lexingtonlaw.com/education/how-to-remove-late-payments
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/650-credit-score/
- https://www.kbb.com/car-advice/dealership-credit-checks/
- https://www.ficoscore.com/about
- https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/lowest-credit-score/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/what-is-the-average-credit-score-by-age-and-what-is-a-good-score-for-my-age
- https://time.com/personal-finance/article/improve-credit-score/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/4-red-flags-check-bank-120027440.html
- https://www.upstart.com/credit-score/735-credit-score
- https://www.investopedia.com/800-plus-credit-score-how-to-make-the-most-of-it-4685008
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/10/credit-score-factors.asp
- https://arizonasmortgagetalk.com/on-time-payments-critical-to-good-credit/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/775-credit-score/
- https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/starting-credit-score/
- https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/02/average-credit-score-by-age-in-the-us.html
- https://www.myfico.com/credit-education/whats-in-your-credit-score
- https://www.finn.com/en-US/blog/leasing/how-to-increase-your-credit-score-to-lease-a-car
- https://wallethub.com/credit-score-range/825-credit-score
- https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/credit/trying-get-perfect-credit-score-worth-it/
- https://money.usnews.com/credit-cards/articles/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-credit
- https://www.credit.com/blog/tips-for-improving-your-credit-age-of-credit-history/
- https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/credit-score/900-credit-score
- https://www.rocketmoney.com/learn/debt-and-credit/what-is-the-average-credit-score-by-age
- https://www.credible.com/personal-loan/30k-loan
- https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/what-credit-score-is-needed-to-buy-a-house
- https://www.moneygeek.com/credit-cards/analysis/average-credit-score-by-age/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/pl/how-much-can-i-borrow-with-a-780-credit-score-1000508-2140806882/
- https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/buying-a-house-700-credit-score/
- https://www.banksathi.com/blog/things-to-do-to-raise-your-cedit-score-by-200-points-in-30-days
- https://www.moneylion.com/learn/home-loan-for-650-credit-score/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/average-credit-card-limit/
- https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/how-long-to-build-credit/
- https://www.upstart.com/credit-score/825-credit-score
- https://www.lendingtree.com/auto/financing/toyota/
- https://www.chime.com/blog/whats-a-good-credit-score-in-your-20s/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/780-credit-score/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cs/what-percentage-of-the-population-has-a-credit-score-over-835-2140839380/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/credit-cards/articles/heres-what-americans-fico-scores-look-like-how-do/
- https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/adding-positive-information-your-credit-report.html
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/actions-that-can-lower-your-credit-score/
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/this-is-the-most-important-factor-that-determines-your-credit-score/
- https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/car-loans/best-auto-loan-rates/
- https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/what-kind-of-car-financing-rate-can-i-get-with-a-700-credit-score
- https://www.creditrepair.com/blog/mortgage-and-housing-information/buy-home-california/
- https://www.creditstrong.com/length-of-credit-history/
- https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-long-does-negative-information-remain-on-my-credit-report-en-323/
- https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/car-loans/tesla-finance/
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/easy-tips-to-help-raise-your-credit-score/
- https://www.lendingtree.com/auto/calculators/payment/
- https://www.creditkarma.com/advice/i/payment-history-credit-report
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/700-credit-score/
- https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/car-loans/auto-loan-interest-rates-by-credit-score/
- https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/credit/when-does-old-debt-fall-off-credit-report/
- https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/credit-cards/credit-intel/how-long-does-it-take-to-establish-credit/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/650-credit-score-good-or-bad
- https://www.equifax.com/personal/education/credit/report/articles/-/learn/remove-late-payments-credit-report/
- https://www.moneylion.com/learn/short-credit-history/
- https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/credit-score/what-is-credit-utilization-ratio-and-how-does-it-work
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/072514/what-lenders-look-your-credit-report.asp
- https://www.moneylion.com/learn/900-credit-score/
- https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-repair/how-auto-loan-affect-your-credit-score/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/594-credit-score/
- https://lanterncredit.com/auto-loans/which-credit-score-is-used
- https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/average-credit-score
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/is-800-a-good-credit-score-heres-what-it-means/
- https://www.creditkarma.com/advice/i/long-collections-credit-report
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/credit-score-needed-to-buy-car
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/835-credit-score/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/get-collections-off-credit-report
- https://www.progressive.com/answers/car-down-payment/
- https://www.debt.org/credit/report/scoring-models/how-do-i-get-my-credit-score-up-to-800/
- https://www.creditstrong.com/payment-history/
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/auto-loans/down-payment-calculator/
- https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/money/auto-loan-interest-rates-by-credit-score
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cs/how-long-to-go-from-400-to-700-credit-score-1000028-2140832800/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/bad-credit-score-car-loan
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cs/what-percentage-of-population-has-over-800-credit-score-2140839387/
- https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/credit-score/can-a-late-payment-be-removed-from-my-credit-report
- https://www.buyacar.co.uk/car-deals/0-apr-car-finance-deals/
- https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/50000-personal-loan/
- https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/blog/credit-rating-and-credit-score/999-credit-score-but-been-refused-a-loan
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-to-improve-payment-history/
- https://www.caranddriver.com/auto-loans/a41855998/0-apr-car-loan/
- https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/what-credit-score-do-you-need-to-buy-a-house/
- https://cred.club/check-your-credit-score/articles/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-700-credit-score-from-500
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/what-credit-score-should-you-have/
- https://stellarfi.com/answer/what-percentage-of-the-population-has-a-credit-score-over-800
- https://caredge.com/guides/what-credit-score-do-car-dealers-use
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/credit-cards/articles/how-much-credit-history-do-i-really-need/
- https://www.incharge.org/blog/can-my-credit-score-go-up-100-points-in-a-month/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-do-i-get-my-credit-score-above-700/
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/how-to-build-credit-with-no-credit-history/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/720-credit-score-is-it-good-or-bad
- https://www.bankrate.com/loans/auto-loans/what-credit-score-do-you-need-to-buy-a-car/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/score-basics/820-credit-score/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/improving-credit/how-to-fix-a-bad-credit-score/
- https://wallethub.com/credit-score-range/720-credit-score
- https://cred.club/check-your-credit-score/articles/how-long-does-it-take-to-improve-your-credit-score
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-to-establish-credit-as-a-young-person/
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-29/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-a-car-loan-right-now-banks-tighten-standards
- https://www.creditstrong.com/how-much-credit-history-is-needed-to-buy-a-house/
- https://www.rocketmoney.com/learn/homeownership/what-mortgage-lenders-look-for-on-bank-statements
- https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/highest-credit-score/
- https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/credit/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-credit-score-up/