• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

FinanceJar

FinanceJar

Take the next step on your journey

  • Credit Scores
    • Get Free Credit Score
    • Get Your Free FICO Score
    • Credit Score Range
  • Credit Repair
  • Credit Reports
    • Credit Inquiries
  • Credit Cards
    • Credit Card Reviews
    • Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit
    • Fair Credit
    • No Credit
    • Building Credit
    • Secured
    • Unsecured
    • 0% Interest
    • No Annual Fee
    • Guaranteed Approval
    • No Credit Check
    • No Foreign Transaction Fee
    • Gas
    • Students
  • Debt
    • List of Collection Agencies
  • Loans
  • About Us
  • 24/7 Support:

    323-649-8707

Home Credit Scores What Is the Lowest Credit Score Possible?

What Is the Lowest Credit Score Possible?

Credit score gauge rolling down a slope representing a plunge toward the lowest credit score

At a glance

In most scoring models, the lowest credit score you can have is 300. However, very few people actually have scores this low.

Instantly access your report and discover your credit score from all three credit bureaus.

Checking your score won't hurt your credit.

Written by Jesslyn Firman and Yi-Jane Lee

Reviewed by Victoria Scanlon

Aug 5, 2022

Fresh advice you can trust

We promise to always deliver the best financial advice that we can. Our writers and editors follow strict editorial standards and operate independently from our advertisers and affiliates. Learn more about how we make money.

It’s logical to assume that 0 would be the lowest credit score, but that’s not the case. Most of the widely used credit scoring models have a score range of 300 to 850, which means 300 is the worst credit score you can have.

In reality, most people fall somewhere in the middle, and very few people actually have a credit score as low as 300.

Table of Contents

  1. Can you have a credit score of 0?
  2. What causes a very low credit score?
  3. Disadvantages of having a low credit score
  4. What are your credit options with the lowest credit score possible?

Can you have a credit score of 0?

No, you can’t have a credit score of 0, no matter how terrible your credit is. As we’ve said, the two major credit scoring companies, FICO and VantageScore, use a credit score range of 300 to 850.

Higher credit scores are better, whereas lower scores can make it difficult to qualify for loans, credit cards, and even services like insurance and utilities.

What is a low FICO score?

FICO scores that are below 580 are considered low. As you can see in the image below, the lowest credit score range for FICO is from 300 to 579:

Scores between 300 and 579 fall into the “poor” range in FICO’s model.

What is a low VantageScore credit score?

The lowest credit score range for VantageScore is from 300 to 499:

Scores between 300 and 499 are considered “very poor” in VantageScore’s model.

What causes a very low credit score?

Your credit score is a reflection of your personal credit history, so if yours is low, it suggests you’ve had trouble managing credit in the past.

Here are four of the most common reasons why you might have a bad credit score:

  • You have a short credit history: Young adults usually have lower credit scores because they’re just starting out. The length of your credit history contributes to your credit score, and your score might be less than stellar if your credit accounts haven’t gotten the chance to age yet. That said, this effect isn’t major enough to cause your score to drop anywhere near the lowest score of 300—if yours is that low, there are other factors in play.
  • You have late payments: Paying your debts on time is crucial because your payment history is the largest factor determining your score, and a single late payment can do a lot of damage to your credit. To avoid accidentally missing a payment, consider setting up autopay or payment reminders.
  • You’re using too much credit: Your credit score is also influenced by how much you’re spending on your revolving credit accounts (which are credit accounts that you pay on a monthly basis, like credit cards). The amount that you’re spending is known as your credit utilization rate or debt-to-credit ratio. Try to keep your credit utilization rate as low as possible—at least below 30%, and below 10% if you can.
  • You have other negative items on your credit report: In addition to late payments, marks like charge-offs, collection accounts, foreclosures, repossessions, and bankruptcies are also very damaging to your credit score. If your score is anywhere near the lowest possible score of 300, then you probably have several of these on your report.

Disadvantages of having a low credit score

It’s no secret that a low credit score can be an obstacle to healthy finances. Specifically, bad credit can damage your quality of life by making it hard (and more expensive) to access the following essentials.

1. Loans and credit cards

Lenders usually run a credit check when you apply for a new credit account, and they may reject your application or give you a higher interest rate and less favorable terms if you have poor credit.

You may have difficulty getting the following types of credit:

  • Credit cards
  • Auto loans
  • Mortgages
  • Personal loans
  • Personal lines of credit
  • Private student loans

What is the minimum credit score required to get credit?

Lenders set their own credit score requirements, so there’s no universal threshold at which point your credit score is too bad to get new credit.

For instance, there’s no minimum credit score required for a car loan or minimum score required for a mortgage. However, you’ll find it very hard to find a willing lender if your credit score is approaching the lowest score possible.

What’s more, if you do qualify for a loan, chances are the interest rate will be so high that it won’t be worth it. Here’s a look at the benefits of good credit when it comes to loan and credit card interest rates.

Average Loan Rates and APRs by Credit Score Tier

Credit Score TierAvg. Credit Card APR
(CFPB)
Avg. Auto Loan Rate
(Experian)
Deep subprime (300-499)23.9%14.39%
Subprime (500-600)23.3%11.92%
Near prime (601-660)22.6%7.65%
Prime (661-780)21.0%4.68%
Super prime (781-850)17.5%3.65%

As you can see, borrowers with bad credit scores usually get significantly higher interest rates, which might mean spending thousands of dollars more over the lifetime of a single loan.

2. Insurance

Insurance companies often run credit checks when deciding what to charge you for an insurance policy. They may look at a low credit score as a sign that you’re a high-risk customer and give you a high insurance premium.

This is true for various types of insurance, including life insurance, car insurance, and home insurance. 1

It’s worth noting, however, that the score you’re seeing may be different from what insurance companies will see because they often look at special “credit-based insurance scores,” which are a little different from standard consumer credit scores. A consumer credit score of 300 doesn’t necessarily translate to an insurance credit score of 300.

3. An apartment

Some landlords run credit checks on prospective tenants before agreeing to rent to them. Although there’s no universal minimum credit score required to rent an apartment, many landlords look for a score of at least 640. Very few landlords who run credit checks will rent to someone with a score that’s approaching 300.

If you don’t meet your landlord’s credit score requirements, you might still be able to rent from them by finding a co-applicant or by paying a larger security deposit.

4. A job or promotion

A 2018 report revealed that nearly one-third of employers conduct credit checks on some of their candidates. 2 This is particularly common for financial positions.

Thankfully, unlike lenders, potential (and current) employers can’t see your credit score when they run a credit check on you. 3

However, they’ll see the information on your credit report, including your credit history, personal information, account records, credit inquiries, and public records. If you have a very low score, they’ll probably still be able to tell. 4

What are your credit options with the lowest credit score possible?

If you have a credit score of 300, it will be extremely difficult to qualify for any new credit accounts at all. As you know, most lenders will check your credit when you submit an application for an account, and very few lenders will approve your application with such a low score.

If you do qualify for a credit account (whether it’s a loan or a credit card), your terms will probably be so unfavorable that you’d be better off waiting to apply until your score is better.

However, there is one exception: credit cards that don’t perform a credit check. If you apply for one of these cards, your potential lender won’t check your credit, so they never have to know about your score at all.

All no-credit-check cards are secured, which means you’ll have to pay a security deposit when you open them. However, once you receive your card, you can use it to improve your credit score, and once you’ve proven you’re a responsible borrower, your issuer may let you upgrade to a normal credit card, at which point they’ll refund your deposit.

Credit Card Best For Credit Score Annual Fee Welcome Bonus Apply Now
OpenSky Secured Visa credit card
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Apply
Guaranteed Approval 300–669 $35 Apply
First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard secured credit card
First Progress Platinum Prestige MasterCard® Secured Credit Card Apply
Low APR 300–669 $49 Apply
G2bank Secured Visa Credit Card
GO2bank™ Secured Visa® Apply
Low Deposit 300–669 $0 Apply
Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa
Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Apply
Secured 300–669 $0 Apply
Self Visa credit card
Self Visa® + Credit Builder Account Apply
Building Credit 300–669 $25 Apply
View All No-Credit-Check Credit Cards

Takeaway: The lowest possible credit score you can have is 300.

  • Standard credit scores range from 300 to 850. It’s impossible to have a credit score outside that range.
  • The national average credit score in 2021 was 716 for FICO and 694 for VantageScore.
  • A low credit score is caused by negative information in your credit report, such as late payments or collection accounts, excessive spending on credit cards, or bankruptcy.
  • Poor credit may prevent you from getting loans, insurance, a rental, or even a job.
  • Even if you have the lowest credit score possible, you can rebuild your credit by adopting good financial habits and educating yourself about how credit works.

Article Sources

  1. Experian. "Does Life Insurance Require a Credit Check?" Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  2. Professional Background Screening Association. "How Human Resource Professionals View the Use and Effectiveness of Background Screening Methods" Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  3. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "Key Dimensions and Processes in the U.S. Credit Reporting System: A review of how the nation’s largest credit bureaus manage consumer data" Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  4. myFICO. "What’s in Your Credit Report?" Retrieved March 10, 2022.

Jesslyn Firman

Credit Analyst

View Author

Jesslyn Firman is a credit analyst for FinanceJar. Her work covers credit repair and credit scores, and in the past she's extensively researched and written about the insurance industry. Jesslyn has a B.S. in Finance and Accounting and an MBA in Management.

Yi-Jane Lee

View Author

Yi-Jane Lee is a credit analyst who writes for FinanceJar. Her work covers credit repair, the credit scoring industry, budgeting, and debt. She has a BA from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.

Related Articles

Credit report showing SYNCB/PPC
Credit Inquiries

Nov 5, 2021

SYNCB/PPC: What Is It and Why Is It on My Credit Report?

SYNCB/PPC stands for Synchrony Bank/PayPal Credit. There are a few...

FinanceJar Team
Polar bear guarding credit report in ice, representing how to freeze your credit
Credit Reports

Sep 22, 2021

How to Freeze Your Credit

A credit freeze prevents prospective lenders and creditors from...

Samuel Osbourne
new credit card envelope does it hurt credit
Credit Scores

Oct 1, 2021

Does Opening a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit?

Opening a new credit card can hurt your credit score slightly in...

FinanceJar Team
Black car being repossessed which has an impact on credit
Credit Repair

Aug 5, 2022

How Long Does a Repo Stay on Your Credit?

A repossession takes 7 years to come off your credit report,...

FinanceJar Team
Gauge representing credit utilization rate
Credit Scores

Oct 6, 2021

Credit Utilization: What It Is and How It Affects Your Credit Score

Your credit utilization is the amount of your revolving credit that...

FinanceJar Team
Man disputing an item on his credit report with the credit bureaus
Credit Repair

Sep 13, 2021

How to Dispute an Item on Your Credit Report

If you suspect you have inaccurate information on your credit...

Victoria Scanlon
FinanceJar

Footer

Credit

  • Credit Scores
  • Credit Repair
  • Credit Reports
  • Credit Cards
  • Debt

Company

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Legal

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Call Us

9AM – 9PM EST: 347-527-4868
24/7 Help Line: 323-649-8707

How We Make Money

We make money from advertising. We place links on our website to our affiliates, and when you click those links, our affiliates compensate us for it. Our relationships with our affiliates may affect which products we feature on our site and where these products appear in our articles.

Facebook Twitter Instagram TikTok YouTube LinkedIn Pinterest

© 2025 – ONR Financial Networks LLC – All Rights Reserved.

  • Credit Scores
    • Get Free Credit Score
    • Get Your Free FICO Score
    • Credit Score Range
  • Credit Repair
  • Credit Reports
    • Credit Inquiries
  • Credit Cards
    • Credit Card Reviews
    • Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit
    • Fair Credit
    • No Credit
    • Building Credit
    • Secured
    • Unsecured
    • 0% Interest
    • No Annual Fee
    • Guaranteed Approval
    • No Credit Check
    • No Foreign Transaction Fee
    • Gas
    • Students
  • Debt
    • List of Collection Agencies
  • Loans
  • About Us
  • 24/7 Support:

    323-649-8707

We hope this template helps you achieve your goals.

Would you please review us?

A review would mean a lot to us — and takes less than 20 seconds. Let us know what you think. Thanks!

Leave My Review

What you’ll get

  • Assess

    Fill in your information and we will securely pull your TransUnion credit report.

  • Address

    We challenge inaccurate negative items with the bureaus and your creditors.

  • Advise

    We will give you advice for how you can improve your credit. Don’t want to wait? Call us now.

Don’t want to wait? Call us!

Monday to Friday, 10AM - 7PM EST

FinanceJar

Get a FREE 5-minute credit consultation.

Get a credit improvement plan that works for you with 1 phone call.

What you’ll get

1
Assess

Fill in your information and we will securely pull your TransUnion credit report.

2
Address

We challenge inaccurate negative items with the bureaus and your creditors.

3
Advise

We will give you advice for how you can improve your credit. Don’t want to wait? Call us now.

This is completely secure and won’t hurt your credit score.

By clicking "Submit" I agree by electronic signature to: (1) be contacted about credit repair or credit repair marketing by a live agent, artificial or prerecorded voice and SMS text at my residential or cellular number, dialed manually or by autodialer, and by email (consent to be contacted is not a condition to purchase services); and (2) the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Don’t want to wait? Call (888) 859-0871 now

FinanceJar

Advertising Disclosure

Some of our articles feature links to our partners, who compensate us when you click them. This may affect the products and services that we showcase in our articles and how we place and order them. It does not affect our evaluations of them, which our writers and editors create independently, without considering our relationships with our partners.

FinanceJar

Editorial Standards

We promise to always deliver the best financial advice that we can. That’s our first priority, and we take it seriously.

To ensure that our articles and reviews are objective and unbiased, our writers and editors operate independently from our advertisers and affiliates. Our writers do not take FinanceJar’s relationship with its affiliates into consideration when writing their reviews and articles.

Everything we publish is as accurate and as complete as we can make it. All of our articles undergo several rounds of fact-checking before we publish them, and we do our best to keep them as no-nonsense and jargon-free as possible while still delivering the information that you need.

We know that taking financial advice from us requires a lot of trust on your part. We’re grateful for that trust, and we won’t abuse it. Learn more about our editorial standards.

FinanceJar

How We Make Money

FinanceJar partners with other companies in the credit and finance industry, such as credit card issuers and credit repair companies.

We make money through advertising. Our pages feature links to our partners’ websites. If you click on one of those links, we get paid.

The links to our partners are always clearly marked. You’ll always be able to tell what you’re clicking. We’ll never try to trick you into clicking anything you’re not genuinely interested in.

That’s the only way that we make money. We don’t accept compensation in exchange for reviews or articles, and we don’t directly sell any products or services ourselves. Our editorial team operates independently (with no influence from our affiliates or our advertising team) so as to avoid compromising the objectivity of our reviews. Learn more about how we make money.