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What is a Fair Credit Score?

6 min read

Last Updated: October 9, 2025

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

On the FICO® Score scale,¹ a fair credit score is 580 to 669.
Consumers with a fair credit score may have missed payments in the past and/or have higher levels of credit card debt.
One of the best ways to improve a fair credit score is to make on-time payments.

Have you recently checked your credit and found that your score falls within the fair credit score range? Are you wondering what, exactly, a “fair” credit score means? Here, we’ll discuss what a fair credit score is, how a fair credit score may affect your ability to get a loan or credit card, and tips for improving a fair credit score.

What’s a fair credit score?

A credit score that falls within a specified range set by credit scoring models is a “fair credit score”. A fair score is above the “poor credit” range but below “good credit”. One of the most widely used scoring models is called a Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO^®) Score. 90% of top lenders use FICO^® Credit Scores, including Discover.¹

According to the FICO^® Score scale,¹ a fair credit score is 580 to 669. If you have a score in this range, you may have an inconsistent payment history or high credit card debt.

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With a fair score, you may not qualify for a high loan amount, the best credit terms, or certain credit cards.

The FICO® Credit Score ranges

There are five credit score ranges in the FICO^® Score scale.¹

Exceptional—800 to 850
Very good—740 to 799
Good—670 to 739
Fair—580 to 669
Poor—579 or less

Other fair credit score ranges

FICO is just one example of a credit scoring model. Other scoring models, like VantageScore^®, may calculate your score differently and use a different credit score range. A FICO^® Credit Score of 580 is considered fair, but the same score might have a different meaning to a lender who uses another credit scoring model.

How fair credit scores are determined

Scoring agencies calculate your score using the information on your credit report. Your credit report information comes from your credit activity. Your credit card issuer or financial institution reports your activity to credit bureaus. Each credit bureau (also known as a “credit reporting agency”) creates a credit report based on your activity, like each monthly payment you make and your credit card balance. The information from your credit report determines your credit score.

Each credit card issuer and credit reporting agency may prioritize different aspects of your credit file. But the following factors shape your FICO^® Score¹.

Payment history—35%: Payment history is the record of whether you’ve paid your debts on time.
Amounts owed—30%: Amounts owed, or your credit utilization ratio, is the total outstanding debt on your revolving accounts compared to your total available credit.
Length of credit history—15%: The length of your credit history is how long you’ve been managing debts, including loans and credit cards.
New credit—10%: Each new credit application triggers a hard credit inquiry, which may hurt your credit score.
Credit mix—10%: Credit mix is the balance of revolving and installment debts you’ve managed.

Your score changes as you continue to use credit. You might have a score in the fair range today, but you might reach a good credit score after a few months of responsible credit use. Or, on the other hand, a few bad credit choices may leave you with a poor credit score.

Also, keep in mind that some lenders may share your credit history with each major credit bureau, but others may share your activity with just one or two of them. That means your credit scores and credit reports may differ across the credit bureaus based on the information they’ve received.

How to improve a fair credit score

If you want to change your fair credit score, there are several things you can do:

Make on-time payments: The most important factor in FICO^® Credit Scores¹ is your payment history. By paying at least the minimum monthly payment by the due date each billing cycle, you may keep your account in good standing and potentially boost your score.
Avoid too much credit card debt: Building a high credit card balance may increase your credit utilization ratio, especially if you have a low credit limit. High credit utilization hurts your score because it may indicate that you struggle to manage debt responsibly. Avoid overspending on your credit card to keep your debt to a minimum.
Pay down existing credit card debts: If you’ve already racked up a high balance, don’t despair. You may gradually improve your credit score by paying down your debts and restoring your available credit. You may have to make more than the monthly minimum payment.
Improve credit mix: If you’ve only had installment credit, like personal loans, in the past, then adding revolving credit like a credit card to your wallet may improve your credit mix. Just keep in mind that credit card applications often come with a hard credit check, so you should only apply for credit that you need and may qualify for.
Use secured credit cards responsibly: You may qualify for a secured credit card with a fair credit score. Secured credit cards require refundable security deposits as collateral, making them easier to qualify for. By maintaining excellent credit habits on your secured card, you may build credit history.

Why good credit scores are important

Lenders view your credit score as an indicator of your financial capability. The difference between a fair credit score and a good credit score may determine the terms of a new credit account.

Fair credit scores may prevent you from being approved for new bank loans, mortgages, or lines of credit, like credit cards. Or a lender may approve your credit application, but offer you a lower credit limit or loan amount, or a higher interest rate than you’d receive with a higher credit score.

Did You Know

If you have a fair credit score and are wondering what types of cards you may qualify for, you can use the Discover^® pre-approval form to easily see if you’re pre-approved with no harm to your credit score.²

See if you’re pre-approved

The bottom line

A fair credit score may not be a problem for you if you don’t have any immediate credit needs. But if you think you’ll want to apply for a personal loan, new credit card, auto loan, or a home mortgage in the future, you may want to start working toward a higher credit score to help your chances of getting approved and landing better terms.

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