---
title: "What is Credit score? | Benefit Systems"
description: "A credit score is a number a bureau uses to express how likely a person is to meet their payment obligations."
source: "aus dem gebauten HTML abgeleitet"
---
# What is Credit score?

A credit score is a number a bureau uses to express how likely a person is to meet their payment obligations.

Also called: FICO score, Credit rating.

## How it works #

Which data feed the score and how they are weighted is decided by each bureau and only partly published. Statements from one country therefore do not transfer to another: German and US scoring use different inputs and scales. What they share is that on-time payments and long account histories help, while missed payments weigh heavily against.

## Not to be confused with #

A credit score is not the same as the outcome of a card application: lenders also assess income, existing obligations and their own internal rules.

## In German #

The German term is Bonitätsscore. [German version of this term](/de/glossar/bonitaetsscore)

## Related terms #

- [Credit inquiry](/en/glossary/credit-inquiry): A credit inquiry is a lender’s check of a credit file; a hard inquiry is recorded and visible to others, while a soft inquiry is not.
- [Credit utilization](/en/glossary/credit-utilization): Credit utilization is the ratio between the balance on a card and its credit limit, expressed as a percentage.
- [Carrying a balance](/en/glossary/carrying-a-balance): Carrying a balance means leaving part of a card bill unpaid so that it rolls into the next month and accrues interest.

## Articles that use this term #

- [Does applying for a credit card hurt your credit score?](/en/knowledge/credit-card-application-score)
- [How much credit limit do you need?](/en/knowledge/credit-limit)
- [What does carrying a balance actually cost you?](/en/knowledge/carrying-a-balance)
- [hard-pull-vs-soft-pull](/en/knowledge/hard-pull-vs-soft-pull)
- [fico-vs-vantagescore](/en/knowledge/fico-vs-vantagescore)
- [Is paying taxes by credit card worth it?](/en/knowledge/paying-taxes-by-card)