800 Credit Score: Good or Bad?
An 800 score is considered excellent. You will qualify for the very best rates on credit cards and loans.
Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
Updated · 1 min read
Written by
Contributing Writer 
Edited by
Lead Assigning Editor An 800 credit score is firmly in the excellent range of scores. Lenders use your credit score to decide if you qualify for financial products like credit cards and loans and to set your interest rate.
Only 24% of Americans had a score of 800 and above as of April 2023, according to credit scoring company FICO.
Here’s how your 800 credit score can affect your financial life.
» MORE: What are the credit score ranges?
You can get the best rates on credit cards and loans
With an 800 credit score, you can breathe easy — you will typically qualify for most financial products and get among the very best rates.
That may not be the case if you are relatively new to credit, however, because lenders look for more than a high score. The length of time you've had credit and how much debt you carry relative to your income also is considered.
Read more about the factors that influence your score, so you know what matters most in maintaining your access to the best credit products.
Track your credit score in 2025 with the NerdWallet app
When your score changes, our app tells you why — and suggests what to do in the future.
Ways to safeguard your 800 credit score
You already practice excellent credit habits, but the following tips will help you preserve your score. And they'll be of interest if you like the challenge of going for 850, the top score on non-specialty credit scores.
- Set up automatic payments. A single late payment can shave as much as 100 points off your credit score. If you don't have automatic payments, consider setting them up to avoid the risk of missing a payment and tanking your score.
- Watch credit utilization. It's better for your score to use less of your credit limits. You can make multiple payments throughout a single billing cycle to keep utilization consistently low.
- Look out for errors on your credit reports. Mistakes on credit reports are common and they may prevent your score from going higher. Keep an eye on your reports at all three major credit bureaus and dispute any errors you find.
Track your credit score with the NerdWallet app
Track your budget, finances and credit - all in one place and all for free.
Article sources
NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary,
trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed
studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with
industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy,
timeliness and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's
high standards for journalism by reading our
editorial guidelines.
- 1. FICO Blog. Average U.S. FICO Score at 718. Accessed Dec 19, 2023.
Related articles
