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800 credit score: A guide to credit scores

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    Quick insights

    • An 800 credit score is considered to be a high credit score and may help you qualify for more financial opportunities.
    • Depending on the scoring model used, an 800 credit score may be considered “excellent” or “exceptional.”
    • It takes regular, healthy financial habits to maintain an 800 credit score.

    Building your credit score takes time, patience and consistent hard work. However, it can pay off, as a high credit score like 800 can come with some better opportunities. Let’s review more below.

    What does an 800 credit score mean?

    Having an 800 credit score suggests that you are likely very responsible with managing your credit. This can mean that you keep your credit utilization ratio low (about 30% or less), you make your payments on time in a consistent manner, and you have a long credit history.

    An 800 credit score can indicate to a potential lender that you have high creditworthiness, which is one of the considered factors when it comes to determining approvals, interest rates and more.

    Is 800 a good credit score?

    Yes, an 800 credit score is considered to be good, if not “excellent” or “exceptional.” Depending on the scoring model used, an 800 credit score may fall into different ranges. Below is a breakdown of scores for both VantageScore® and FICO® scoring models. As of January 2025, VantageScore ranges are:

    • Excellent: 781 to 850
    • Good: 661 to 780
    • Fair: 601 to 660
    • Poor: 500 to 600
    • Very Poor: 300 to 499

    As of January 2025, FICO score ranges are:

    • Exceptional: 800+
    • Very Good: 740 to 799
    • Good: 670 to 739
    • Fair: 580 to 669
    • Poor: 579 and below

    An 800 VantageScore is considered “excellent” and an 800 FICO score is considered “exceptional.” Both indicate that you have a high credit score, which helps represent your creditworthiness, or your ability to repay your debts.

    Benefits of an 800 credit score

    Some potential benefits of having an 800 credit score include, but are not limited to:

    • Better chances of getting approved for credit, like a credit card or mortgage.
    • Indicating to lenders that you can be a lower-risk candidate with high creditworthiness.
    • Better chances of receiving lower annual percentage rates (APRs).
    • More chances to get approved for premium credit cards that may come with specific rewards programs and perks.

    How to get an 800 credit score

    To help you understand how to achieve an 800 credit score, it’s important to learn the different factors that go into calculating a credit score. Each one of the scoring models weigh these factors differently, but the main factors to focus in on include:

    • Payment history: The ability to make your payments consistently on time.
    • Credit utilization: How much of your total available credit you use.
    • Credit history: How long you’ve managed open and active lines of credit.

    Time, patience and healthy financial habits all contribute towards an improved credit score. Also, having a long credit history can help with achieving a higher score, so keeping your first credit card open and active for as long as possible might be a good idea.

    By making your payments in full and on time, you could see a positive reflection in your credit score. Additionally, lowering your credit utilization ratio to 30% or less could help bring your score up.

    You may also want to consider using the score plan feature provided by Experian™, a resource included in Chase Credit Journey®. Credit Journey® is a free online tool anyone, including non-Chase cardmembers, can use to help track and learn about their score.

    As you continue to work on improving your score, keep in mind that it won’t go up overnight. Your score may fluctuate over time, as various factors can influence it.

    Maintaining an 800 credit score

    An 800 credit score can be beneficial to your overall credit profile, so to help you maintain this score, consider the following:

    • Continue making your payments on time. Late or missed payments can significantly hurt your credit score.
    • Avoid applying for several types of credit at once. New credit applications result in hard credit checks, which can temporarily decrease your score.
    • Access your credit score; for example, with free online tools like Chase Credit Journey.
    • Review your credit report for inaccuracies.
    • Keep your accounts open and active to build a more robust credit history.

    In conclusion

    An 800 credit score isn’t something you can achieve overnight, but with consistent, healthy financial habits, you can begin improving your score and overall credit profile. Lowering your credit utilization ratio and regularly making your payments on time are just a few ways that can help get you there. If you feel lost, consider using tools like Credit Journey. Improving your credit score and knowledge around credit management can help you unlock more financial opportunities in your future.

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