820 credit score: A guide to credit scores

Quick insights

• An 820 credit score is considered to be “excellent” or “exceptional” by some scoring models.
• Regular and healthy financial habits, such as making payments consistently on time, contribute towards an 820 credit score.
• You may be able to unlock financial opportunities, such as lower interest rates, with an 820 credit score.

Your credit score is an indicator of your creditworthiness and is one of the factors evaluated during a credit application process. If you’ve checked your score recently and it’s 820, you are likely doing something right about your credit management. Let’s explore what this score means in more detail below.

Is 820 a good credit score?

An 820 credit score is a high credit score. Depending on the scoring model used, an 820 credit score is not just good, it may be excellent or exceptional. Let’s break down the categories of both VantageScore^® and FICO^® score below.

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 820 credit score is considered an “Excellent” VantageScore and an “Exceptional” FICO score.

An 820 credit score is one of the higher credit scores you can achieve, so it is a strong indication that you are managing your credit wisely. By indicating this level of creditworthiness, you can improve your chances for approvals of credit, like credit cards or personal loans. Let’s explore more of these benefits below.

Benefits of having an 820 credit score

Having an 820 credit score offers several opportunities, including:

• A positive impact on annual percentage rates (APRs). A higher credit score could mean a lower APR on lending products. So if you have lower APRs on your credit cards, mortgages and other lines of credit you could save on interest costs in the long-run.
• Improved chances of securing loans. You will likely have a smoother application and approval process when obtaining credit, such as personal loans, auto loans and more.
• Higher likelihood of rental approvals. A higher credit score can be leveraged when applying for rentals, for example, and may help you get approved for your next home.
• Potential access to more premium credit cards. An 820 credit score could qualify you for more premium credit cards which can offer better rewards and perks like airport lounge access.

How rare is an 820 credit score?

Depending on the scoring model used, an 820 credit score could be seen as rare. According to Experian™, as of 2024, about 22% of Americans have a FICO score of 800 or higher.ec-experian-800-score

Maintaining and improving an 820 credit score

To help you maintain and/or improve your 820 credit score, consider the following:

• Continue to make your payments consistently on time. Because payment history is a major component of your credit score, it’s important to continue to make your payments on time. Just one missed or late payment can negatively affect your score.
• Monitor your credit score. You can do this by enrolling in Chase Credit Journey^®, a free online tool anyone, including non-Chase cardmembers, can use. You can view your score on Credit Journey^® without impacting it and create score goals using the score planning feature provided by Experian.
• Maintain a low credit utilization ratio. Your credit utilization is the amount of credit you use from your total available credit. Keeping this ratio to 30% or less is preferable and may help improve or maintain your score.
• Review your credit report. Look out for inaccuracies that could be negatively impacting your credit score. If you find any errors, you can request the credit bureau to remove them.

In conclusion

An 820 credit score is a strong indication that you practice responsible credit management. It likely means you have been making your payments on time and demonstrate creditworthiness. Continue to keep up these financial habits to help maintain and improve this score over time.