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Nationwide aims to simplify credit scores with free-to-use widget

ended 20. August 2026

Views from brokers on the below ASAP please as writing story NOW. Is this a genuine or unique innovation that will help borrowers? Any other thoughts, send them across.

Nationwide has introduced a free credit score service that provides customers easy access to their credit rating. 

The launch of the new widget, which customers can access via online banking or in the Nationwide app, forms part of the building society’s wider commitment to helping customers improve their financial health.  

Research* from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) highlights the most common reasons cited for obtaining a credit report or score were getting an overall idea of their financial situation (66%) and curiosity (41%). One in five (20%) used it to check eligibility for credit. 

The research also found that understanding remains a challenge, with fewer than two in five (39%) people who checked their credit report or score saying they understood it well, while around one in ten (9%) don’t understand it at all. 

The new service, which aims to address any confusion, has been designed to help customers stay informed about their financial health by providing free, easy and secure access to their credit score without affecting their credit rating. Users will also be able to see what factors influence their score, making it easier to understand what this means and how it can affect key financial decisions. 

David Gordon, Chief Product Owner at Nationwide, said: “We know that for some people credit scores are notoriously difficult to understand and we want to help with that. Investing in our digital services and offering customers a way to bank that suits them is a key priority for us. Our new credit score service has been built to help our customers build financial confidence, improve their financial wellbeing and make more informed decisions about their money.” 

The credit score facility will in future incorporate educational materials, giving users the tools and information they need to improve how they manage their finances, enhance their credit score and make more informed decisions about borrowing, saving and managing money.  

Nationwide will also use insights from customer research alongside feedback from users to further develop the service and ensure it meets their needs, particularly those people who are vulnerable. 

6 responses from the Newspage community

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Harry GoodliffeVerified
Director at HTG Mortgages
A free credit score widget won't get anyone a mortgage; it'll just keep more customers logged into the Nationwide app. Lloyds has had this feature in its app for a long time, so calling it a breakthrough is a bit over the top; it's more of a retention tool presented as financial education. The bigger issue for borrowers is that every lender scores affordability differently, so a decent number on this widget can still end in a decline somewhere else. It's handy, and no bad thing in itself, but people should be wary of treating it as a green light.
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Samuel Mather-HolgateVerified
Managing Director & IFA at Mather and Murray Financial
This is helpful, but it’s not revolutionary. Plenty of people already check their credit score for free, and the danger is borrowers thinking the number itself is what lenders lend against. It isn’t. Lenders care about the underlying behaviour: missed payments, debt levels, affordability, stability and how someone manages credit over time. Anything that makes that clearer is useful, because credit scores can feel like a mysterious school report for adults. But the real value will be in explaining what sits behind the score, not just showing a shiny number in an app. Used properly, this could nudge people towards better habits before they apply for a mortgage. Used badly, it risks reinforcing the myth that one magic score decides everything.
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Tracey DixonVerified
Buy-to-Let Mortgage Specialist & Owner at Pure Mortgage and Protection
I think anything that makes credit information easier for consumers to access and understand is a positive step, particularly if it encourages people to check their position before applying for a mortgage.
As brokers, we often speak to clients who are surprised by something on their credit file, and discovering an issue at application stage can cause delays or affect their lender options.
A credit score is a useful health check, but it isn't a mortgage pass or fail. Lenders assess credit history alongside affordability and their own criteria.
If Nationwide can combine easy access with useful education around what sits behind the score, it could help borrowers identify and address potential issues much earlier.
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Nouran MoustafaVerified
Practice Principal & IFA at Roxton Wealth
It is useful, but I would not call it revolutionary. Other banks already offer free credit-score tools, so the real value will be whether Nationwide helps people understand the number rather than just displaying it.

That matters because consumers can become obsessed with chasing a “perfect” score when lenders do not make mortgage decisions from one universal number. Different lenders use different credit-reference data, affordability tests and their own internal scoring.

Where this could genuinely help is education. If the app explains why a score moved, flags errors and shows practical actions, that can stop people making silly decisions before a mortgage application.

My only warning is: do not turn credit scores into a game. Someone can have an excellent score and still fail affordability or lender criteria. The score is a useful dashboard light it is not a mortgage approval.
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Stephen PerkinsVerified
Managing Director at Yellow Brick Mortgages
Free access to a credit score isn’t new, but making credit information easier to understand is genuinely useful. The important thing for mortgage borrowers is not to become fixated on the headline number. Lenders don’t simply approve or decline a mortgage because of one credit score; they assess the underlying credit history alongside affordability and their own criteria. Helping customers understand what sits behind their score is therefore more valuable than the score itself.
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Michelle LawsonVerified
Director at Lawson Financial
This is great in practice and public education is a hot topic- people keeping a track on their credit profile is important and helpful however, too much focus is made on score rather than content. Most lenders rely on content only and have their own internal scorecard so the actual number becomes irrelevant.