Why Different Apps Show Different Credit Scores

The confusing part

You open three apps:

·         One shows 748

·         One shows 721

·         One shows 765

All call it “CIBIL score” or “credit score”.

Which one is correct? Is something wrong?

Let’s decode this in plain English.

What’s happening behind the scenes

There are multiple credit bureaus in India and multiple scoring models.

So your apps may be:

·         pulling from different bureaus, and/or

·         using different score versions from the same bureau, and/or

·         showing “internal” versions built on top of bureau data.

All of them may be technically correct for the data and model they use.

They are not meant to match exactly.

What this means for lenders

Lenders usually decide:

·         which bureaus to use,

·         which score variants to rely on,

·         how to combine scores with their own rules.

So:

·         One bank may look mainly at CIBIL + its own model.

·         Another may blend 2–3 bureaus.

·         A fintech may focus more on behaviour inside its app plus one bureau.

This is why an approval from one place and rejection from another is not always a “mistake”.

What this means for you

Instead of worrying about small differences (721 vs 735 vs 748), focus on the range:

·         750+ – generally comfortable

·         700–749 – okay but lenders may look closer

·         below 700 – time to understand what’s pulling it down

If one app shows something drastically different (e.g. 820 vs 620 elsewhere), then it’s worth a deeper look.

Common mistakes

·         Obsessing over which app shows the “highest” score.

·         Applying everywhere just because one app says “pre-approved”.

·         Assuming one rejection means “my score is useless” when others might still lend.

What you can actually do

·         Pick one or two trusted sources (a bureau or a serious app) and track over time instead of checking 10 different places.

·         If scores differ a lot, pull a full report from at least one bureau and see if there are errors or missing closures.

·         Don’t apply for multiple loans/cards in a panic just to “test” which score is right. That creates more hard enquiries.

Different scores across apps are usually a reflection of different data and models, not a sign that your life is breaking.

Your job is not to chase the highest number on the screen. It’s to make your actual behaviour steady enough that any reasonable model sees you as reliable.