What credit score do you need to get 0% interest on a car?
The exact credit score you might need to qualify for a 0% APR loan varies depending on your situation. Many lenders require a minimum score of at least 700. Others require excellent credit scores, such as 720, 750, or even 800.
Lenders want to ensure that you have a near-perfect history of making payments and handling your debt before offering you no-interest financing. An excellent credit score — 781 or higher — will get you the best deal on financing, but you can still qualify for a competitive interest rate if your score is 670 or higher.
In general, only consumers with the highest credit scores qualify for 0% financing offers. If you qualify, be aware these offers may have other requirements, such as paying it back quickly. Dealers and manufacturers may offer special incentives on certain vehicles when there's a large inventory they need to sell.
Boost Your Credit Score
Your credit score is crucial to determine your eligibility for a no down payment car loan. Most lenders require a FICO credit score of at least 680 before you can qualify. If your credit score falls below 680, improve your credit score before you apply to help you qualify in the future.
0% APR car finance is generally only available for new cars. Where it is available on used cars, this typically means you'll be paying an artificially high cash price, as dealers often inflate the price to cover what they lose by not charging interest.
What does an 639 credit score mean? As mentioned, credit scores within the 580-669 range are considered to be fair credit. While your credit score is below average, it isn't in the realm of “bad credit” and shouldn't necessarily prevent you from getting certain types of loans.
Can I get an auto loan with an 640 credit score? The short answer is yes, but you're likely to get a significantly higher-than-average interest rate.
Here's where a zero APR card can start to hurt your credit. If you use the 0 percent intro APR period to run up higher balances than usual, you might end up with the kind of credit utilization ratio that has a negative effect on your credit score.
Since there's no interest involved, customers are less likely to default on payments, reducing the risk for lenders. Lenders can charge processing fees or commissions to retailers for providing the financing option, generating additional revenue.
Making on-time payments to creditors, keeping your credit utilization low, having a long credit history, maintaining a good mix of credit types, and occasionally applying for new credit lines are the factors that can get you into the 800 credit score club.
Is 750 a good credit score to buy a car?
A 750 credit score is often considered very good — or even excellent. A very good or excellent credit score can mean you're more likely to be approved for good offers and rates when it comes to mortgages, auto loans and credit cards with rewards and other perks.
As you can see, a 700 credit score puts you in the “good” or “prime” category for financing, making 700 a good credit score to buy a car. While it's always a good idea to get your credit score in its best possible shape before buying a car, if you're already around the 700 range you will be good to go.
A target credit score of 661 or above should get you a new-car loan with an annual percentage rate of around 7.01% or better, or a used-car loan around 9.73% or lower. Superprime: 781-850.
Top Auto Loan Lender | Lowest APR | Term Length |
---|---|---|
PenFed Credit Union | 5.24% | 36 to 84 months |
Auto Approve | 5.24%** | 12 to 84 months |
Consumers Credit Union | 6.54% | Up to 84 months |
Auto Credit Express | Varies | Varies |
Financing a car with no credit and no co-signer is possible, but you may need to search a bit longer for a lender or make a larger down payment to get the best rates. Many dealerships offer no-credit auto loans, though we recommend avoiding buy-here, pay-here car dealers if possible.
Car dealers and auto lenders that do accept credit cards as a form of payment may also charge a convenience fee. This fee is often designed to cover the transaction fee mentioned above and can range from 2% to 4%. You should take this into consideration if you decide to purchase a car with your credit card.
It's exceedingly rare for anyone to have a credit score over 900, as most credit scoring models have a maximum limit of 850, and even achieving that score is uncommon.
A credit score of 999 from Experian is the highest you can get. It usually means you don't have many marks on your credit file and are very likely to be accepted for a loan or credit card.
To get a 999 credit score, you ideally need to have a credit history that spans several years. You might think that if you've never borrowed before and never had debt, this will work to your advantage. But in fact this means you'll have little to no credit history.
It's essential to be knowledgeable about how your auto loan process will be different than someone with a higher score. You might not have the same options, but you can still get an auto loan with a 600 credit score.
Which FICO score do auto lenders use?
The three major credit bureaus are Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. The two big credit scoring models used by auto lenders are FICO® Auto Score and Vantage.
The FICO® Auto Scores are based on a generic FICO® Score, and then the score is altered to better predict a person's likelihood of repaying an auto loan on time. Your history with auto loans could be especially important in determining your FICO® Auto Scores. VantageScore® 3.0 and 4.0.
Zero percent financing deals are generally reserved for borrowers with excellent credit — typically classified as a credit score of 800 and above. You'll want to review your credit reports before you start shopping for auto financing.
This one shouldn't surprise you, but 0 percent intro APR credit cards can help you save considerable sums of money on interest. This would be true regardless, but it's especially true if your alternative is a traditional credit card, given the average credit card interest rate is more than 20 percent.
It's a good idea to pay off your credit card balance in full whenever you're able. Carrying a monthly credit card balance can cost you in interest and increase your credit utilization rate, which is one factor used to calculate your credit scores.
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