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In collaboration with

National Bank

Build your credit

Build the payment history and credit mix of your credit report¹ with Borrowell Credit Builder.

Get Credit Builder
A phone screen that reads 'Borrowell Credit Builder' at the top. Underneath, there is a list with checkmarks next to each item. The list reads: Build your credit history, $10 per month, Access better interest rates, Achieve your financial goals. Under the list, a blue button reads 'Get Started'.

Credit Builder Subscribers Get Up To $300 Cashback with National Bank

Canada-Flag-Newcomers

Newcomers Package

  • Chequing account with no fixed monthly fees for up to 3 years
  • Access to a team 7 days a week to answer immigration questions
  • Approval for a National Bank Mastercard® credit card even with no credit history
  • Unlimited digital transactions and Interac money transfers
Bank-Card-Connected

The Connected®

  • Unlimited digital transactions
  • Free, unlimited Interac money transfers
  • $30 off the annual fee of an eligible credit card
Mortar-Board-Students

The Connected® for Youth

  • Chequing account with no monthly fees for the duration of studies (for students)
  • Unlimited digital transactions and Interac money transfers
  • $30 off the annual fee of an eligible credit card

Read the full terms and conditions

A New Way to Build Credit

You can build consistent payment behaviour to increase your credit!

  • Achieve your financial goals
  • No hard credit check when you apply
  • You can cancel anytime without financial penalty

How it Works

An image of two gold coins, one with a dollar sign written on it, and one with a checkmark on it.

Step 1

Make payments for 36 months, get your savings back at the end of the term²

A checkmark with two antennas, representing that Credit Builder reports payment information to two credit bureaus: Equifax and TransUnion

Step 2

We report your payment status to Equifax Canada

A credit score dial with the arrow pointing up and to the right

Step 3

Each on-time payment reported builds your credit history²

Who Benefits from Credit Builder?

  • Canadians who are aiming to build their credit history and diversify their credit mix

  • Those who want to build their credit to access more credit products like loans, credit cards and mortgages, and at lower interest rates
Three cartoon people: one woman wearing a pink hijab, one black man with a beard and purple t-shirt, and one white woman with long dark hair.

Credit Builder FAQs

Credit Builder is a credit building product designed with affordability in mind. Make payments for 36 months, then get savings back. All payments (including missed payments) are reported to Equifax Canada.

Positive payments reported to Equifax Canada help you build credit, which is an important factor in qualifying for lower interest rates and better offers on credit cards, mortgages, loans and more. Your payments are made automatically through a pre-authorized debit agreement, so you never have to worry about missing a payment. Borrowell does not guarantee credit score improvement, which is dependent on a number of factors such as payment history.

Credit Builder is a secured installment loan. Unlike a traditional cash loan, you don’t receive any money upon approval. As you make payments, they are reported to Equifax Canada. At the end of 36 months, your total savings will be directly deposited into your bank account. There is no hard credit check to apply.

It may not seem like your credit score impacts your daily life, but your credit score influences almost every financial move you make. A good credit score helps you access four major things:

  • Lower interest rates: Lower mortgage rates, car loans, and personal loan interest rates make your monthly payments lower, freeing more space in your budget for saving and spending.

  • Better credit terms: Higher approval chances for credit means you can make financial decisions about your future with confidence, whether you need additional funds for school, home renovations, or a new car.

  • Higher credit limits: You'll automatically qualify for higher credit limits, which gives you more financial flexibility in an emergency and makes it easier to maintain a reasonable credit utilization rate.

  • Top-tier financial products: You’ll have much higher chances to qualify for premium credit cards, such as rewards cards and cashback cards, along with other top-tier financial products.

Your Credit Builder payments are reported to Equifax Canada and will appear on your credit report as an instalment tradeline under Borrowell.

Credit Builder is available to all Borrowell members who:

  • are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident

  • are the age of majority in their province

  • have at least six months of credit history

  • have at least two tradelines (loan, line of credit, credit card, etc.) on their credit file with Equifax

  • live in Canada, excluding Quebec, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick

Starting to build your credit score from scratch might feel daunting, but with some effort and careful money management, you will be well on your way to establishing your credit.

Credit Builder is a great way to get going as it’s made for those who are starting out with credit. With every on-time payment that gets reported to Equifax, you’re building your credit history and a track record of managing credit responsibly, which will help to boost your score.

Other ways to build your credit from scratch include:

While it can take a number of years to build a high credit score from scratch, you can start building credit history and establishing a foundation for a good score with consistent on-time payments of your bills, such as your credit card, phone bills, and loans. 

By establishing a tradeline like Credit Builder and making all of your payments on time, you will signal to potential lenders that you can be trusted with credit, and this will help build the foundations for a solid credit score.

¹ To qualify for Credit Builder you must be a Canadian Citizen or a permanent resident and you must be the age of majority in your province or territory of residence. Credit Builder is not available in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Québec.

² Credit Builder is not a traditional loan where you get cash upfront. During the first 24 months, the payment consists of a program fee and savings that you'll get back. During months 25 to 36, you’ll pay $0 in fees and you'll get back the entire payment as savings. We take a fee for reporting your payment to Equifax Canada. You can cancel at any time without a cancellation fee or financial penalty.