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Credit Karma Terms of Service

Last updated: January 2026 | Reviewed: February 2026

Free credit monitoring service owned by Intuit. Ad-supported model means your data powers targeted financial product recommendations.

52
Grade C
Bottom Line: Credit Karma offers genuinely free credit monitoring, but the trade-off is clear: your financial data powers a sophisticated recommendation engine that profits from steering you toward financial products. The terms are relatively transparent about this model, but users should understand they are the product, not the customer.

Category Scores

Data Monetization Transparency 55/100
Account Security & Control 62/100
Credit Bureau Data Access 48/100
Dispute Resolution 45/100
Service Accuracy Disclaimer 50/100

Key Findings

⚠ You Are The Product
Credit Karma explicitly monetizes your data by using it to recommend financial products. When you click through to offers, Credit Karma receives referral fees from lenders and card issuers.
"We may use information about you to match you with offers for financial products and services. We receive compensation when you apply for or open accounts through our recommendations."
⚠ Score May Differ From Lenders
Credit Karma provides VantageScore, not FICO scores. Since most lenders use FICO, the score you see may differ significantly from what a lender sees when you apply for credit.
"The credit scores provided are VantageScore 3.0 credit scores. These are not the scores used by all lenders, and lenders may use different scores when evaluating your creditworthiness."
⚠ Broad Data Sharing With Intuit
Since Intuit's acquisition, Credit Karma data may be combined with TurboTax, QuickBooks, and Mint data to build comprehensive financial profiles.
"As part of the Intuit family, we may share information with our affiliates to provide you with integrated services and personalized offers across our platforms."
⚠ Mandatory Arbitration
Disputes must go through binding arbitration rather than court. Class action waiver included. You have 30 days from account creation to opt out.

Comparison: Credit Monitoring Services

FeatureCredit KarmaLexington LawSelf
CostFree$99-149/mo$25-48/mo
Score TypeVantageScoreFICO + VantageVaries
Data MonetizationYesLimitedLimited
Arbitration RequiredYesYesYes
Accuracy GuaranteeNoNoNo

Related Resources

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