@Shirley Martin Two of my credit card issuers include a print-out of my credit score along with each billing. Seems like no matter what I do, even misbehaving credit-wise, never changes it much, though it is never the same every month. Always ranges between 810-820. Frank
My mother had no credit score. Never had a credit card, never any debts in her name. Savings and checking account records were not enough. Let me tell you how hard it was to get satellite TV installed for her in her name at her house---impossible. They wanted a credit report, period! It wasn't that long ago either. The only alternative was to get someone else, with a credit report, to have the service installed under their name.
I think that was pretty common for our mothers' generation. My mother was the same... dad handled all the finances and she never worked outside the home. All of their financial records were likely in his name only.
@Nancy Hart Closely allied, is today's "no cash accepted" policy which has become widespread. In 1999, the guy who bought our house in Phoenix was called upon to provide a small payment to the Title Co., I forget it's purpose, but it was a couple hundred bucks. He drove in to town with cash: they refused it, no cash accepted for any purpose. It became a knock-down, drawn-out battle. I smiled, knowing our buyer was a lot like I was. Finally, an official at the company wrote his OWN personal check, and too Robert's cash! Frank
After David Sarnoff founded RCA by buying up all the independent radio stations in the USA, he used to say: "I don't get ulcers...I GIVE 'em!" There was a powerful entrepreneur! Hal
Only debt for me is mortgage and property taxes. One credit card I pay in full every month. My credit score just keeps decreasing and I could care less! It is all a criminal game. I have never been late for a payment or filed bankruptcy, but the score they give me is in the 600's. I say my score is 1000 and those agencies are just fake reporting. I was refused a preferred lease at a retirement community I was considering, because of my score. I told them they were damn fools for not checking my real record and the police record showing my ID was stole twice and the criminal reporting agencies refused to clean up the mess they created.
We use a Visa card for most of our monthly expenses; it pays 5% cash back which is a tidy sum of free money. It is paid in full monthly.
Here is information from Discover Card... https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/resources/credit-card-application-form/ Covers the question. Guess you don't have to give the info, but the CC company also can refuse to give credit.