In short
Metrobank asks for a gross monthly family income of at least PHP 40,000 plus "good credit history with no negative findings". Most banks also report your loan to the Credit Information Corporation once it is approved.
If you searched a specific number like 518 or 600, that is a US-style FICO score. No Philippine bank prices a car loan off a single number like that.
- Minimum credit score named by any PH car loan lender
- None
- Metrobank's stated credit rule
- Good credit history with no negative findings
- TransUnion PH score range
- 300 (Very High Risk) to 900 (Very Low Risk)
- Metrobank article score range (2024, not a CIC figure)
- 300 to 950
- Below 650, per Metrobank's own article
- May mean difficulty applying for loans
- CIC-accredited bureaus (Special Accessing Entities)
- Advintel, CIBI, CRIF Philippines, Island Credit Solutions, Juanscore, TransUnion
What banks check instead of a credit score
Look for a minimum score on a car loan page and you will not find one. Metrobank's own car loan page states the rule plainly: applicants need "good credit history with no negative findings".
They also need a gross monthly family income of at least PHP 40,000. Metrobank also runs a Debt Burden Ratio check: your total monthly loan payments, including the new car loan, divided by your gross family monthly income.
Security Bank's blog is the most direct any lender gets on the topic: "Your credit score plays a big role in your auto loan approval".
It adds that a lower score may still get approved, just at a higher rate or with a bigger down payment. But it names no figure for either.
RCBC's own requirements page tells applicants to "check your credit report and address any issues before applying," without stating what counts as an issue.
Metrobank, BPI, Maybank, and China Bank's own application forms each carry a clause. It authorizes them to report your credit data to the Credit Information Corporation once your loan is approved.
The same clause lets them list you with any credit bureau if you fall behind later.
- Metrobank
- Good credit history with no negative findings; min. income PHP 40,000/month
- Security Bank
- Score "plays a big role"; lower score may mean higher rate or bigger down payment, no figures given
- RCBC
- "Check your credit report and address any issues before applying"
- BPI
- Reports to credit bureaus including the CIC under RA 9510 in its Auto Loan terms
The three score ranges you'll see, and why they don't agree
Three different ranges show up depending on where you look, and none of them is an official government figure.
TransUnion Philippines, a private credit bureau, uses 300 to 900, with 300 marked Very High Risk and 900 marked Very Low Risk. A Metrobank article from July 2024 states the range as 300 to 950.
A separate Metrobank article says the Philippines has no unified credit rating system at all.
Treat all three as bureau-specific or informal, not a national standard. The Credit Information Corporation is the government body that actually collects bank data under Republic Act 9510.
It does not state a score or a range anywhere it can be reached from outside the Philippines.
| Source | Range stated | Status |
|---|---|---|
| TransUnion Philippines | 300 to 900 | Private bureau's own sample report |
| Metrobank article, Jul 2024 | 300 to 950 | Bank blog, not a CIC figure |
| Metrobank article (separate) | No unified system | Contradicts the 300-950 figure |
| Credit Information Corporation | Not stated | Request your own report directly |
How to check your own credit report
TransUnion Philippines has the clearest, working request process. You request a report, submit two valid government IDs (the form calls this non-negotiable), and attend a KYC identity check by Zoom video call.
You get two reschedules if you miss the appointment; miss a third time and the request is tagged Abandoned with your payment forfeited. One report covers one application and stays valid for 45 calendar days.
TransUnion does not state the fee amount on its own form.
The Credit Information Corporation lists four consumer channels on its support site. They are the Lista app, the CreditMo app, an email request to CRIF Philippines (one of its accredited bureaus), and its own Direct-to-Consumer program.
If you want to dispute an entry, TransUnion's guidance is to contact the lender that supplied the data, not TransUnion itself.
- Choose a channel
TransUnion PH's own report request, or the CIC's Lista app, CreditMo app, or D2C program.
- 2 valid government IDs
- Complete identity verification
TransUnion runs this as a live Zoom KYC call; up to two reschedules are allowed.
- Receive your report
A TransUnion report is valid for one application and expires after 45 calendar days.
- Dispute an entry, if needed
Contact the lender that reported the data. TransUnion states it plays no role in the credit decision itself.
Will this car loan itself end up on your credit report
Yes, once it is approved. Metrobank, Maybank, and China Bank's own application forms each carry a clause.
It authorizes the bank to submit your basic credit data to the CIC after approval, consistent with Republic Act 9510.
The banks' forms also state that if you fall behind later, they can list your name with any credit bureau's negative file.
The official RA 9510 text does not load from outside the Philippines, so it is not quoted here directly. What is confirmed independently is the BSP Manual of Regulations for Banks.
It carries a borrower-data confidentiality exception letting banks exchange customer information with credit bureaus. It also has a rule that a bank which already reported a missed payment must report full repayment within five banking days after month end.
Metrobank's own form states the bank has no obligation to disclose why an application was disapproved. The exception is where the denial is based on data from the CIC.
What actually decides approval, if not a score
Income and the Debt Burden Ratio do most of the work. Metrobank defines DBR as total monthly loan payments, including the one you're applying for, divided by gross family monthly income.
Metrobank and EastWest both set a minimum monthly income of PHP 40,000; BDO sets PHP 50,000 for its family-income test.
A clean payment history on any existing loan or credit card matters because it feeds the same CIC record a new lender will pull. Even so, no bank prices that record into a stated score.
If you want to see how far your income and history actually get you, the pre-approval process at several banks gives feedback within a day.
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