Reserve Bank of India has proposed a major change under which credit scores will be refreshed roughly every 7 days instead of the current fortnightly or monthly cycle, by mandating much more frequent credit information updates by banks and NBFCs to Credit Information Companies (CICs). This move is aimed at making borrowers’ credit reports more current so that good behaviour (like repayments or loan closure) reflects faster and loan decisions become more accurate and fair.
What exactly is the new RBI rule of weekly update of Credit Score?
RBI’s draft “Credit Information Reporting (1st Amendment) Directions, 2025” proposes that all CICs update borrower data five times a month – on the 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th and the last day of every month. In effect, this means your credit score can refresh roughly every 7 days, replacing the older regime where reporting was monthly or, more recently, fortnightly from January 2025 onwards.
Banks and NBFCs will continue to send a full set of credit records once a month, but they must send “incremental changes” – like new loans, closures, repayments, changes in limits or borrower details – for each weekly cut‑off date. CICs are also allowed to update even more frequently than weekly if they and lenders mutually agree, so in practice some borrowers may see near real‑time changes.
Background: From monthly to 15 days to 7 days
Earlier, credit institutions reported borrower data to CICs on a monthly basis, and updates to credit scores could take several weeks. RBI then tightened the framework through its Credit Information Reporting Directions 2025, directing that credit information must be updated on a fortnightly basis (as on the 15th and last day of each month) with submission to CICs within seven days.
Consumer‑facing platforms and lenders already started communicating that credit reports would refresh every 15 days from early 2025, reducing the lag for score changes. Now, the latest draft proposal takes this a step further by effectively moving from a 15‑day cycle to roughly a 7‑day update frequency at the CIC level.
How will weekly credit score updates work?
Under the proposed system, banks will submit a complete dataset of all borrower accounts once a month by a specified cut‑off (for example, by the third day of the next month). For the weekly reporting dates, they only need to send incremental updates – such as new loans sanctioned, loans closed, EMI status changes, credit limit changes, or updated KYC details.
CICs will process these incremental files and refresh credit reports and scores five times a month, aligning all lenders and bureaus to the same schedule. If a lender fails to submit data on time, CICs have to flag these delays through RBI’s supervisory portal (DAKSH), which increases accountability for timely reporting.
What changes for borrowers?
For borrowers, the biggest change is that positive actions start reflecting faster in the credit score. If you prepay a loan, clear your credit card dues, or regularise overdue EMIs, these improvements can show up within a week instead of waiting 15–30 days. This helps especially if you are planning a new loan or credit card soon and are consciously working to improve your score just before application.
Negative behaviour – such as missing EMIs, going over credit limits, or new high‑utilisation patterns – can also impact your score more quickly. As a result, discipline in repayments and overall credit utilisation becomes even more critical because lenders will see a more “live” picture of your credit profile.
Impact on loan approvals, interest rates and credit cards
More frequent score updates mean lenders get up‑to‑date information at the time of underwriting, which can speed up loan approvals and reduce the need for manual checks. Many banks are increasingly linking interest rates, especially on unsecured loans and credit cards, to a customer’s latest credit score; with weekly updates, eligible borrowers can qualify for better pricing sooner after improving their behaviour.
Credit card eligibility decisions also become sharper because issuers see recent utilisation, new cards or closures, and repayment patterns rather than slightly outdated data. For customers rebuilding credit after past delinquencies, the recovery journey can be shorter because each month now contains multiple opportunities for the score to move up instead of just one or two.
Operational and compliance implications for Banks and NBFCs
On the backend, the rule significantly raises the bar on data quality, system robustness, and reporting timelines for banks, NBFCs, and fintech lenders. Institutions must ensure that core banking systems, LOS/LMS platforms, and data warehouses can generate incremental files and push them to all CICs within a tight turnaround time for every cut‑off date.
Compliance teams will need strong monitoring to avoid delayed or incorrect reporting, as CICs are mandated to report persistent defaulters in data submission to RBI’s Department of Supervision. Over time, this discipline should reduce mismatches in credit reports, lower customer disputes, and enhance overall trust in the credit information system.
Practical tips for consumers under the 7‑day rule
With scores updating roughly every week, consumers can strategically plan their credit actions around upcoming applications. Paying down card utilisation, avoiding fresh unsecured borrowing, and ensuring all EMIs are honoured at least one cycle before applying can now deliver visible score movement within days. Regularly checking your free credit report (as enabled under RBI’s broader CIBIL‑related rules) also becomes more useful because the data inside is more current.
If you spot an error in your report, raising a dispute with the lender and CIC should also yield faster relief, as corrected data flows into the system at shorter intervals. Overall, the new weekly update framework shifts the system from a “slow‑moving snapshot” to a near‑real‑time mirror of your credit behaviour, rewarding sustained financial discipline and transparency.