Bills such as rent, utilities, and phone service aren't typically included in your credit reports. Bill reporting apps can change that by verifying eligible payments and sending them to one or more credit bureaus.
The best bill reporting apps vary based on what you pay and which credit reports you want to reach. Compare coverage, cost, and reporting bureaus can help you choose the right service.
The top bill reporting apps to build credit
Features, pricing, eligibility, and bureau reporting can change, so check the provider's current terms before signing up.
Kikoff
Kikoff Bill Reporting lets you add certain recurring household payments to your TransUnion credit file. Connect the bank account you use to pay eligible bills and choose the payments you want reported.
What Kikoff can report
Bill Reporting covers eligible phone, electricity, natural gas, and water payments. Successful payments are reported to TransUnion monthly, and Kikoff says it doesn't report late bill payments.
Bill Reporting is included with the Kikoff Premium and Ultimate Credit Service plans. Kikoff also offers separate Rent Reporting, which reports eligible rent payments to Equifax and TransUnion.
Who Kikoff may be a fit for
Kikoff could make sense if you consistently pay utilities or phone bills on time and want to add those payments to your TransUnion file. It's worth considering if you want other credit-building features in the same app.
Experian Boost
Experian Boost is a free service that searches connected accounts for eligible recurring payments and adds qualifying payments to your Experian credit file.
What Experian Boost can report
Eligible payments can include cell phone, utility, rent, insurance, and certain other recurring bills. Connect the accounts you use to pay your bills and choose which eligible payments you want added.
Limits to know
Experian Boost affects your Experian credit file rather than all three major credit bureaus. Additionally, not every bill qualifies, and not every lender uses Experian or a credit scoring model affected by Boost.
Self rent reporting
Self's Rent and Bills Reporting combines rent reporting with the ability to report certain recurring bills.
What Self can report
Eligible rent payments can be reported to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Utility and cell phone payments are reported to TransUnion.
The service costs $6.95 per month and allows up to five eligible payments. Self offers optional historical reporting for eligible past payments.
Who Self may be a fit for
Self could be useful if rent is the primary payment you want added to all three major bureaus. It may also work for renters who want to combine rent with utilities or phone payments.
StellarFi
StellarFi previously offered a service designed around paying and reporting bills, but the company transitioned from that legacy product to its Smart Card in 2026.
What StellarFi can report
StellarFi Smart Card works more like a credit-building credit card than a traditional bill reporting app. Payment activity associated with the card is reported to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
When you use the card for recurring expenses, you're building payment history through card use rather than StellarFi independently adding utility payments to your reports.
Costs and limits to compare
StellarFi's current card levels can carry annual fees ranging from $0 to $99, depending on the card and agreement. Some applicants may also need a refundable security deposit.
Boom
Boom focuses on helping renters get their payments added to credit reports.
What Boom can report
Boom reports verified rent payments to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It works with many payment methods, including ACH, checks, Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App, as long as Boom can trace the payment to your bank account.
Ongoing reporting costs $5 per month, billed as $60 annually. You can also add up to 24 months of eligible past rent history for a one-time $25 fee.
Who Boom may be a fit for
Boom may make sense if rent is the main bill you want reported and you want reporting to all three bureaus. However, it doesn't provide broader utility and phone reporting.
Extra
Rather than finding bills in your bank account and reporting them, Extra provides a debit card connected to a line of credit called Spend Power.
How debit card reporting works
Connect an eligible bank account and receive Spend Power based partly on your available balance. Extra advances funds when you use its debit card, then collects the money from your linked bank account.
Payment activity is reported to Equifax and Experian. Everyday purchases contribute to reported credit history.
Costs and limits to compare
Extra's Credit Building plan costs $20 per month or $149 annually, while its Credit Building + Rewards plan costs $25 per month or $199 annually. Extra can report both on-time and late payments, so maintain enough money in your linked account to cover transactions.
How to choose a bill reporting app
Decide what you want reported: rent reporting, getting credit for utility bills, or both.
Which bills are eligible
Review recurring expenses and compare them with each provider's eligible payments. Rent, electricity, natural gas, water, cell phone service, and insurance are among payments that may qualify, depending on the app.
Which credit bureaus receive reports
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports can contain different information, so check where the app sends your payments.
Fees, cancellation rules, and reporting limits
Compare monthly or annual fees. Check whether historical reporting costs extra, how many payments can be reported, and what happens to the reported account if you cancel.
Do bill reporting apps actually build credit?
Bill reporting can help establish positive payment history when eligible payments are added to your credit reports. However, adding bills doesn't guarantee a credit outcome.
Why payment history matters
Payment history accounts for 35% of a typical FICO Score. Adding eligible on-time payments can give scoring models additional payment information to evaluate.
Why results can vary by credit profile and scoring model
Results depend on the rest of your credit file and the scoring model used. A person with limited credit history may see different results than someone with several established accounts.
Not every scoring model treats alternative data such as rent and utility payments the same way. A lender could pull a credit report from a bureau that didn't receive your reported bills.
Bottom line
The best bill reporting apps turn payments you're already making into information that can become part of your credit history.
Before signing up, compare eligible payments, credit bureaus, and fees. A reporting service is most useful when it matches the bills you reliably pay and the credit files you want to establish.
Kikoff Bill Reporting can report eligible phone, electricity, natural gas, and water payments to TransUnion each month. Start building positive credit history with Kikoff.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is meant for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
