Yes, Bolster is a legitimate financial wellness app. The app is fairly new, so there isn’t a long history of satisfied users, but the early reviews are positive. Many of the good reviews praise the ease of submitting TransUnion disputes, while the bad reviews focus on a lack of quick results.

Is submitting disputes to TransUnion enough?

There are three major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Each of these credit bureaus collects and reports information on how consumers use credit. But, while they perform the same function, the information they collect and report may not be the same. This can cause your credit score to differ from one bureau to the next. Bolster only supports credit monitoring and challenges through TransUnion, and TransUnion does not communicate successful disputes with Experian and Equifax. This means successful disputes with TransUnion will not update your credit reports with Experian and Equifax. If you find inaccuracies on one credit report, it's worthwhile to check all three credit reports and file disputes with all three credit bureaus.

Is credit repair a scam?

Many legitimate credit repair services help customers improve their credit scores by correcting outdated, misleading or just plain wrong information on their credit reports. However, there are also plenty of credit repair scams to watch out for. If a company promises to raise your credit score by a certain number, insists on a high upfront fee or advises you to dispute accurate information on your credit report, it could be a scam.

Can I fix my credit on my own?

All consumers have the right to contact the credit bureaus directly to correct information on their credit reports. Even if all the information on your credit report is accurate, you can fix your credit over time by using credit responsibly. This means paying your bills on time, paying down debt balances and keeping revolving credit lines active even when the balance is paid off. However, if you are overwhelmed by the process of repairing your credit or don’t have time to contact the credit bureaus, credit repair companies can make the process easier. Review the pros and cons of credit repair companies to help you decide if you should fix your own credit or work with a company.

How long does credit repair take?

Credit repair can take as little as a few months or as long as 10 years. The difference in the timeframe for improving your credit score depends on the nature of the negative marks on your credit report. A major issue, such as bankruptcy or foreclosure, can impact your score for seven to 10 years, with or without credit repair. The credit bureaus must address each dispute within 30–45 days. Disputes that result in successful removals may start improving your score immediately.

Advertiser Disclosure

Bolster Review

Written by

Amanda Garland

Edited by

Aylea Wilkins

Reviewed by

Thomas Brock, CFA, CPA

Edited by

Aylea Wilkins

Reviewed by

Thomas Brock, CFA, CPA

Updated December 16, 2024

On This Page

Bolster

Start-up fee: $0
Monthly fee: $0
Money-back guarantee: None
Maximum number of disputes: Unlimited
Types of letters to creditors/bureaus: Dispute
Pros

No cost: The Bolster app is free. However, in-app purchases are available to those who need more assistance.

Supports users in filing disputes without an intermediary: While traditional credit repair companies charge monthly fees to have credit consultants file disputes on your behalf, Bolster allows you to file disputes directly with TransUnion.

Spending habit analysis: When linked to bank accounts and credit cards, the app can track expenses and make personalized suggestions to improve spending and saving patterns.
Cons

No integration with Experian or Equifax: Bolster does not currently support filing disputes with Experian or Equifax. Even if you win a dispute filed with TransUnion via the app, and your TransUnion credit score increases, your credit scores with Experian and Equifax may remain unchanged.

In-app ads: As with nearly all free apps, users will have some in-app ads, which can be distracting.

Bolster is a free mobile app that lets you monitor your credit and finances all in one place. Advertised as a “modern approach to financial health,” the app can be linked to your bank accounts, credit cards and TransUnion credit report. With access to this information, the Bolster app gives you insights into your spending habits, customized suggestions for improving your finances, and the option to dispute inaccurate information on your TransUnion credit report.

While Bolster is not a standalone credit repair company, it is owned by the same LLC that operates Credit Saint, enabling Bolster to offer additional premium credit repair services.

Bolster services

Bolster offers the following features:

Credit monitoring
Customized financial tips
Free digital disputes to TransUnion
Premium paid credit repair services
Spending insights

As a part of Bolster’s credit monitoring features, the app will link to your TransUnion credit report and provide you with a VantageScore, which is updated monthly. When reviewing the accounts on your credit report, you can quickly submit challenges through the Bolster app if you find any errors. Unfortunately, disputes are only sent to TransUnion; you’ll need to contact Experian and Equifax independently.

By linking your bank accounts and credit cards to the app through Plaid, you’ll get an analysis of your spending habits, customized tips for improving your finances, and recommendations on financial products.

What Bolster does not cover

As a mobile app, Bolster only offers a few of the services associated with a traditional credit repair company. Currently, Bolster does not offer:

Cease-and-desist letters to debt collectors
Disputes to Equifax or Experian
FICO credit scores
Identity theft protection
Inquiry disputes

Credit repair packages

Bolster doesn't offer credit repair packages in the traditional sense.

The app is free to download, and you can submit an unlimited number of disputes on the inaccurate information on your TransUnion credit report at no additional charge. Correcting this information can potentially increase your TransUnion credit score, and the app will show you an updated score once every 30 days.

Outside of these freebies, Bolster offers a full-service credit repair package in partnership with Credit Saint. Getting started costs $39.99.

Additional features

Curated product recommendations

The app offers financial products suited to each user’s financial situation. For example, if your current credit card balances are high, you may receive a recommendation for a debt consolidation loan or balance transfer credit card. These loans, credit cards, tax services and other financial products are provided by third-party companies, not Bolster.

Paid Bolster Legal Watch

Bolster offers an in-app purchase of Bolster Legal Watch for $14.99 per month or $4.99 for one case. With this service, attorneys will review and monitor your credit report in search of legal violations by your creditors or the credit bureaus.

If violations are found, you’ll be contacted by a third-party attorney, who will have you sign a fee agreement before fighting your case. You can receive up to $1,000 per violation.

Bolster’s accessibility and availability

Because Bolsters does not provide credit repair consultants to file disputes on behalf of users, company contact information is not easily accessible.

Availability

Bolster is available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play and requires iOS 14.0 or later or Android 6.0 and up.

The Bolster app is region-locked to be accessible only to those living in the United States.

Contact information

According to Bolster’s privacy policy, the official address of the company is 221 River Street, 9th Floor in Hoboken, New Jersey, and the email address is support@bolster.co.

Instagram: @bolster.co
Facebook: none
X: none
LinkedIn

Bolster customer experience

Because Bolster is such a new service, there isn't much information about the customer experience. There are no reviews or ratings on the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs or Trustpilot.

There are dozens of ratings on the App Store and more than 1,000 ratings on the Google Play Store, but only a handful of full reviews. The overall ratings are favorable, hitting 4.8 and 4.9 stars out of five, respectively.

Contract duration

Bolster does not require a contract. Users can uninstall the app at any time.

If you made any in-app purchases for subscriptions, you'll need to cancel them separately before you delete your account or uninstall the app. If you signed up for Bolster through a third-party service, you'll have to cancel with the service provider.

Customer and third-party reviews

BBB rating: Bolster is not currently accredited or rated by the Better Business Bureau, nor does it have any customer reviews on the platform.
Consumer Affairs average rating: Consumer Affairs does not currently provide any information on Bolster.
Trustpilot average rating: Trustpilot does not currently provide any information on Bolster.
Google Play Store reviews average rating: 4.8 stars with 1,300+ ratings
Apple App Store reviews average rating: 4.9 stars with 154 ratings

Review information accurate as of December 16, 2024.

Regulatory and legal

Bolster does not appear to have any pending legal issues.

Bolster vs. alternatives

Bolster vs. Credit Saint

Credit Saint is owned by the same company as Bolster. Unlike Bolster, Credit Saint offers full-service credit repair solutions, providing three packages that range in price from $79.99–$139.99 per month (plus a one-time start-up fee ranging between $99 and $195).

With Credit Saint, credit repair consultants review your credit report and dispute errors with the credit bureaus on your behalf. Credit Saint is one of the few credit repair companies accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and it offers a 90-day money-back guarantee.

You can sign up for limited Credit Saint services directly through the Bolster app.

Bolster vs. CreditRepair.com

CreditRepair.com is an affordable option for budget-conscious consumers who would rather leverage the expertise of professionals than attempt to file disputes via the Bolster app.

Packages at CreditRepair.com start at $69.95 per month (often discounted to $49.95 per month), plus a one-time charge of $69.95 for the first work fee. The low-cost Direct package provides basic credit repair services like disputes, quarterly credit score updates and intervention letters to creditors.

There is also a Standard credit repair package, which adds FICO® Score Inquiry Assist services for $99.95 per month (plus a $99.95 first work fee) and an Advanced package that adds monthly credit score updates, more bureau challenges and cease-and-desist interventions for $119.95 per month (plus a $119.95 first work fee).

Bolster vs. The Credit Pros

The Credit Pros is known for its wide range of services. Its Build package provides financial assistance in the form of bill payment reminders, fraud alerts and budgeting systems for $69 per month (plus a $119 first work fee).

For traditional credit repair services, such as credit bureau disputes and creditor interventions, you would need the Repair package at $129 per month (plus a $129 first work fee). The Credit Pros also offers a Build & Repair package for $149 per month (plus a $149 first work fee), which includes access to a $5,000 credit line.

The Credit Pros offers a 90-day money-back guarantee on all packages.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, Bolster is a legitimate financial wellness app. The app is fairly new, so there isn’t a long history of satisfied users, but the early reviews are positive. Many of the good reviews praise the ease of submitting TransUnion disputes, while the bad reviews focus on a lack of quick results.
There are three major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Each of these credit bureaus collects and reports information on how consumers use credit. But, while they perform the same function, the information they collect and report may not be the same. This can cause your credit score to differ from one bureau to the next.

Bolster only supports credit monitoring and challenges through TransUnion, and TransUnion does not communicate successful disputes with Experian and Equifax. This means successful disputes with TransUnion will not update your credit reports with Experian and Equifax.

If you find inaccuracies on one credit report, it's worthwhile to check all three credit reports and file disputes with all three credit bureaus.
Many legitimate credit repair services help customers improve their credit scores by correcting outdated, misleading or just plain wrong information on their credit reports.

However, there are also plenty of credit repair scams to watch out for. If a company promises to raise your credit score by a certain number, insists on a high upfront fee or advises you to dispute accurate information on your credit report, it could be a scam.
All consumers have the right to contact the credit bureaus directly to correct information on their credit reports.

Even if all the information on your credit report is accurate, you can fix your credit over time by using credit responsibly. This means paying your bills on time, paying down debt balances and keeping revolving credit lines active even when the balance is paid off.

However, if you are overwhelmed by the process of repairing your credit or don’t have time to contact the credit bureaus, credit repair companies can make the process easier. Review the pros and cons of credit repair companies to help you decide if you should fix your own credit or work with a company.
Credit repair can take as little as a few months or as long as 10 years. The difference in the timeframe for improving your credit score depends on the nature of the negative marks on your credit report. A major issue, such as bankruptcy or foreclosure, can impact your score for seven to 10 years, with or without credit repair.

The credit bureaus must address each dispute within 30–45 days. Disputes that result in successful removals may start improving your score immediately.