The best and most clear way to tell if you have bad credit is by checking your credit score online. You can do this by visiting the website of a credit bureau such as TransUnion or Equifax, entering in some personal information (your name, social insurance number, etc.) and requesting your score. You'll usually receive your score immediately when going this route, but you also may have to pay a fee for the convenience or sign up for an account (depending on the company). If you don't mind waiting and would rather access your credit score for free, you can request a credit report by phone or in writing via fax or traditional mail. In general, any credit score below 560 is considered a bad credit score.