Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFRM) is expanding the credit reporting of its pay-over-time products to TransUnion (NYSE: TRU), the companies jointly announced today. All Affirm pay-over-time loans issued from May 1 onward, including Pay in 4 and longer-term monthly installments, will be reported to TransUnion.
Consumers will see details about all Affirm transactions on their TransUnion credit files, though these transactions will not be factored into traditional credit scores nor visible to lenders in the near term. As more pay-over-time providers report account information to the credit bureaus, lenders who request TransUnion credit reports will also be able to view consumers’ pay-over-time history. In the future, as new credit scoring models are developed, this information may factor into consumers’ scores, with the aim of supporting more informed lending decisions and helping consumers build their credit histories.
“Affirm is committed to protecting and empowering consumers through our products and practices – from having no late or hidden fees to supporting positive credit outcomes through responsible lending,” said its president Libor Michalek. “Including all loans in a consumer’s credit profile is a crucial step toward making Affirm’s honest financial products even more mainstream. We look forward to TransUnion’s partnership as we continue to drive greater adoption of Affirm and further our position as the most pro-consumer provider in the industry, offering unmatched flexibility and transparency.”
TransUnion research found nearly 40% of consumers who haven’t used buy now, pay later are likely or very likely to use them in the future. Notably, a higher 53% of non-users would be likely or very likely to use them if they had the potential to have a positive impact on credit scores.
“Affirm’s loan furnishing to TransUnion is an exciting milestone for the industry,” said Steve Chaouki, president, U.S. Markets and Consumer Interactive, TransUnion. “Millions of consumers use (its) pay-over-time financing and they deserve to get credit for their payment behavior.”
Affirm said it will continue to work closely with other industry stakeholders to standardize policies for furnishing information across loan products.