Mastercard (NYSE: MA) unveiled Mastercard Credit Intelligence, which is described as a suite of solutions developed to enable lenders with inclusive insights that help them better serve consumers as well as small businesses. Harnessing Mastercard’s network and insights, Mastercard Credit Intelligence delivers analytics to inform decision-making for lenders – opening doors to financing opportunities. The solution is offered in select markets.
Access to credit is a catalyst for growth – “helping individuals get a mortgage and buy a home or fueling a small business.”
With Mastercard Credit Intelligence, Mastercard is creating more of these opportunities by helping lenders “reduce the time analyzing and customizing underwriting decisions.”
When a lender pairs this information with other resources “like credit bureau history and telco data, they can capture a more holistic picture of the borrower.”
Kaushik Gopal, executive vice president, Business & Market Insights, Mastercard said that a healthy digital economy is “an inclusive one – and with the right insights, our trusted network and deep expertise, we can create new opportunities for consumers and small businesses who may have traditionally been overlooked.”
This means, for instance, that a bank reviewing a loan from “a 25-year-old with a thin credit file can, with the applicant’s permission, access Mastercard network insights – such as transaction types, categories and identity signals.”
This helps the lender broaden their view of that “applicant’s financial picture, potentially uncovering unforeseen opportunities.”
Similarly, a lender evaluating a small business looking to open a new location can secure an assessment from Mastercard that “includes historical transaction insights not typically found in traditional assessments.”
Mastercard Credit Intelligence is fueling “global momentum – with partnerships across the U.S., Philippines, UAE, Australia and Brazil that unlock smarter, faster lending opportunities. ”
Brazilian acquirer Stone is leveraging the suite to “strengthen the solutions they offer their merchant customer base, supporting sustainable growth for local small and medium-sized businesses. ”
In the U.S., Mastercard’s open finance program enhances small business underwriting opportunities by integrating “permissioned financial information including cash flow analytics and payment risk insights.”
With the additional view, lenders can gain a “view of a small business’s financial picture.”
Jess Turner, executive vice president, global head of Open Finance and Developer Experience, Mastercard said that permissioned data is the cornerstone of open finance – fueling “not only new financial experiences, but strengthening traditional ones like small business lending.”
Turner added that working with their partners to intelligently put alternative data to work, they can enable small businesses “to start, grow and thrive.”
Mastercard encourages FIs, fintechs, credit bureaus and tech partners to take part in the effort to shape the future of more inclusive lending.
Mastercard Credit Intelligence solutions for consumers and small businesses in available markets are offered via Mastercard Developers.
There, developers and partners are able to access documentation and agentic-powered tools to support API integration.