Integration of Buy Now, Pay Later Data into U.S. Credit Scoring Models
FICO and other credit scoring entities are launching new models in late 2025 and 2026 that incorporate 'buy now, pay later' installment data into consumer credit assessments.
Aggregated from 5 sources · Updated 26 Aug 2026, 04:04 UTC (UTC)
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5 sourcesBlindspot Alert: Center Gap
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Facts (10)
- Established
FICO announced the launch of FICO Score 10 BNPL and FICO Score 10 T BNPL, the first models from the provider to include buy now, pay later data.
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The new FICO BNPL-enhanced scoring models are expected to be available to lenders in the fall of 2025.
- EstablishedNiche Signal
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will accept VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T, which both factor in alternative payment data like rent and utilities.
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FICO's new models use an algorithmic approach to aggregate multiple concurrent BNPL loans into single variables to prevent a high volume of small loans from disproportionately lowering a score.
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A joint study by FICO and Affirm involving 500,000 consumers found that 85% of BNPL users experienced score changes of fewer than 10 points when BNPL data was applied.
- EstablishedNiche Signal
Approximately 53.6 million U.S. consumers, or one in five adults, used a BNPL loan in 2023.
- Established
Major BNPL providers including Affirm and Klarna have begun reporting some repayment data to major credit bureaus such as Experian and TransUnion.
- EmergingNiche Signal
The total real transaction value of the BNPL market reached an estimated $70 billion in 2025, growing approximately 20 percent annually since 2021.
- EmergingNiche Signal
Fannie Mae eliminated the minimum 620 credit score requirement for its Desktop Underwriter loans in November 2025.
- AttributionNiche Signal
Julie May of FICO stated that the new models are intended to help lenders accurately evaluate credit readiness for consumers whose first credit experience is through BNPL.