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FICO is launching two new credit scores that include Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loans for the first time.
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The new scores use BNPL data from Equifax to help lenders better predict repayment behavior.
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Consumers who use BNPL services may see their repayment habits impact their credit standing starting in late 2025.
If you use Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services to split up purchases into smaller payments, there’s a big change coming you’ll want to know about: FICO is launching two new credit scores that include BNPL activity.
For the first time, BNPL loans — like the ones offered by companies such as Affirm, Klarna, and others — will play a role in some FICO scores.
The new scores are called FICO Score 10 Suite BNPL and FICO Score 10T BNPL, and they’re designed to give lenders a more complete picture of someone’s credit risk by including this growing form of payment.
“Buy Now, Pay Later loans are playing an increasingly important role in consumers’ financial lives,” Julie May, vice president and general manager of B2B Scores at FICO, said in a news release.
“By expanding our FICO Score 10 Suite with new models designed to incorporate BNPL data, we’re enabling lenders to more accurately evaluate credit readiness, especially for consumers whose first credit experience is through BNPL products. This innovation also supports our mission to expand financial inclusion by helping more consumers gain access to credit.”
Why this change is happening
BNPL has become one of the fastest-growing payment options in the U.S., with millions of consumers using it for everything from clothes and electronics to travel. Until now, these loans typically weren’t reported to the major credit bureaus, and they didn’t affect your credit score — positively or negatively.
FICO partnered with Equifax to change that. Using BNPL data now available in Equifax’s consumer credit files, the company developed these new scores to reflect today’s borrowing behavior more accurately.
According to FICO, adding BNPL data helps lenders better predict whether someone is likely to repay loans. In early testing, the new scores have already helped lenders identify more applicants who are likely to repay as agreed — and spot more who may be at risk of falling behind.
What it means for consumers
For everyday consumers, the biggest takeaway is this: how you use BNPL services may soon show up in certain FICO scores. That means making on-time payments could help your credit standing with lenders who use these new models. However, missing payments — or taking on more BNPL debt than you can manage — could work against you.
While these new scores aren’t replacing your regular FICO score just yet, some lenders will start using them in late 2025. That gives consumers some time to understand how BNPL fits into the bigger credit picture — and to build strong habits around repayment.
In short: If you use BNPL, treat it like any other form of credit — because now, it just might count like one.
