October 6, 2025
FICO recently announced that it will begin factoring BNPL information into its credit scoring model this fall. Experian also announced it will add data from Affirm.
After a ton of back and forth and some speculation, the freedom of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services will finally impact your credit score.
BNPL is an appealing payment option for Americans because it allows consumers to spread out the cost of a purchase over multiple payments. According to Money Wise, an overwhelming majority of Americans (86%) say they trust BNPL as a payment method, and three out of four users trust BNPL more than credit cards.
In the past, credit bureaus didn’t consider BNPL until now. FICO recently announced that it will begin factoring BNPL information into its credit scoring model this fall. Experian also announced it will add data from Affirm.
How Will Buy Now Pay Later Impact Credit
More than 30% of Americans have reportedly used a BNPL service. In 2024 alone, more than 86 million Americans used a BNPL service, up from nearly 50 million in 2021. Analysts predict that over 91 million American consumers will use a BNPL loan or service by 2025.
With FICO and Experian planning to factor in BNPL, this means late payments will impact your score now. It’s unclear at this time if using a BNPL will help your score.
FICO scores range from 300 to 850, and the five main contributing factors are payment history, credit utilization, credit length, credit mix, and the number of hard inquiries.
There are two main types of BNPL plans, according to the Consumer Protection BC. There are equal payment plans, which means you make minimum payments by set dates until the full balance is paid off. There are also Deferred payment plans, which means consumers must pay the full balance by a certain due date with no set payment amounts.
Like credit cards, it’s important to be responsible when using BNPL. Pay your bills on time and in full, and avoid taking out multiple bills at once. People fall behind simply by forgetting a payment is due.
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