Quick summary
In June 2025 FICO announced two new credit-score variants—FICO Score 10 BNPL and FICO Score 10 T BNPL—that explicitly incorporate Buy‑Now‑Pay‑Later (BNPL) data so lenders can see BNPL repayment behavior alongside traditional tradelines. FICO said the BNPL versions will be offered side‑by‑side with existing FICO scores and are expected to be available to lenders in Fall 2025.
This change matters because more BNPL activity is being reported to credit files (by some providers), and FICO’s new models change how that activity is treated inside a score — sometimes helping consumers with on‑time BNPL histories and sometimes penalizing missed BNPL payments. Below we explain how the models work, which BNPL plans already report, likely timing and lender adoption, and practical steps you can take to avoid surprises.
How FICO’s BNPL scores are designed (and what that means for you)
FICO’s release explains two important design choices:
- Inclusion of BNPL data: The new models pull BNPL payment history into the score calculation, giving lenders visibility into short‑term installment behavior that previously might have been invisible.
- Aggregation to avoid over‑penalizing: FICO found that many BNPL loans are opened in rapid succession, so it aggregates separate short BNPL loans in certain in‑model variables to avoid double‑counting the same consumer behavior as many independent, high‑risk tradelines. That treatment can raise scores for some consumers who manage multiple small BNPL plans responsibly.
Bottom line: if your BNPL accounts are reported and you pay on time, the BNPL versions of FICO 10 can either be neutral or beneficial for your score; if you miss payments that get reported, you will likely see negative effects — sometimes sooner than with a credit card because BNPL delinquencies can be reported quickly. For context on how scoring vendors and personal‑finance outlets summarized this change, see coverage from Bloomberg and NerdWallet.
Which BNPL providers already report — and what to check
Not all BNPL plans are identical when it comes to reporting. Examples documented in public reporting include:
- Apple Pay Later — Experian began including Apple Pay Later tradelines on consumer Experian files; Apple and Experian publicly confirmed that BNPL entries would appear on Experian credit reports. That means Apple Pay Later loans can already show up on at least one bureau’s file.
- Sezzle (Sezzle Up) — Sezzle’s optional subscription product (Sezzle Up) is marketed as reporting to all three major bureaus for consumers who opt in, meaning those payments can appear across files. Check a provider’s product terms if they offer an explicit credit‑building tier.
- Affirm and other large BNPL players — BNPL reporting policies have been evolving: some Affirm loans (especially longer‑term installment loans) have been reported to bureaus in recent years, while short "pay‑in‑4" plans historically were less likely to report unless delinquent. Because provider policies vary by product, merchant and timing, it’s important to confirm the exact reporting behavior for the product you used.
Practical checklist: verify whether your BNPL account (or optional subscription) reports and which bureaus it reports to; save receipts and loan terms; and watch for a first tradeline appearing 30–60 days after the first scheduled payment in many cases. If you don’t see reporting but expect it, contact the BNPL company and the relevant bureau to confirm.