Alternative Data Sources for Credit Invisibles: New Ways to Build Credit

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What It Means to Credit Invisibles‍

For underserved populations, alternative data can be a game-changer. These include individuals who may:

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• Lack credit history, but pay rent or mobile bills on time
• Have stable incomes reflected in bank transaction patterns
• Display low-risk behaviour through digital consistency
  
  

Major financial institutions are increasingly relying on non-traditional data—such as deposit history, utility payments, and account activity—to assess creditworthiness for previously underserved borrowers. 

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According to LexisNexis’ 2024 Global Consumer Lending Confidence Report, 66% of lenders are now looking to expand the use of such alternative credit data for risk assessment. 

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By analysing these alternative signals, lenders create real opportunities for credit-invisible individuals to participate in the financial mainstream.

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‍Digital technology can drive global financial inclusion by integrating alternative data sources into credit scoring and lending processes, where credit invisibles could build their credit history and scores.

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What It Means to Financial Institutions

Incorporating alternative data for credit scoring allows lenders to:

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• Expand their market reach without raising risk levels
• Reduce defaults by identifying trustworthy non-traditional borrowers
• Achieve higher approval rates with fewer manual interventions
  
  

Credolab’s SDK (captures real-time behavioural data:

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• Tap/swipe frequency and typing speed
• App usage rhythm
• Device configuration and security status
  
  

Our embedded scoring technology turns this metadata into powerful credit risk analytics, enabling instant, accurate, and regulatory-compliant decisions.

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This proves home instrumental alternative data is for lending. 

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With this type of data, financial institutions can increase financial inclusion while uncovering new lending opportunities for themselves.

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Banks and fintech companies are increasingly adopting Alternative Credit Scoring to evaluate borrowers who lack traditional credit histories.

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Who Are Credit Invisibles?

Credit invisibles are individuals without a formal credit record. They include:

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• Young adults and students
• Immigrants
• Gig economy workers
• Underbanked ethnic communities
  
  

Financial exclusion is a global concern, especially across Latin America, Southeast Asia, and EMEA. 

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In Latin America, formal credit access remains elusive—about 57% of adults in low-income groups and 40% in rural areas lack banking services. 

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This leaves many reliant on informal means like mobile wallets and utility payments to participate in the economy. 

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Emerging data reinforces this trend. In 2025, nearly 70% of Southeast Asia’s (SEA) population remains unbanked or underbanked, highlighting the persistent financial exclusion faced by millions who lack access to traditional credit and banking services.

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Financial exclusion remains widespread across EMEA regions. Although credit card ownership data is sparse, the Global Findex 2025 reveals that only 75% of adults in low- and middle-income economies—many found in Africa and parts of the Middle East—now have a financial account, leaving substantial gaps in using formal borrowing channels.

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Recognising this gap, modern lenders are turning to alternative data for credit scoring to help bridge the divide and include a broader range of financially active consumers.

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Limitations of Traditional Credit Scoring‍

Traditional credit models rely on financial behaviours like credit card use, loan repayments, and length of credit history. However, they:

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• Exclude responsible but thin-file borrowers
• Reflect structural biases
• Provide limited real-time insights
• React slowly to adapt during crises
  
  

The shortcomings of legacy systems have led lenders and fintechs to explore alternative credit scoring models, which offer adaptive, real-time risk assessments. 

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These models help financial institutions identify good borrowers who otherwise would be overlooked.

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In addition to exclusion, traditional models often fail to reflect recent behavioural shifts, such as the responsible use of mobile wallets or consistent utility payments. 

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During economic shocks or changes in income patterns, traditional scores can lag behind, missing early signs of improvement or distress. 

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This delay makes risk evaluation less accurate and equitable, further reinforcing the need for more dynamic and inclusive scoring approaches.

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What Counts as Alternative Data?‍

Common sources of alternative data include:

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• Rent, telecom, and utility payments
• Bank account transactions and salary deposits
• Mobile wallet usage and payment histories
• App usage behaviour and operating system data
• Typing patterns and tap/swipe dynamics
• Psychometric surveys and digital behavioural cues
  
  

These insights are gathered with user consent and processed securely. 

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With machine learning in credit scoring, this alternative data is transformed into accurate and predictive risk scores, helping lenders extend credit more inclusively.

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How Lenders Use Alternative Data: Pilot Examples‍

In the U.S., a pilot programme led by JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and other major institutions used alternative data for credit scoring to evaluate customers based on their checking and savings behaviours, overdraft activity, and account balances. 

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This approach enabled lenders to extend credit to 45 million previously unscorable individuals. 

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Notably, default rates decreased as behaviour-based insights proved more reliable than traditional metrics, and approval processes became significantly faster thanks to fewer manual interventions.

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Similar success stories are emerging globally. A consumer finance company in the Philippines embedded Credolab’s SDK into its app, achieving a 58% drop in delinquency within two quarters. 

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Similarly, an Indonesian bank integrated the SDK for personal loans, cutting defaults by 37% while maintaining approval rates. 

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These results underscore the growing credibility of alternative data and its effectiveness in expanding financial access while preserving portfolio quality.

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The Technology Behind Credolab’s Model

Credolab stands at the forefront of inclusive finance by applying proprietary machine learning in credit scoring to over 11 million behavioural features. 

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Our technology securely extracts device and behavioural metadata from mobile devices—such as app usage patterns, tap behaviour, and device configuration—without accessing personal content, ensuring anonymity. 

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All data is collected only with user consent and remains fully anonymised, ensuring the highest standards of privacy protection.

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Unlike conventional models that rely on centralised data processing, Credolab’s scoring engine processes information directly on the user’s device. 

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This on-device approach not only enhances data security but also supports low-data environments often found in emerging markets. 

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Our system incorporates regulatory-grade explainability, advanced graph modelling, and bias mitigation techniques. 

These innovations work together to produce precise, ethical, and transparent credit risk analytics that empower lenders to make fairer, faster decisions.

Benefits for Consumers & Lenders‍

For consumers, Alternative Credit Scoring opens up improved access to financial services, often at lower rates. It allows individuals to gain approval even without a formal credit history, while also supporting personalised risk pricing based on behaviour. 

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The process becomes easier and faster, with onboarding that can be completed directly through a mobile device.

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For lenders, the advantages are equally significant. They can expand into new markets while reducing overall risk. 

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Embedding device metadata in credit scoring models is gaining traction. These insights, often anonymised and consent-based, yield deep behavioural signals that traditional bureau data misses—boosting predictive accuracy with minimal overlap. 

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This approach is now being embraced by innovators across fintech and credit risk platforms.

Compliance, Ethics & Privacy‍

Credolab adheres to strict compliance standards. Our technology:

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• Collects no personal identifiers (PII)
• Requires active user consent
• Is certified under GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados—General Data Protection Law, Brazil), PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act) and LFPDPPP (Ley Federal de Protección de Datos Personales en Posesión de los Particulares—Federal Law on Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties, Mexico)
  
  

Our scores are explainable and can be audited by institutions and regulators. Consumers can request the rationale behind their scores, reinforcing transparency and fairness.

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Case Study: Credolab & Bank Partners‍

Our Solution in Detail: Embedded Scoring, Credolab SDK

‍In the Philippines, a consumer finance company embedded the SDK into its app and achieved a 58% drop in delinquency within two quarters. 

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In Indonesia, a bank used the SDK solution for personal loans and reduced defaults by 37% while maintaining strong approval rates. 

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Similarly, in Mexico, embedding the SDK into short-term loan apps decreased delinquency by 34%, proving its effectiveness in managing portfolio risk.

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Highlight Impact: Speed, Approval Rates, Fraud Reduction‍

• 60% faster approvals via mobile onboarding
• 25% drop in fraud rates from device tampering detection
• 40% expansion in the eligible borrower pool through alternative signals

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Global Perspective & Emerging Markets‍

World Bank Standards, Success Stories Across LATAM, SEA, and EMEA Emerging Markets‍

Emerging economies in LATAM, SEA, and EMEA are showing how alternative credit data can transform financial access. 

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The World Bank’s 2024 Financial Inclusion Report highlights that over 1.4 billion adults worldwide remain unbanked, with the majority concentrated in these regions. 

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Practical examples illustrate the shift. In the Philippines, a consumer finance company used CredoSDK in its app, achieving a 58% drop in delinquency within two quarters. 

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In Mexico, a short-term lender cut delinquency by 34% after embedding mobile-based risk models into its loan process. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, one bank boosted loan approvals by 27% in a single quarter, while keeping defaults nearly flat. 

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These examples illustrate how institutions in LATAM and SEA are strengthening portfolios while opening credit access to new segments.

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Opportunities in Developing Economies‍

These cases underline the scale of opportunity in developing markets. With mobile-first populations expanding rapidly, millions of consumers remain “credit invisible” because they lack formal credit histories. 

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Yet, they are financially active through rent payments, digital wallets, and utility bills. Alternative scoring systems can capture this behaviour while meeting privacy-first standards.

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The World Bank (2024) notes that governments across LATAM, SEA, and Africa are encouraging non-traditional data frameworks to widen credit access and reduce systemic bias in lending.

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For lenders, adopting such models not only reduces portfolio risk but also helps bridge the financial inclusion gap, bringing millions closer to affordable credit.

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Call to Action: For Lenders & Policymakers‍

• Lenders: Rethink credit assessment by adopting mobile metadata and behaviour-driven scoring. 
• Policymakers: Enable innovation through clear regulations. Promote privacy-centric, consent-driven scoring practices to ensure inclusive financial ecosystems.

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A collaborative shift toward alternative models can benefit economies, financial institutions, and communities alike.

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Conclusion: A Path to Inclusive Credit Futures‍

What is alternative data? It’s the set of behavioural and transactional signals that offer deeper, real-time insights into financial trustworthiness.

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With the power of machine learning and alternative credit data, organisations like Credolab are helping lenders move beyond the constraints of traditional credit systems. The result is a more equitable, transparent, and dynamic credit landscape.

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By blending privacy-first practices with on-device analytics, Credolab ensures that everyone, regardless of history, has a fair chance at accessing credit.

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Lenders who adopt these forward-thinking models now will be best positioned to serve emerging markets, comply with evolving regulations, and meet the needs of tomorrow’s borrowers.

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This creates long-term value for both businesses and consumers.

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FAQs

What is alternative data in credit scoring?

It includes behavioural and transactional information like rent payments, utility usage, and mobile activity—used to assess creditworthiness.

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How can alternative data help credit invisibles?

It allows lenders to evaluate applicants without a formal credit history by using smartphone behaviour, financial patterns, and consented metadata.

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Is using alternative credit data legal and compliant?

Yes. Credolab's tools comply with GDPR, LGPD, CCPA, PDPA and LFPDPPP to ensure user consent and anonymised data collection.

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Which types of alternative data are most commonly used by lenders?

Bank transactions, digital wallets, telecom payments, mobile usage patterns, and behavioural signals from device activity.