U.S. Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs ranking member Elizabeth Warren asks Experian Equifax and TransUnion how BNPL loans are handled in credit reports

Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth and Mazie Hirono, sent letters to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion seeking details on how the credit reporting companies are incorporating Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) products into consumers’ credit reports. The lawmakers said consumers face inconsistent treatment because BNPL data is reported by only some lenders to only some credit reporting companies, with potentially different effects on credit files and scores. The letters frame the request around concerns about opaque credit reporting and scoring practices, as well as the expanding use of consumer data by credit reporting companies. They note that, in a November 2025 inquiry to seven BNPL providers, most said they do not automatically furnish BNPL loan data to major credit bureaus, with one notable exception. According to the senators, providers raised concerns that credit reporting companies could add unnecessary tradelines, fail to handle product returns properly, lower customers’ credit scores based on their interpretation of BNPL data, or use broader categories of data in ways that affect scores. The senators requested responses from each company by May 18, 2026.