Affirm Puts a Transformer Model Behind Its Checkout Underwriting
Fintech—Marvin Evans—September 19, 2026
Affirm underwriting has moved to a transformer model, lifting completed purchases 3.4%. The explainability claim is the part worth watching.
Lending
Lending covers who is extending credit, on what data, and what happens when it goes wrong. Fintechbits follows the underwriting models behind consumer and small-business credit, the shift of origination away from banks toward platforms, and the delinquency and charge-off numbers that show whether a book was priced correctly. Buy now, pay later sits here, including the disclosure fights over how its costs are presented. Coverage includes Affirm, Klarna, Upstart, SoFi and the credit bureaus and data providers they rely on, plus the regulators deciding what an explainable credit decision looks like. Where a story is about moving the money rather than deciding who gets it, it belongs under payments.
Featured in Lending
Latest Lending
Klarna Expands StockX Partnership to the U.S. and Canada
September 17, 2026
Klarna StockX checkout went live in the U.S. and Canada on September 8, 2026. The launch extends a partnership already running in ten European markets and Australia into two of StockX's largest markets. The integration runs through Adyen. North American shoppers now get Klarna's interest-free Pay in 4 plan and longer-term financing for sneakers, apparel,
DNA Payments merchants get instant access to iwoca loans
September 15, 2026
DNA Payments iwoca integration lets UK merchants apply for a Flexi Loan of between £1,000 and £1 million without leaving the Merchant Portal or app. The application is fully digital, and approvals typically come back within minutes. Inside the DNA Payments iwoca deal The DNA Payments iwoca mechanics are familiar. DNA's payment processing already gives
FICO Fires Back With Its Own FHA Approval, Same Day as VantageScore's
September 13, 2026
FICO announced that FHA-approved lenders will be able to use FICO Score 10T for mortgage underwriting starting January 1, 2027, the exact same effective date VantageScore 4.0 got for its own FHA approval, announced within hours of FICO's release on the same morning. That is not a coincidence. It is two competing credit-scoring companies racing
VantageScore 4.0 Gets the Last Government Holdout: FHA Will Accept It in 2027
September 13, 2026
The Federal Housing Administration will start accepting VantageScore 4.0 on mortgage applications beginning January 1, 2027, closing the last gap in a rollout that's been building since May. With FHA on board, VantageScore 4.0 is now cleared across every government-sponsored mortgage channel: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Home Loan Banks, the FHA, and the
Carputty closes Series B, tops $40 million raised, but will not say how much or who wrote the newest check
September 12, 2026
The Carputty Series B is now closed, with The Presidio Group acting as exclusive financial advisor. The Atlanta company builds embedded lending infrastructure for the auto industry. Now the round takes its total capital raised past $40 million. Carputty did not disclose how much it raised. Inside the Carputty Series B A new investor joined
Credit Unions Get a Self-Service Kiosk for Shared Branching, Courtesy of a Cash-Machine Maker
September 11, 2026
Glory and Velera bring self-service shared branching to a credit union kiosk, automating deposits and withdrawals across member institutions.
Klarna Adds 0% Financing to Rare Carat Engagement Ring Checkout
September 10, 2026
Klarna engagement ring financing is now live at one of retail's highest-ticket categories. The buy now, pay later company announced a partnership with Rare Carat, one of the largest online diamond and ring retailers in the US. Shoppers can pay in full or split the cost interest-free over four payments. Beyond that, they can finance
Vision Bank Launches Shariah-Compliant Trade Finance Line for SMEs Across GCC and Asia
September 10, 2026
Vision Bank trade finance has a distribution model before it has a branch network. The Abu Dhabi Global Market lender has launched a Shariah-compliant financing line for small and mid-size exporters. It is the only homegrown Category 1 Islamic bank licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority. It targets short-term trade finance and cross-border working
POSaBIT Refinances Cannabis Payments Loan, Buys Two More Years Before Maturity
September 9, 2026
POSaBIT cannabis payments infrastructure just got cheaper to finance. The company has refinanced its $4.75 million loan with Perga Capital Partners LP. It will repay $2 million of principal over the next 18 months, push maturity from March 2028 to March 2030, and cut the interest rate from 12% to 10% immediately, with a further
Lumin Digital Rolls Out an M&A Playbook for Bank and Credit Union Mergers
September 8, 2026
Lumin Digital merger work now has a brand name. The digital banking platform markets itself as a growth platform for banks and credit unions. Now it has launched a formal framework for handling technology through mergers and acquisitions. It calls the product the M&A Readiness Advantage. Moreover it claims the framework is the first end-to-end
Members 1st Federal Credit Union Takes a Stake in Balance-Sheet Software Maker Delfi
September 8, 2026
Delfi CUSO has a third credit union investor. Delfi is a New York startup selling AI-driven balance-sheet management tools to banks and credit unions. Now Members 1st Federal Credit Union has taken a strategic stake in its credit union service organization. The Enola, Pennsylvania-based credit union has more than 630,000 members and $8 billion in
Scienaptic Notches Another Credit Union Customer, Same Script as the Last One
September 5, 2026
Scienaptic credit union deployments added another name on 1 September. Financial Center First Credit Union, a 70-year-old Indianapolis institution, went live on the AI decisioning platform, reporting a 20% reduction in losses on indirect auto loans and credit cards alongside up to 62% automated decisioning across consumer lending. What the Scienaptic Credit Union Deployment Reports