Credit Risk Assessment Using Payment Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Merchants face challenges in accurately assessing the creditworthiness of new users during the on-boarding process, particularly in industries like BNPL, shared mobility, and EV charging, due to limited available data.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that allow Merchants to obtain additional payment-related risk scoring information from Financial Institutions, using a User's PAN, to enhance credit risk assessments and improve decision-making.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If Merchants use traditional credit assessment methods with limited user data, then the on-boarding process remains simple and fast, but the accuracy of creditworthiness assessment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveon-boarding speedVSAvoidcreditworthiness assessment accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The Financial Institution performs preliminary risk scoring and generates payment-related risk information before the Merchant makes the credit decision. This pre-processing of credit data allows the Merchant to make faster decisions without sacrificing assessment quality, as the complex analysis has already been completed by the Financial Institution using their specialized models and data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The Financial Institution acts as an intermediary between the User and the Merchant, providing specialized credit assessment services. The Financial Institution collects and analyzes payment data, then transmits the processed risk scoring information to the Merchant, enabling the Merchant to make informed credit decisions without needing to build their own complex assessment systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If Merchants collect and analyze more user data for risk assessment, then the accuracy of credit risk assessment improves, but the complexity of the assessment system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecredit risk assessment accuracyVSAvoidassessment system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The complex data collection and analysis functions are extracted from the Merchant's system and transferred to the Financial Institution. The Financial Institution handles data gathering, processing, and risk scoring, then provides the results to the Merchant. This extraction allows the Merchant to achieve accurate risk assessment without maintaining a complex assessment infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The Financial Institution serves as an intermediary that handles the complexity of data collection and analysis. By delegating these functions to the Financial Institution, the Merchant can obtain accurate risk assessments through a simple interface without needing to manage the underlying system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If Merchants implement pre-authorisation models to control credit risk, then fraud control improves, but the user experience deteriorates due to higher initial amounts being locked

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefraud controlVSAvoiduser experience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The Financial Institution performs preliminary risk scoring before the Merchant locks any funds. By assessing creditworthiness in advance using payment-related risk information, the system can determine appropriate pre-authorisation amounts or alternative credit terms, reducing the need for high initial locks while maintaining fraud control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of pre-authorisation amounts based on the risk scoring provided by the Financial Institution. Users with lower risk scores may have reduced or no pre-authorisation requirements, while higher risk users may face higher locks or different payment terms. This dynamic adjustment maintains fraud control while improving user experience for low-risk customers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4557206A1Method and system for improving credit risk assessment
Publication Date: 2025.05.21 MASTERCARD INT INC
  • EP4557206A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4557206A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4557206A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Method for processing a credit risk assessment, comprising the steps of: - Requesting, by a User, a product and/or service provided by a Merchant and presenting a PAN as payment method, - Receiving, by the Merchant, said request and said PAN, - Sending, by the Merchant, a request to the User to collect the consent of the User to obtain from the Financial Institution responsible for the payment processing of payments linked with the PAN payment related risk scoring information concerning the PAN, - Sending, by the Merchant, a request to said Financial Institution to obtain said payment related risk scoring information, - Sending, by the Financial Institution, the requested payment related risk scoring information to the Merchant, - Processing, by the Merchant, of a credit risk assessment using the received payment related risk scoring information, and - Taking, by the Merchant, a decision on the grant of a credit to the User.