Providing select customers with insight on choices that impact their Cash App Score, and ultimately lending decisions

Underwriting behind the Cash App Score uses live financial behavior to expand credit access

Today Cash App, a part of Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ), announced a pilot program that gives select customers visibility into their Cash App Score, a near real-time measure of a Cash App customer’s financial health. The experience shows customers the score that informs their access to Cash App Borrow and empowers them to better understand how their everyday Cash App financial activity influences the score. Customers are then able to take actions within the app to strengthen their Score.

For the first time, select customers can now navigate to the Cash App Score tile within the app to view their current score alongside personalized insights. The interface highlights specific steps that may impact their score, such as maintaining funds in their Cash App Balance, depositing a paycheck, or repaying a Cash App Borrow loan on time. Shortly after customers take these actions, the app updates their score dynamically, showing progress over time.

"We've been using our near real-time underwriting models to power credit products for years," said Brian Boates, Risk Lead at Block. "What the Cash App Score pilot does is give customers transparency into how their credit eligibility is determined. For the first time, customers in the pilot can see their scores, understand what factors are influencing them, and take specific actions to build their financial health within Cash App. It's really about making something that's traditionally been opaque much more accessible to people."

The Cash App Score reflects actual financial behavior such as earning, saving, spending, and repayment rather than relying on traditional debt. More than 70% of active Cash App Borrow customers have FICO scores below 580 yet maintain 97% repayment rates, demonstrating the predictive power of behavioral data over historical credit reports.

This marks a critical moment in the evolution of credit scoring. By measuring current financial capability and giving customers visibility into how their scores are assessed, Block is helping build a system grounded in transparency, fairness, and opportunity.

How It Works

The Cash App Score builds on the same underwriting model that already powers Cash App’s credit products, continuously analyzing financial activity across the Cash App ecosystem: paycheck deposits, spending, savings balance activity, and repayment history, among other factors. The score calibrates in near real-time and is surfaced to the customer weekly to reflect current financial health within the Cash App ecosystem. We’ve used Block’s AI tools to help translate our model features into customer friendly concepts and actionable recommendations, making our state-of-the-art models accessible and digestible for customers.

Select customers can navigate to the Score tile within Cash App to view their current score and understand what drives it. The experience shows specific actions that can help improve a customer’s score, and as customers implement these behaviors, their score adjusts accordingly. The tile also reveals what increased scores can unlock—for example, a customer may see that raising their score by 20 points may grow their Cash App Borrow limit.** The broader rollout is expected to begin in 2026.

Why It Matters

Traditional credit systems rely on static, backward-looking data that often misrepresent a person’s true financial health. They overemphasize long credit histories, penalize thin files, and perpetuate biases that keep nearly 100 million Americans locked out of affordable credit. These systemic issues have also caused younger generations to lose trust in traditional credit products. For example, 63% of Gen Z who have owned a credit card have switched to another payment method, 57% of Gen Z consumers say they do not understand credit card terms, and 68% report anxiety from credit card bills.

We take a different approach. Our credit models, which power Cash App Borrow, Afterpay, and Square Loans, use near real-time financial data instead of delayed credit bureau reports. Through these products, Block has provided access to nearly $200 billion in credit globally while keeping loss rates low, demonstrating that expanding access and managing risk aren't mutually exclusive. This infrastructure has enabled 38% more Cash App Borrow loan approvals at the same loss rate compared to traditional credit underwriting, proving that models based on live financial activity are both more predictive and more inclusive for our customers.

About Cash App

Cash App is the money app. Banking* on Cash App is easy: customers can receive paychecks early with direct deposit, spend money where Visa is accepted with a personalized Cash App Card, and grow their money with a separate savings balance - all without hidden fees. Customers can also create a unique $Cashtag to share with anyone to get paid fast, make purchases with Cash App Pay, trade stocks and buy and sell bitcoin, and pay over time with Cash App Afterpay. Download Cash App for free at cash.app/download.

*Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See Terms and Conditions. Savings and direct deposit provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Afterpay is offered and managed through your Cash App account - no Afterpay account needed. Eligibility is based on several factors and is not guaranteed. Afterpay is not available in all states. Loans issued by First Electronic Bank, serviced by Square Capital, Inc. View state licenses.

**Borrow eligibility and limits depend on several factors and are subject to change. Borrow is not available in Colorado or Iowa. Borrow loans serviced by Square Financial Services, Inc. issued by First Electronic Bank or Square Financial Services, Inc.

About Block, Inc.

Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) builds technology to increase access to the global economy. Each of our brands unlocks different aspects of the economy for more people. Square makes commerce and financial services accessible to sellers. Cash App is the easy way to spend, send, and store money. Afterpay is transforming the way customers manage their spending over time. TIDAL is a music platform that empowers artists to thrive as entrepreneurs. Bitkey is a simple self-custody wallet built for bitcoin. Proto is a suite of bitcoin mining products and services. Together, we’re helping build a financial system that is open to everyone. Block.xyz

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251119528297/en/