TransUnion Philippines, an information and insights company, and Mastercard, a global technology company in the payments industry, are working together to help financial institutions gain a broader and more timely view of Filipinos’ financial behavior following a pilot program.
The collaboration combines TransUnion’s credit, identity, and alternative data insights with Mastercard’s aggregated transaction intelligence. The goal is to help lenders make better credit decisions, engage customers more effectively, and support growth in the Philippines’ lending ecosystem.
“This collaboration builds on TransUnion’s existing strengths in alternative data and analytics,” said Peter Faulhaber, president and CEO at TransUnion Philippines. “By enriching our existing insights with Mastercard’s behavioral data, we’re helping institutions make more confident decisions while ensuring more Filipinos, especially those with limited credit histories, can be offered fair and relevant access to the financial system.”
TransUnion, a private credit reference agency, provides financial institutions with data that helps assess a consumer’s ability and likelihood to manage credit responsibly. This includes insights on people who may not yet have traditional credit products such as credit cards or personal loans.
Mastercard contributes behavioral signals based on aggregated indicators of spending activity. These insights add another layer of information that can help lenders understand consumers’ financial capacity and potential risk.
The combined data is particularly useful for evaluating New-to-Credit consumers, or individuals with no credit history, and “thin-file” borrowers who have very limited credit records. These groups are often difficult for banks and lenders to assess using traditional credit data alone.
With additional behavioral signals, lenders can better identify credit-ready consumers and streamline application reviews. The expanded data also allows financial institutions to tailor loan products and credit offerings based on a customer’s actual financial activity.
The collaboration also helps lenders distinguish between applicants who may appear similar on traditional credit reports. By adding spending patterns and other behavioral indicators, financial institutions gain deeper insights into consumer financial habits and potential opportunities within their existing customer portfolios.
For consumers, the companies said the improved data analysis could lead to faster and more accurate credit decisions. Applicants may also receive loan or credit products that better match their financial situation.
“Mastercard is committed to strengthening the foundations of a more inclusive financial ecosystem,” said Jason Crasto, Country Manager for Mastercard in the Philippines. “Our collaboration with TransUnion brings together complementary data assets that help financial institutions see a fuller picture of everyday economic participation. This combined intelligence enables lenders to design responsibly, grow sustainably and extend credit opportunities to people who have historically been underserved.”
Beyond expanding data coverage, Mastercard has also worked with TransUnion through its consulting services to improve financial institutions’ data strategies. These efforts include helping lenders optimize portfolio margins and strengthen collections strategies.
The companies said the partnership could contribute to broader financial inclusion in the Philippines by helping more Filipinos gain access to credit and other financial services, particularly those who have traditionally been underserved by the formal financial system.