Affirm BNPL Credit Reporting · Investigation
Attorney Advertising · Kahn Swick & Foti, LLP · Los Angeles, California
Did Affirm’s “Buy Now, Pay Later” hurt your credit?
Affirm tells shoppers its loans have “No impact to credit score.” Attorneys are investigating whether that representation is misleading — and whether Experian and TransUnion placed paid‑on‑time Affirm loans in a credit‑file category that lowers scores. If you paid on time and your score still dropped, or you were denied or given worse terms on a mortgage, car loan, credit card, or apartment, you may have a claim.
What’s being investigated
Affirm markets Buy Now, Pay Later as safe for your credit. At some merchant checkouts, the pitch is as plain as this:
Attorneys are investigating two connected practices:
Affirm’s representation
Affirm has reported its monthly installment loans to the credit bureaus as ordinary installment accounts since 2016, and since spring 2025 it has furnished every new loan, including Pay in 4, to both Experian and TransUnion — while continuing to tell shoppers there is “No impact to credit score.” Attorneys are investigating whether that representation is false or misleading under California’s consumer‑protection laws.
The credit bureaus’ coding
Experian and TransUnion carry Affirm’s installment loans in consumers’ credit files in account categories — installment and “consumer finance” — that the scoring models most lenders still use (classic FICO 2, 4, and 5 for mortgages; FICO 8 and 9 for most other decisions) treat as a negative. Under those models the penalty attaches to the category, not to how you paid: a loan paid on time and in full, even years ago, can still lower a score. Attorneys are investigating whether reports carrying that coding are inaccurate under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, and whether the bureaus properly reinvestigated when consumers disputed it.
“No impact to credit score” is Affirm’s representation, not ours. The practices described on this page are allegations under investigation; no lawsuit has been filed.
You may qualify if…
Every situation is different. The questionnaire below takes about three minutes, and a member of our team reviews every submission.
How it works 3 steps · ~2 minutes
01
Answer a few questions
A short, confidential form confirms if your situation fits.
02
We review your file
Our team checks the credit-reporting facts against the claim.
03
Know your options
If you qualify, we explain next steps. Free, with no obligation.
Attorney Advertising. This page is a paid advertisement for legal services from Kahn Swick & Foti, LLP, and it is not legal advice. No lawsuit has been filed at this time; this is an investigation. Submitting the questionnaire or otherwise contacting us does not create an attorney‑client relationship, and the firm will not represent you unless and until you and the firm sign a written engagement agreement. No outcome is guaranteed, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Fees and costs. The initial review is free and carries no obligation. If the firm agrees to represent you, the terms — including whether you could be responsible for any litigation costs — will be set out in a written agreement before you sign. In a class action, a named plaintiff may in some circumstances be responsible for a prevailing defendant’s court costs or, if a court finds a claim was pursued in bad faith, its attorney’s fees.
Responsible attorney: Ramzi Abadou, California State Bar No. 222567 · Kahn Swick & Foti, LLP, 1901 Avenue of the Stars, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90067 (Los Angeles County) · (415) 459‑6900 · ramzi.abadou@ksfcounsel.com
Privacy and notice at collection (California). We collect the contact information and the answers you choose to provide on this form, and we use them to evaluate your potential claim and to contact you about it. We treat what you send us as confidential information from a prospective client. Our privacy policy describes the categories of personal information the firm collects, how it uses, shares, and retains that information, and how to exercise your privacy rights, including your rights as a California resident. Questions: info@ksfcounsel.com.