Beyond the bureau: Interoperable payment data for loan screening and monitoring

Abstract

Open Banking initiatives aim to make payment data interoperable across institutions. I examine the value of this interoperability in lending using data that link borrowers’ payment histories with non-bank small-business loans in India. Payment data improve lenders’ ability to screen and monitor loans beyond traditional sources, including credit bureaus. These information sources are complementary because they specialize in different determinants of repayment. Subsample analysis shows that payment histories primarily reflect real-time repayment ability, while a natural experiment removing borrower discretion confirms that credit bureaus primarily measure willingness to repay. Shifting to payment-based screening benefits most borrowers but disadvantages those with poor credit scores and thin payment records, highlighting distributional trade-offs in Open Banking implementation.