From Scoring to Selling: TransUnion Places Big Bet on Prequalification with Monevo Acquisition

TransUnion has completed its acquisition of the UK credit prequalification and distribution platform Monevo. 

With personal finance changing at breakneck speed, the acquisition has the potential to revolutionize the way consumers receive credit products.

That’s especially true for those who use online sites to compare offerings.

Monevo acts as a go-between between lenders and publishers — and between lenders and consumers as well. 

Lenders include banks, credit unions, and fintechs providing credit. Publishers are websites like BadCredit.org that evaluate those offers.

Monevo allows publishers to show consumers actual prequalified credit offers derived from real-time lender data. 

It runs the back-end system that inspects credit profiles to pair up potential approvals with consumers. The interaction happens mostly indirectly through publisher sites, with Monevo’s engine affecting what users view.

Large banks like Bank of America or Chase don’t have Monevo on their websites. Instead, they use Monevo only via third-party sites. 

What you see on a marketplace website may be Monevo-powered, but the bank website is all in-house.

Offers to consumers may not require a hard credit pull, so checking their options will not hurt their credit scores.

“We are excited to bring Monevo fully into the TransUnion family,” said Liz Pagel, senior vice president of consumer lending at TransUnion. 

“This acquisition aligns with our goal of helping consumers access the credit they need while giving lenders smarter tools to reach them.”

TransUnion has already held 30% ownership in Monevo since 2021. The deal further entrenches its stake in digital credit matching. 

As more and more people search for credit online, companies like Monevo influence not only the form in which offers appear — but even if they appear at all.

For lenders, the effects are stronger leads and improved targeting. The price is greater reliance on TransUnion’s platform and regulations regarding data. 

Publishers should see higher conversion rates but possibly less flexibility if the system tightens up under one giant player.

This is part of a bigger change in which credit bureaus shape marketing and delivery of credit.

The reward to the consumer is real: Better credit offers relevant to them, fewer unwanted credit solicitations, and better approval chances. 

Instead of a blind draw, users get offers they have a higher likelihood to qualify for — faster and with less inconvenience.

“We want to make it easier for people to find credit products that actually fit their needs and profiles,” said Greg Cox, CEO of Monevo. 

“This deal allows us to deliver more accurate, responsible offers at scale — without compromising the user experience.”

For TransUnion, the change centralizes command over the credit shopping process so that its data powers all steps from search to sign-up. 

This transaction highlights the manner in which credit bureaus are evolving from backstage players to front-and-center decision-makers in personal finance. 

Not only do they score credit — they’re changing the manner in which it’s sold and utilized.

“We are excited to bring Monevo fully into the TransUnion family. This acquisition aligns with our goal of helping consumers access the credit they need while giving lenders smarter tools to reach them.” — Liz Pagel, SVP of Consumer Lending at TransUnion

While this provides consumers with more relevant experiences, there are transparency and fairness issues, too. 

Who guarantees fairness if a single company owns the data, the engine, and the delivery route? 

In any event, the immediate upside is improved navigation and smarter credit match-ups for ordinary borrowers.