Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) announced it will make its Cash App Score available to external lenders for the first time, partnering with Nova Credit to distribute the cash flow-based credit signal through Nova Credit's Cash Flow Intelligence Platform.

The Cash App Score draws on first-party data from the Cash App ecosystem, including spending, saving, repayment behavior, paycheck deposits, and peer-to-peer activity. Unlike traditional credit scores, it is designed to reflect near real-time changes in a consumer's financial behavior rather than relying solely on historical credit history.

According to Block's internal data, the score approves 38% more customers at the same loss rate compared with traditional credit scores in Cash App Borrow, its longest-running lending product. Roughly 70% of active Borrow customers have FICO scores below 580. Block's own analysis also indicates the potential to approve 30% more auto loans and 28% more credit card applications at comparable loss rates versus traditional methods.

Through Nova Credit's network, lenders will be able to incorporate the Cash App Score into underwriting across credit cards, auto lending, device financing, personal lending, and tenant screening. No new consumer account linking or third-party credentials are required. Cash App customers will set their own preferences for whether their score is shared with third-party lenders.

"We built Cash App Score to see the financial activity of millions of people the traditional credit system misses," said Juan Hernandez, Head of Credit and Underwriting at Block. "Partnering with Nova Credit lets us put that capability in the hands of lenders through infrastructure they already trust."

Misha Esipov, Co-founder and CEO of Nova Credit, said the partnership gives lenders "a unique tool to develop a richer, near real-time view of tens of millions of credit-seeking Americans."

Nova Credit supports more than 7,000 businesses and provides a Federal Credit Reporting Act compliance framework for cash flow-based underwriting. Block and Nova Credit plan to share additional details about the partnership at the Cash Flow Intelligence Summit in New York City on September 10, 2026.