Region’s leading superapp advances financial inclusion for millions by applying advanced decisioning to behavioral data
“Using FICO Platform, we can deliver contextual, real-time credit offers across multiple verticals within the Grab super app.” – Andre Tan, Regional Head, Lending Risk Platforms at Grab Finance
Highlights:
- Grab Finance has increased credit offer eligibility rates for its users by nearly 50%
- Grab Finance implemented 22 decision workflows across six countries in Southeast Asia in under eight months
- Grab Finance has won a 2026 FICO® Decision Award for Financial Inclusion
Grab Finance, the financial services arm of Southeast Asia’s leading superapp, is using the industry-leading capabilities of FICO® Platform to transform credit access across the region. By implementing more than 22 decision workflows across six countries, the company has increased credit offer eligibility rates by nearly 50% for its users while serving more than 46 million consumers, plus millions of merchants and drivers across its ecosystem. The transformation has enabled more of Grab’s drivers, merchants, and passengers to not just access formal credit, but to do this at a much faster rate.
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The solution uses appropriate behavioral data, including ride frequency, merchant revenues and payment history, supported by the industry-leading capabilities of FICO Platform to enable automated pre-approved offers across Grab’s ecosystem, in line with applicable laws/regulations in the region and Grab’s privacy commitments.
“Grab saw a strategic opportunity to make financing in Southeast Asia more accessible by leveraging our superapp ecosystem and behavioral data,” said Andre Tan, Regional Head, Lending Risk Platforms at Grab Finance. “Using FICO Platform, we can deliver contextual, real-time credit offers across multiple verticals within the Grab super app. This enables us to expand financial inclusion by providing credit access for underserved users who are economically active but often overlooked by traditional lenders.”
Breaking Down Barriers: Conquering Southeast Asia’s Credit Challenges
Southeast Asia, home to more than 700 million people, has one of the world’s largest underbanked populations. Grab Finance saw an opportunity to deliver responsible, scalable credit services across this diverse and complex region, given Grab’s scale and data-rich ecosystem.
One of the key challenges faced by many individuals and businesses in the region as they seek credit was data scarcity arising from their lack of traditional credit bureau history, leaving them with thin or no files at the bureau. Grab needed to develop alternative risk models using in-app behavioral signals, such as ride patterns, merchant activity and payment habits.
“We had millions of drivers and merchants who were invisible to traditional banks but were earning real income every day on our platform,” said Tan. “We knew we could change that equation, but we needed technology that could support our efforts to see what conventional credit scoring couldn’t.”
Additionally, the fragmented regulatory landscape meant credit, banking and data protection laws differ significantly across Southeast Asian countries, requiring localized compliance and explainability without losing regional consistency.
Rapid Time-to-Value
In less than eight months, FICO was able to deliver phase one of the transformation across six countries Grab operates in, enabling Grab to automate key processes such as credit eligibility assessment. The ambitious project involved 22 separate decision workflows delivered across the region and Grab’s three customer portfolios (driver-partners, passengers and merchant-partners).
“What Grab Finance has accomplished here is remarkable. They’ve essentially turned everyday digital behavior into a credit passport for millions of people who were previously invisible to traditional banking,” said Nikhil Behl, president, software at FICO. “When a taxi driver in Jakarta can get credit based on their ride patterns, or a food merchant in Bangkok can access working capital through their delivery history, that’s not just innovation, it’s economic transformation at scale.”
For its achievements, Grab Finance won a 2026 FICO® Decision Award for Financial Inclusion.
“This project drew attention because Grab Finance addressed credit assessment at a regional scale, rather than focusing solely on a discrete technology implementation,” said Sam Abadir, research director, risk and compliance, IDC Financial Insights, and a judge for the FICO Decision Awards. “The judges noted how the organization operationalized regulatory diversity across Southeast Asia within its credit decisioning framework, demonstrating an approach that integrates compliance requirements directly into platform design.”
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