Consumer Behaviour and Credit Supply: Evidence from an Australian FinTech Lender

Abstract

Using a proprietary dataset from an Australian leading FinTech lender, we provide insights into the effect of consumer behaviour on FinTech lending patterns. Out of seven consumption categories, gambling expenses significantly reduce the lender’s willingness to fulfill loan requests. Cash usage and repeated borrowing are related to lower offer-to-requested loan ratios. The FinTech lender prefers to lend to borrowers who are married, have dependents and/or aged over 30. However, for such mature borrowers, cash usage and repeated borrowing increasingly reduce the approval likelihood of their loan requests. Taken together, our empirical evidence suggests that consumer behaviour affects FinTech lending decisions.

Keywords: Consumer Behaviour; Credit Supply; FinTech

JEL Classification: G20; G23; G29