Expansion of an existing relationship aims to make it easier for people new to the United States to get financing for Verizon devices.
The carrier is expanding its relationship with customer-permissioned credit card bureau Nova Credit to offer international credit checks for newcomers in stores and on the phone. Previously Verizon customers could go to a web page to use the offering.
Credit histories from a home country typically are not recognized in the U.S. But Nova Credit and Verizon are addressing that obstacle via Nova Credit’s Credit Passport offering, which has access to international credit files. The information gained in that way can be used to formulate a credit score.
If their credit score is approved, people from 12 countries will be able to finance a device at 0% interest. The capability extends to people arriving from Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom.
“Verizon has been a great partner that shares our mission to help newcomers to the U.S. as they adapt to a new country. Enabling this in-store component is a major development in our partnership, making it easier for customers to access their credit score from their home country to obtain the latest phones,” Misha Esipov, co-founder and CEO of Nova Credit, said in a press release about the new Verizon device financing options. “At Nova, we are focused on helping newcomers at the point of need, so expanding this partnership to help any new-to-country customer who enters a Verizon store is a pivotal moment for us.”
Traditionally, newcomers to the United States have relied on prepaid and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) options.
