Self Financial
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Self Financial firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Self Financial
- Legal name
- Self Financial, Inc.
- Website
- https://self.inc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Self Financial industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Credit Building
- NAICS
- Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522), Credit Card Issuing (522210)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Personal Lending Platforms (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Credit Score Monitoring & Credit Building (FSAGADAE), Subprime / Credit-Building Credit Cards (FSAKABAJ), Emergency & Short-Term Installment Personal Loans (Unsecured) (FSAKAAAH)
Keywords
Where Self Financial is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Self Financial business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Credit Builder Loan Interest and Fees: Self Financial earns revenue from interest and administrative fees on credit builder loans. Customers pay monthly installments, and the difference between the loan amount and what they receive back at the end (minus interest and fees) represents the company's revenue. Example: $840 loan with $35/month payments over 24 months results in approximately $123 in interest costs to the customer.
- Secured Credit Card Fees: Revenue from annual fees on the Self Visa Secured Credit Card. The card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year and $25 standard annual fee thereafter. Additional revenue may come from late fees (up to $15), returned payment fees (up to $15), and instant debit fees ($3.50).
- Rent and Bills Premium Subscription: Premium subscription service at $6.95/month that includes rent reporting plus reporting of utility and cell phone bills to TransUnion, real-time credit report change alerts, and tracking of up to 5 positive records.
- Self Cash Instant Delivery Fees: Self Cash cash advance product charges fees for instant cash delivery: $4-$8 for $25-$75 advances, $10-$12 for $100-$150, and $14-$18 for $200-$300. Standard delivery (up to 3 business days) is free.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Credit Builder Account - 24-month plan example |
| Subscription | Annual | Self Visa Secured Credit Card |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Self Cash - Instant Delivery |
| Freemium | Monthly | Rent and Bills Reporting - Free Tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | Rent and Bills Reporting - Premium Tier |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Self Financial product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Self Financial is a consumer fintech that helps individuals build or rebuild credit through a suite of credit-building products. Its core offering is the Credit Builder Account, a small installment loan whose proceeds are held in a partner bank Certificate of Deposit while the customer repays over 12-24 months, with each payment reported to all three major credit bureaus. It complements this with a $100-minimum secured Visa credit card, free rent reporting (with a premium $6.95/month utility/cell reporting tier), and a $25-$300 no-credit-check cash advance.
Product overview
Self Financial offers a unified credit-building platform centered on its Credit Builder Account, a loan held in a bank Certificate of Deposit that users repay in installments over 24 months. This core product is complemented by the Self Visa® Credit Card (a $100 minimum deposit secured card), Rent and Bills Reporting (which reports rent payments to all three bureaus for free, or utility/phone bills to TransUnion via a $6.95/month premium tier), and Self Cash (a $25-$300 cash advance with no credit check). The products work together to help users establish or rebuild credit history regardless of prior credit standing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Self Credit Builder Account (Credit Builder Loan) A credit builder loan in which the customer's monthly payments fund a Certificate of Deposit held at a partner bank; payments are reported to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion and the customer receives the CD proceeds (minus interest and fees) at maturity, simultaneously building credit and savings.
- Self Visa Secured Credit Card A secured Visa credit card backed by the customer's own refundable security deposit (minimum $100, which sets the credit limit); requires no hard credit inquiry for application, reports activity to all three credit bureaus, and carries a $0 introductory annual fee in year one and $25 thereafter.
- Rent and Bills Reporting A reporting service that submits the customer's on-time rent payments to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (free tier) and, for $6.95/month, also reports utility and cell phone bills to TransUnion with up to 5 tracked positive records and real-time credit-report change alerts; payments are typically reported within 36-72 hours.
- Self Cash (Cash Advance) A small-dollar cash advance of $25-$300 delivered to a customer's linked checking account with no credit check, no impact on the customer's credit score, no interest, and no late fees; optional paid instant delivery ($4-$18 fee by amount), free standard delivery in up to 3 business days, with personalized repayment dates.
Quantifiable outcome
- 47-point average VantageScore increase after 12 months for Credit Builder Account customers (starting score under 600, making on-time payments)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Self Financial
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Self Financial technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Self Financial partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Lead BankcoreLead Bank is a banking partner that holds Credit Builder Accounts and Certificates of Deposit for Self Financial customers. The bank is a Member FDIC.
- Sunrise Banks, N.A.coreSunrise Banks, N.A. is a banking partner that holds Credit Builder Accounts and Certificates of Deposit for Self Financial customers. The bank is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Also issues the Self Visa Credit Card and Self Plus Credit Card.
- First Century Bank, N.A.coreFirst Century Bank, N.A. is a banking partner that holds Credit Builder Accounts and Certificates of Deposit for Self Financial customers. The bank is a Member FDIC.
- SouthState Bank, N.A.coreSouthState Bank, N.A. is a banking partner that holds Credit Builder Accounts and Certificates of Deposit for Self Financial customers. The bank is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.
- PlaidcorePlaid provides bank account linking services for the Self Cash product, enabling customers to securely connect their bank accounts for cash advance functionality.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Self Financial competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Albert: Financial wellness app offering cash advances, savings, and credit-monitoring features for everyday consumers. Overlaps with Self's cash advance and credit education offerings.
- MoneyLion: Consumer fintech offering credit-building tools, small-dollar cash advances, and banking products targeting underbanked Americans. Closely overlaps Self's product set (builder loans, cash advances, secured cards) and target customer.
- Kikoff: Credit-building subscription service focused on thin-file consumers; reports recurring payments to credit bureaus. Competes head-to-head with Self's Credit Builder Account on price, simplicity, and target segment.
- Dave: Banking and earned-wage/cash-advance app serving subprime consumers with no-credit-check advances and credit-building features. Directly competes with Self Cash and overlaps on the underbanked D2C segment.
- Brigit: Cash advance and financial wellness app targeting consumers living paycheck to paycheck. Competes with Self Cash and shares the same subprime, no-credit-check customer profile.
- Possible Finance: Small-dollar installment lending and earned-wage product for subprime consumers. Comparable on customer segment (no/poor credit) and product structure (small-installment credit).
Broad incumbents
- Credit Karma: Now part of Intuit, Credit Karma offers free credit monitoring, credit-score education, and a marketplace for credit-building cards and loans. A much larger incumbent that overlaps Self's credit-monitoring and education value prop.
- Chime: Digital bank serving subprime and thin-file consumers with secured cards, no-fee checking, and credit-building features (e.g., MyCredit Builder). Broad incumbent in the same end-customer niche.
- SoFi: Broad consumer fintech with credit cards, personal loans, and credit-monitoring tools. While not credit-building-focused like Self, it competes for the same graduating-credit customers with prime products.
Emerging players
- Experian Boost: Free bureau-side tool that adds utility/telecom payments to Experian credit files. Directly competes with Self's Rent & Bills Reporting value proposition at zero cost to consumers, posing a commoditization risk.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Self Financial social profiles
Digital presenceSelf Financial financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Self Financial leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Self Financial funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds13 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Self Financial M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Self Financial
What does Self Financial do?
Self Financial is a consumer fintech that helps individuals build or rebuild credit through a suite of credit-building products. Its core offering is the Credit Builder Account, a small installment loan whose proceeds are held in a partner bank Certificate of Deposit while the customer repays over 12-24 months, with each payment reported to all three major credit bureaus. It complements this with a $100-minimum secured Visa credit card, free rent reporting (with a premium $6.95/month utility/cell reporting tier), and a $25-$300 no-credit-check cash advance.
Is Self Financial a public or private company?
Self Financial is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Self Financial founded?
Self Financial was founded in 2015. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Self Financial based?
Self Financial is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Self Financial make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Credit Builder Loan Interest and Fees are the primary driver. The others are secured Credit Card Fees, rent and Bills Premium Subscription and self Cash Instant Delivery Fees.
Who are Self Financial's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Albert, MoneyLion, Kikoff, Dave, Brigit and Possible Finance. Broad incumbents are Credit Karma, Chime and SoFi. Experian Boost is listed as an emerging player.
Does Self Financial have an API?
No public API is recorded for Self Financial.
What industry is Self Financial in?
Self Financial's product category is Consumer Credit Building. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAAAK, Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Personal Lending Platforms (Unsecured Installment), with a secondary code of FSAGADAE, Credit Score Monitoring & Credit Building. Its NAICS code is 522 and its SIC code is 6141.