A reported installment tradeline from $200 to $5,000
The foundation product. You choose an amount and a term, pay a fixed sum each month, and every payment is reported to all four major US credit bureaus. No interest, no fees, and no credit inquiry to apply.
Three tiers, and what each one is actually for
The tier is determined by the amount you pick — there is nothing separate to apply for. Figures below use the lowest amount in each band.
At the $200 amount. The lowest commitment we offer.
A thin or empty file where the goal is simply to get one installment account reporting, quickly and cheaply.
At the $900 amount. Our most-chosen tier.
Two years of reported history is the span most landlords and auto lenders want to see before approving on merit.
At the $2,600 amount. The largest tradeline we build.
A larger balance across three years, for files being readied for underwriting where depth of history is examined.
Every tier carries identical terms otherwise: 0% APR, no fees, four-bureau reporting. Only the amount, term and monthly figure change. Check eligibility to see your exact payment before committing to anything.
What you would actually pay, at every amount and term
The tier is set by the amount you choose. Rather than making you operate a slider, here is the whole grid — the monthly figure is simply the amount divided by the term, with nothing added.
| Amount | Monthly payment | Total paid |
|---|---|---|
| Starter · 12 months | ||
| $200 | $16.67a month | $200 |
| $400 | $33.33a month | $400 |
| $600 | $50.00a month | $600 |
| $800 | $66.67a month | $800 |
| Builder · 24 months | ||
| $900 | $37.50a month | $900 |
| $1,200 | $50.00a month | $1,200 |
| $1,800 | $75.00a month | $1,800 |
| $2,500 | $104.17a month | $2,500 |
| Accelerator · 36 months | ||
| $2,600 | $72.22a month | $2,600 |
| $3,500 | $97.22a month | $3,500 |
| $4,200 | $116.67a month | $4,200 |
| $5,000 | $138.89a month | $5,000 |
Representative amounts — you can choose any figure inside a band, and the payment is that figure divided by the term. Total paid equals the amount you chose, because there is no interest and no fee. None of it is returned at maturity.
A larger tradeline is not automatically better. A $5,000 account reported on time for 36 months builds more depth than a $200 one, but a missed payment on it does proportionally more damage — and an account you cannot comfortably afford is the most expensive mistake available here. Choose the payment you would still make in a bad month.
One billing cycle, from debit to credit report
The mechanics are simple but rarely explained, and the gap between paying and the payment appearing is where most confusion sits.
Payment is taken
Autopay debits your bank account on the date you chose at signing. You can change that date once per term through support.
We report it
Your payment status is sent to TransUnion, Equifax, Experian and Innovis in that cycle's file.
It appears on your file
Bureaus process furnisher files on their own schedule. A payment made today typically shows up a month or so later — not instantly.
The reporting threshold
A payment a few days late is not reported. At 30 days past due it is, to all four bureaus, and that mark stays seven years.
The 30-day rule is the single most useful thing on this page. Being a week late costs you nothing on your credit file — there is no late fee here either. Crossing 30 days is what does lasting damage. If a payment is going to be missed, contact support before day 30 rather than after.
Everything included, with nothing sold separately
These are not add-ons or upsells. Every item below is part of the account at every tier, at no additional charge.
- Four-bureau monthly reporting
Your payment is reported to TransUnion, Equifax, Experian and Innovis once per cycle. Most competitors reach three.
- A $500 revolving credit line
Unlocked after your first on-time payments. It broadens your credit mix and holds utilisation low. Usable only within Kovo.
- FICO® Score tracking
Your score updated monthly in-app, with the factors behind each movement and the highest-impact action available to you.
- Up to $1M ID-fraud insurance
Plus continuous dark-web monitoring and 24/7 resolution support if your identity is misused.
- Rewards eligibility
Up to $1,225 in gift cards across partner categories after four on-time payments. A ceiling, not a typical outcome.
- Autopay and payment alerts
Set once at signup. You are notified when each payment posts to each bureau, so you are never guessing.
What happens across a 24-month account
Using the Builder tier as the example. The shape is the same at 12 and 36 months — only the length changes.
First payment taken
Autopay debits, and the account is reported to all four bureaus for the first time.
It appears on your file
A tradeline now exists. There may still be no score if this is your only account.
The $500 line unlocks
A revolving account is added at no extra cost, adding credit mix and holding utilisation low.
The account completes
It closes in good standing and can stay on your report for up to ten years, still adding to average account age.
Nothing is paid out in month 24. What you keep is the completed tradeline and its age — a closed account in good standing continues to count toward length of history, which is 15% of a FICO score. How the factors are weighted.
Three things this product deliberately does not do
Stated up front rather than buried, because these are the reasons a competitor may suit you better.
Savings-linked builders such as Self and CreditStrong hold your payments and release them at maturity. We do not. Your payments fund the service. If a payout matters, compare us against Self.
This is not a loan. Nothing is paid into your account at signing, so it cannot cover an emergency expense. If you need money now, partner lenders are the other route on this site.
The $500 revolving line works only within Kovo. If you need purchasing power at a shop, hotel or online, a secured card does something this cannot.
Every term that matters, in plain English
The full contract governs, and you will see it before you sign. This is the same information without the legal phrasing, so nothing comes as a surprise later.
- What the contract is
- A retail installment contract with Kovo Financial, Inc., a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation. Kovo is not a bank and does not lend money.
- What you are buying
- Access to Kovo’s credit-building services, digital courses, identity protection and rewards eligibility, paid for in fixed monthly instalments.
- Cost of borrowing
- 0% APR. No interest, no origination fee, no administrative fee, no late fee and no prepayment penalty. The quoted monthly figure is the entire cost.
- How it appears on your report
- As an installment account showing the original amount, the term, your balance and the status of each monthly payment.
- Reporting frequency
- Once per billing cycle to all four bureaus. A payment typically appears on your file 30 to 45 days after it is made.
- If you pay late
- No fee is charged, but the missed payment is reported to all four bureaus and will reduce your score. The same reach that helps you works against you here.
- If you cancel early
- No penalty, and no payout. The account closes and appears as a shortened, closed tradeline — worth less to your file than a completed one.
- At the end of the term
- The account closes in good standing and can remain on your report for up to ten years, continuing to build average account age.
- Who is eligible
- 18 or older (19 in Alabama and Nebraska), a US address, an SSN or ITIN, a US bank account, and an email and US mobile number. Full eligibility.
- Credit inquiry
- None at any stage. Verification is identity and income based, so applying cannot reduce your score.
- Rewards conditions
- Requires four on-time payments plus activation of qualifying third-party partner offers. Paid as gift cards, not cash. $1,225 is the aggregate maximum, not a typical result.
- State availability
- All 50 states plus Washington D.C. No exclusions.
This summary is for orientation only; the executed agreement and your state disclosures govern. Full terms are shown before signing and are also published at licenses and disclosures.
The Installment Credit Builder — the questions we get asked
See your exact payment before you commit
The eligibility check takes about a minute, runs no credit inquiry, and shows your real monthly figure and term. Nothing is signed until you choose to.
Check your eligibility