Your Trust Score is the key to lower deposits, bigger limits and faster approvals. Here's exactly how to grow yours.
Your OnBuy Trust Score is more than a number — it's the gateway to better financing terms, larger device limits and faster approvals across every merchant on the network.
In this guide, we break down exactly what goes into your score, the simple habits that move it upward fast, and the mistakes that quietly drag it down.
What actually goes into your score?
Your Trust Score is a weighted blend of five signals: payment punctuality, KYC completeness, plan history, device usage telemetry, and merchant feedback. Punctuality is by far the heaviest factor — it accounts for nearly half of the total weighting.
1. Pay early, not just on time
Paying two or three days before the due date is the single biggest lever for your score. It signals reliability to the system and to merchants who see your profile when you walk into their store.
Set a recurring reminder for two days before each instalment, or — better yet — turn on AutoPay from your wallet. AutoPay customers see an average +35 point lift within 90 days.
2. Keep your profile 100% complete
A verified BVN, NIN, residential address, employer details and an active phone number can add 40+ points overnight. Most customers leave at least one field empty, and it costs them.
Go to Profile → KYC and finish every section. Upload a clear utility bill — not a screenshot — and make sure your selfie matches your NIN photo.
3. Start small, then scale up
Finish a smaller plan (₦80k–₦150k) before going for a flagship. A clean, fully closed plan is worth more to the algorithm than any single on-time payment on a giant plan.
Think of it as building a credit story. Three closed plans of ₦100k beat one open plan of ₦600k every single time.
4. Avoid plan restructures
Restructuring a plan tells the system you misjudged your cashflow. It's not a death sentence — but every restructure shaves about 25 points off your score and stays on your record for six months.
If you genuinely can't pay, talk to support before the due date. Proactive communication is rewarded; silence is penalised.
5. Treat your phone well
Your device sends OnBuy basic health signals — uptime, SIM stability, location consistency. Customers who keep the same SIM and don't repeatedly factory-reset their device build trust faster.
The 90-day plan
Follow these five habits for 90 days and most customers cross the 720 threshold. That's when the magic happens: lower deposits (down to 10%), bigger plan limits (up to ₦1.5M), and one-tap approvals across the entire OnBuy merchant network.
Your Trust Score is your reputation in numbers. Treat it like the most valuable thing in your wallet — because for the next phone, the next laptop, and the next big purchase, it absolutely is.
