How much do you spend on subscriptions every month? Take a guess before looking at the actual numbers. Chances are, your estimate will be off by $133.
According to a survey by C+R Research, on average, Americans believe that they spend $86 on subscriptions every month. While the actual average amount spent is $219.
Keep Track of What’s Due and When
The world of bills and recurring expenses has evolved so much over the past 20 years.
We went from managing a handful of essential bills (like rent, utilities, & auto loans) to juggling dozens of subscriptions and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loans.
Worse yet, losing track of these expenses results in late fees and decreased credit scores.
This is why one of Cushion’s goals is to increase visibility and control over your finances, which in turn gives you the confidence to focus on what matters most to you.
Cushion’s Bill Center
Your Bill Center is your one-stop shop for tracking, managing, and paying all of your recurring expenses.
No more logging into 10 different websites, tracking down bills in your email, or manually updating spreadsheets. We’re bringing visibility, control, and peace of mind to managing and paying your bills.
How Do I Add My Bills and Subscriptions to Cushion?
Getting all of your bills, subscriptions, and other recurring expenses into one place is easy with Cushion.
When you sign up for Cushion, you will be asked to connect your bank accounts and credit cards that you use to pay bills. Make sure you connect all of your accounts!
Once you do so, Cushion will automatically scan your accounts for recurring expenses and add them to your Bill Center.
If there are any bills you pay from accounts not connected to Cushion, you can manually add them to your Bill Center yourself by providing a bit of information.
What Types of Accounts Should be Linked to Cushion?
You should connect all checking, savings, and credit card accounts that you use to pay your bills, subscriptions, and BNPL purchases. This will help Cushion detect and track all of your bills automatically.
How Do I Track My BNPL Payments with Cushion?
It’s easy – just connect your Gmail account, and we’ll take care of the rest. Once your Gmail account is connected, our system securely imports and organizes your payment plans in one place – across Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Zip, and the other BNPL providers.
Getting started is simple! Follow the instructions below and your dashboard will be up and running in no time.
- Head to the BNPL section of your Cushion account
- Click Auto-Import My BNPL
- Click Connect Gmail
- Connect your Gmail account and agree to the terms
- Once set up, follow these tips to get the most out of your BNPL dashboard.
BNPL Checklist
✅ Enable all email communications with BNPL providers – this will help our system automatically track your progress on your loans.
✅ Do not delete emails from BNPL providers – when you get confirmation emails or upcoming payment reminders, don’t delete them. If an email is deleted, our system may not be able to automatically update your dashboard.
✅ For BNPL Builder and Cushion PRO users – add your Cushion card as the default payment method for each BNPL provider so you can steadily improve your credit profile over time from the BNPL payments you’re already making!
Build Your Credit History with the Payments You’re Already Making
If you’re on the Cushion PRO plan, one of the many features is you can build your credit profile with your subscription, utility, and BNPL payments by paying them using the Cushion Card. While those on the BNPL Builder plan can build credit history with BNPL payments.
How Do I Pay My Bills with the Cushion Card?
For users on the BNPL Builder or Cushion PRO plan, the Cushion card allows you to track and pay your bills, subscriptions, and Buy Now Pay Later in one place.
Follow these simple steps to start paying your bills with Cushion:
- Log in to your Cushion account and head to the Bill Pay Card section of the app.
- Activate your Cushion card by following the on-screen instructions.
- Once you’ve activated your card, head to the websites for each of your recurring bills.
- Copy your Cushion card info, add it as the payment method for each of your recurring bills, and turn on autopay.
When a bill is due, Cushion will pull funds from your connected bank account or debit card and pay it automatically. We’ll also notify you when your bills have been paid.
Finally, Cushion does not issue any fees for using the Cushion card to pay your bills. The only fee you will incur is the monthly cost of your BNPL Builder or Cushion PRO subscription.
Which Bills Can I Pay with the Cushion Card?
At this time, you can use your Cushion card to pay any of your bills that accept a virtual debit card.
Most subscription services, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) providers, and utilities will accept the Cushion card.
How Does Credit Building Work?
Once you’ve securely connected your bank accounts and Gmail account to Cushion, simply swap out your current payment method, and replace it with your Cushion Card.
We’ll automatically make the bill payments on your behalf and then withdraw the bill amount from your bank account so long as you have sufficient funds in your bank account to cover the amount due.
Since Cushion is paying bills on your behalf and then pulling the funds from your bank account, this enables us to report your positive payment history to help you build your credit profile.
We only report your positive payment history to the bureaus for recurring bills (Internet, Phone), subscriptions (Spotify, Netflix), BNPL (Afterpay, Klarna), and more!
Unfortunately, Cushion has no control over your billers and they may decide to report your late payments.
BNPL Builder Subscribers
We’ll report every payment you make to a verified Buy Now, Pay Later provider using your Cushion card.
This means each month we’ll report the total amount spent on your Cushion card for payments made to verified Buy Now Pay Later providers.
Cushion Pro Subscribers
We’ll report every payment you make with the Cushion card on all bills, subscriptions, and Buy Now, Pay Later.
This means each month we’ll report the total amount spent on your Cushion card for payments made on all bills, subscriptions, and Buy Now Pay Later purchases.
Does Cushion Require a Hard Credit Pull?
Cushion does not make a hard inquiry into your credit.
What is Reported to the Credit Bureaus and How Often?
We report as a line of credit to the bureaus, and this line of credit can grow over time as you continue to use Cushion to pay more bills with the card and establish a consistent track record of on-time payments.
Your credit utilization rate is reported as zero as long as you have sufficient funds in your bank account to cover the bills linked to your Cushion card.
How long will it take for my credit score to see an improvement?
There are many factors that go into calculating your credit score. How quickly you see an impact on your score will vary and depends on many factors. However, most of our users see an impact on their scores within 3 months of signing up.
A positive payment history is one of the most influential components of your credit score. Paying your bills with the Cushion card every month will help you build a positive payment history over time and, ultimately, a better credit score.
How do I check my credit score?
You can check your credit score by creating an Experian account, or if you bank with Chase, you can use the Chase bank app.
Experian
- Create an account with Experian
- Confirm your identity and Account Security
- Check your Credit Score
Chase Bank
- How to check your Experian credit score through Chase
- Find Cushion in your credit report
Where can I find Cushion in My Experian Credit report?
- Log into Experian
- Click on the Credit Tab
- Select Credit Reports
- Scroll down to the Credit Cards or Credit Lines Section
- Look for CUSHION AI INC.
- Click on the Right Arrow to see further details
How Do I Print My Credit Report?
Go to Quick Actions and Select Print Your Report to view all the details of your accounts on one page.
How Often Does Cushion Report My Payments?
Cushion reports all payments at the end of each month, starting with the first month in which you make a payment with your Cushion Card. After that, it can take up to 2 weeks to be processed by the credit bureaus and added to your credit report.
Which Credit Bureaus Does Cushion Report To?
Right now, Cushion reports to Experian at the end of each month. The other major bureaus will be added soon.
How Do I Change the Debit Card that is connected to my Cushion card?
You can update your connected debit card directly in your Cushion account:
- Head to the Linked Accounts Section of your profile.
- Click Add in the Connected Debit Cards Section
- Make sure you have the correct debit card marked as default. This is the debit card that will be used to pay your bills with Cushion.
And that’s it! You now know how to make the most out of Cushion. If you get stuck or have additional questions, you can message us at [email protected].
Recommended Guide: How to Download Cushion App on iPhone and Android
