A new survey from Zest AI highlights what many of us already know deep down: the credit system feels broken, yet most Americans still rely on it just to get by. According to the company’s America’s Economic Opportunity Gap Report, 72 percent of people believe the credit system is unfair. Despite that distrust, more than half of respondents (53 percent) admit they need credit to cover basics like food and medicine. For younger generations, that number climbs to 75 percent.
The report shows just how much credit dependency has grown. Sixty-five percent of Americans say they’re using more credit now than a year ago. Back in 2020, only 27 percent said the same. At the same time, nearly 1 in 4 report that it’s actually harder to access credit today, which leaves many squeezed between higher reliance and tighter availability.
This squeeze is pushing people to alternatives. Buy Now, Pay Later apps are becoming common, with 23 percent of Americans using them more this year. Nearly half of BNPL users say they’ve used it for essentials like groceries, while 48 percent turn to it to avoid high-interest payday loans. The problem, sadly, is most people don’t fully understand the credit impact of these apps. You see, 63 percent don’t realize it can affect their score, and 22 percent think it doesn’t at all.
Frustration with traditional credit scoring runs deep. Forty-four percent feel the system sets them up to fail, while 47 percent say approval processes take far too long. Many see artificial intelligence as a possible fix. The survey found that 74 percent want AI to improve banking, 41 percent think AI could increase economic opportunity, and 60 percent want lenders to consider new scoring models beyond FICO and VantageScore.
“Americans are navigating a system that often feels stacked against them, yet credit remains essential to their day-to-day survival,” said Mike de Vere, CEO at Zest AI. “Our survey shows that while people are struggling with access and fairness, there’s also hope that technology like AI can help make lending faster, fairer, and more transparent, helping people regain confidence in their financial future.”
The full America’s Economic Opportunity Gap report, including methodology and detailed findings, was conducted with PureSpectrum and surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide between July 30 and August 3, 2025
