Zest AI

Zest AI is AI underwriting software for lenders, including credit unions and banks. It does not publish pricing, so credit union costs are only available from third-party estimates. Several sources say Zest uses custom enterprise contracts, one reporting no self-serve tier and another saying multi-year commitments are standard, which lowers the annual rate but raises the total you commit to. Estimates vary: one puts mid-size deals in the six-figure-per-year range, often cited around $100,000 a year and up, another says deals tend to start in the low six figures annually and scale with loan volume, and a UK-oriented review gives a much higher range, with a total first-year cost of £250,000 to £600,000-plus, which seems less applicable to US credit unions.

Pricing depends on loan products (auto, credit card, personal, HELOC and so on), volumes and whether both underwriting and fraud tools such as Zest Protect are included. One review notes that community banks and credit unions with smaller portfolios may find the investment hard to justify per loan. Zest and Commonwealth Credit Union also announced a CU Lending Collective aimed at making AI underwriting accessible to smaller institutions, though the results did not include its pricing. The Commonwealth case study's 30% to 40% lower delinquency figure is a vendor-reported claim. Most figures come from review sites and aggregators, so the only reliable route is a sales conversation.

Zest AI suits mid-size and large lenders with enough volume to justify custom models, and smaller institutions via the collective. Compare Upstart, Blue J and MindBridge. Browse the Finance & Accounting tools directory for more.

Credit underwriting

Auto, card, personal, HELOC.

Fraud detection

Zest Protect.

How much does Zest AI cost?

Custom; estimates start in the low six figures a year.

Is there a self-serve plan?

No.

Are contracts multi-year?

Commonly, per one source.

Can small credit unions use it?

Via the CU Lending Collective, pricing not found.