TransUnion Trends 2024-2025: concrete opportunities for Quebec SMEs

In Quebec, access to financing, customer risk management and digital transformation have become major issues for SMEs. The latest analyses from TransUnion, one of North America’s leading credit bureaus, offer a clear picture of the evolution of credit, consumer behavior and payment trends for 2024-2025. For Quebec SMEs, understanding these trends is no longer just “interesting”: it’s a decisive competitive advantage for securing cash flow, optimizing sales and investing at the right time.

According to recent data from TransUnion in Canada, household debt, the growth ofe-commerce and the adoption of digital tools directly influence credit risk and purchasing habits. Properly used, this information enables companies to better target their customers, reduce late payments and maximize their chances of obtaining financing. In this article, we decode the most important TransUnion 2024-2025 trends for Quebec SMEs, and how to turn them into opportunities thanks to AI, CRM and modern digital solutions.

1. Reading the TransUnion 2024-2025 trends: what SMEs need to watch out for

TransUnion regularly publishes reports on the health of Canadian consumer credit and the macroeconomic outlook. For 2024-2025, several key signals are of direct interest to Quebec SMEs, particularly those that sell on credit, offer in-house financing, or rely heavily on household purchasing power.

According to TransUnion Canada data, the average balance of non-mortgage debt continues to rise, particularly on credit cards and auto loans, while the delinquency rate of 90 days or more has increased over previous years, under the pressure of inflation and rising interest rates(source: TransUnion Canada). These dynamics lead to an environment where :

• Consumers have less leeway to take on new debt;
• The risk of late payment is increasing for certain customer segments;
• Financial institutions are becoming more selective in granting credit.

At the same time, according to a recent Statistics Canada survey, over 60% of Canadian companies say that economic uncertainty and rising costs are major obstacles to investment and growth(Statistics Canada). For Quebec SMEs, these figures must be translated into very concrete decisions:

• adapt payment terms and credit policies to current realities;
• strengthen the selection and monitoring of at-risk customers;
• diversify sales channels (especially online) to offset local fluctuations in demand;
• professionalize customer relations and collections management.

TransUnion trends also show a rise in digital fraud and identity theft attempts, particularly in the financial, e-commerce and service sectors. This means that SMEs selling online need to pay particular attention to verification and authentication mechanisms, while maintaining a seamless customer experience.

In summary, the 2024-2025 reports paint a landscape where credit remains accessible, but in a context of increased risk and heightened surveillance. For Quebec SMEs, this means a more structured approach to customer risk management, but it also opens the door to more intelligent digital tools for better decision-making.

2. Access to finance and risk profile: how SMEs can benefit from TransUnion data

The information and trends published by TransUnion don’t just concern consumers: they directly influence the way banks, financial institutions and even some suppliers assess the risk of SMEs. By understanding these dynamics, a company can better position itself to obtain financing, negotiate more favorable terms and conditions, and plan its digital investments.

Institutions use three main types of information:

• Macroeconomic trends (credit growth, delinquency, insolvency);
• Payment behavior specific to a sector or region (e.g., Quebec);
• The credit profile and financial stability of the company and its management.

In a context where, according to TransUnion, delinquency levels have increased in several credit segments, institutions are becoming more sensitive to the quality of SMEs’ internal management. In concrete terms, this means that a company that demonstrates :

• good management of invoicing and accounts receivable;
• reasonable and controlled collection times;
• a realistic, data-supported cash flow projection;
• a clear growth strategy (e.g. digital or export);

is statistically more likely to obtain financing on the desired terms. This is where digital tools become strategic. A high-performance CRM, connected to the SME’s financial reality, gives the lender a clear view of the customer base, sales pipeline and recurring revenues. A solution like those implemented by Nuaweb, presented on the CRM management page, helps to structure this information and make it usable.

What’s more, a company’s ability to digitize is increasingly seen as a resilience factor. In light of TransUnion trends highlighting the rise of digital credit and online purchasing behavior, an SME that invests in professional website design andAI and chatbot solutions demonstrates that it is adapting to new customer journeys, reassuring financial partners.

Finally, in a context where statistics show a rise in fraud and non-payment, SMEs that adopt rigorous processes (identity verification, proactive account monitoring, segmentation of at-risk customers) have a better risk profile. AI and automation tools can, for example, analyze your customers’ payment history and alert you when behavior becomes worrying, before it turns into a dead loss.

The challenge for Quebec SMEs is therefore twofold: to use TransUnion analyses as a market barometer, and to equip themselves with in-house digital tools to prove their soundness and reduce risk, both from the point of view of lenders and their own cash flow.

3. E-commerce, credit and purchasing behavior: aligning with consumers’ new realities

TransUnion’s reports highlight a marked shift in purchasing behavior in Canada, with increased adoption of digital payments, online credit and e-commerce. For Quebec SMEs, these trends are not abstract: they directly influence your sales, your conversion rate and your exposure to payment risk.

According to various market studies and data compiled by TransUnion and other industry sources, the share of purchases made online continues to grow in Canada, driven by convenience, online financing options and personalized experiences. At the same time, the proportion of fraud associated with digital transactions has increased, prompting merchants and institutions to strengthen identity checks and fraud detection systems.

For an SME that operates an online store or is planning to do so, there are several imperatives:

• Offer a seamless e-commerce experience (clear navigation, secure payments, financing options where relevant);
• Implement appropriate security systems (3D Secure, address verification, anti-fraud tools integrated into payment gateways);
• Use customer data to better target offers and reduce cart abandonment;
• Integrate e-commerce with the rest of the digital ecosystem (CRM, billing, automated marketing).

In this respect, a structured solution such as those presented on the Nuaweb e-commerce page enables you to build a high-performance, secure online store that’s connected to your other tools. By integrating your e-commerce directly with a CRM, you can :

• track each customer’s purchase history;
• detect risky behavior (multiple undelivered orders, frequent complaints, payment cancellations);
• adapt your terms and conditions (payment on order, on delivery, on account) according to the customer’s profile;
• set up automated reminder scenarios to speed up collections.

TransUnion trends also show that consumers, under budgetary pressure, compare more, look for promotions and are sensitive to the trust a brand inspires. A professional website, well positioned in search engines and with a clear image, becomes a key element in reassuring buyers and maximizing conversions. Nuaweb’s website creation page illustrates how a well-designed web presence can support your sales and credibility objectives.

By combining these trends with a good understanding of credit and risk data, Quebec SMEs can design pricing, payment and promotional strategies that are better aligned with the reality of their customers: offering payment plans where purchasing power is limited, reinforcing security for higher-risk segments, or targeting the most profitable customers with loyalty programs.

4. The role of AI, CRM and automation: turning TransUnion trends into action

Knowing the TransUnion 2024-2025 trends is the first step. The real value for a Quebec SME comes when it succeeds in transforming these insights into concrete, day-to-day processes. This is precisely whereartificial intelligence, CRM andautomation come into play.

On the Nuaweb homepage, you can discover several examples ofAI, chatbots and automation applied to SMEs. In particular, these technologies enable:

• Intelligent segmentation of customers according to their purchasing behavior and, indirectly, their credit risk (purchase frequency, late payments, average basket);
• Prioritizing collection actions by focusing on the most sensitive accounts before they become delinquent;
• Personalized offers that take into account the payment capacity and profile of each customer segment;
• Automated reminders and follow-up to reduce collection times without overloading your team.

A well-established CRM becomes the heart of this strategy. Connected to your website, online store and billing system, it centralizes :

• contact and communication history data;
• transactions and invoices;
• payment delays and incidents;
• sales opportunities and contract renewals.

From this data, simple models (or advanced ones, via AI) can assess risk and guide you in your decisions: whether or not to offer credit terms, adjust account limits, adapt your deposit policies. At the same time, intelligent chatbots can answer your customers’ frequent questions, reduce payment friction (by gently reminding them of due dates, for example) and improve your customer service, positively influencing your brand perception in a context where trust is essential.

In an environment that TransUnion’s studies describe as more risky, but also more data-rich, SMEs that adopt these data-driven approaches are ahead of the game. They don’t just take the economic news: they anticipate it, read it and adapt to it, relying on digital tools designed for their reality.

To take action, support from a team specialized in digital transformation and AI solutions, like Nuaweb, can speed up the process: auditing your current processes, choosing the right tools, technical integration and training your teams.

Conclusion: turn TransUnion signals into a competitive advantage for your SME

TransUnion trends 2024-2025 paint a nuanced picture of the Quebec and Canadian market: rising indebtedness, increasing delinquency in certain segments, rapid growth in e-commerce and digital payments, rising fraud and pressure on purchasing power. For Quebec SMEs, these findings are not only a source of concern – they also provide a valuable guide for adjusting their strategy, professionalizing their financial management and accelerating their digital transformation.

By combining a good understanding of TransUnion signals with modern tools – CRM, AI, e-commerce, automation – it becomes possible to :

• better select your customers and reduce the risk of non-payment;
• strengthen your case for financing;
• optimize your online presence and conversions;
• gain operational efficiency and visibility over your cash flow.

If you want to analyze the concrete impact of these trends on your business and build a digital strategy tailored to your reality, the Nuaweb team can support you, from diagnosis to technical implementation. Whether you need a new website, an online store, a customized CRM orAI solutions to automate your processes, we tailor our services to local SMEs.

Ready to turn TransUnion trends into tangible benefits for your Quebec SME? Schedule a free consultation with a Nuaweb expert by filling out the form on our contact page. Together, we’ll turn your data and market signals into a real engine for growth.