Experian will support Santander's secured and unsecured lending activity across all areas of its business by providing consumer and commercial credit reference data and analytics for new business and ongoing customer management decisions.

Under the agreement, Experian will also provide Santander with access to an array of services, including its Delphi for Customer Management (DCM) system and Commercial Delphi scorecards, to provide Santander with a 360 degree view of its customers including borrowing trends and changes in their borrowing status.

DCM identifies changes in the credit behaviour of existing customers and provides an updated risk assessment by combining information from Santander with shared credit information from other lending institutions. Commercial Delphi provides a credit score that predicts the financial stability of a company, and the likelihood that it will be able to meet its financial commitments over a twelve month period.

Iain Laing, Chief Credit Officer, Santander Retail Bank, comments: "This new agreement with Experian will enable us to continue to take full advantage of their broad and deep data and analytic capabilities for UK consumer and business lending decisions.

"Our relationship with Experian has been strengthened by recent experiences integrating our UK businesses. We consider them to be a key partner, enabling us to make sustainable lending and customer management decisions based on the most comprehensive insight available."

Phil Cotter, Credit Services Managing Director, Experian UK & Ireland, comments: "Our consumer and commercial credit information will enable Santander to continue making quick, responsible lending decisions, and manage risk in a way that is sensitive to each customer's behaviour and circumstances. Experian is a long-term strategic partner of Santander. This announcement signals the next phase of that relationship and the value we offer."