The new feature will strengthen the company’s focus on artificial intelligence and conversational marketing, building on Sponsored Snaps, the adverts already placed in users’ Chat inboxes.

Until now, those ads were one-way messages, but with this update, users can reply, ask questions and receive recommendations from AI agents representing brands.

Snap said the aim is to place advertising inside spaces where people already talk and interact, rather than sending them elsewhere.

Ajit Mohan, chief business officer at Snap Inc., said: “Conversation is becoming the most valuable real estate in advertising. AI is accelerating that shift, turning chat into the place where people discover products, ask questions, and make decisions in real time. 

“The real opportunity isn’t just putting ads into those environments, it’s designing formats that feel native to how people already talk.”

The company said the format gives advertisers access to Snapchat’s nearly one billion monthly active users. Brands can bring their own AI tools onto the platform and use them to drive awareness, app installs and purchases.

Snapchat also shared new usage figures to support the launch, saying users sent more than 950 billion chats during the first quarter of 2026 alone. The company added that more than half a billion users have messaged its My AI chatbot since it launched in 2023.

According to Snap, 85% of users regularly use the Chat feed. It also said 57% of teenage users send messages daily, while four in ten do so several times a day.

The company further noted that Sponsored Snaps already deliver 22% more conversions with nearly 20% lower cost per action. It added that full-screen ad views generate twice as many conversions compared with some other ad placements.

Snapchat is starting the new product with an alpha launch alongside credit reporting and data firm Experian.

Steve Hartmann, head of Integrated Marketing at Experian, said: “This partnership reflects our commitment to meeting consumers where they are, with trusted insights that empower smarter financial decisions.

“AI Sponsored Snaps delivers a natural, conversational experience, allowing Snapchatters to connect with Experian about credit and money management right where they already feel comfortable. 

“We’re making financial education more accessible and intuitive by becoming part of their everyday conversations.”

Experian, one of the largest credit bureaus in South Africa, has launched Up, a free credit, budgeting and learning experience web-based app, that aims to help South Africans take control of their financial health.

The Experian Consumer Default Index (CDI), which tracks the rate of increase in consumer first payment default, has steadily increased over the past five quarters across all consumer segments.

“It is clear that the strain of the current economic climate continues to weigh heavily on consumers, with many turning to credit to make up for the shortfalls in their cost-of-living expenditures. Helping consumers to manage their budgets and create strong financial practices has become more important than ever,” says Jaco van Jaarsveldt, Head of Commercial Strategy & Innovation at Experian South Africa.

Financial wellness is vital to an individual’s overall well-being. Studies have shown that financial stress can have adverse effects on people, leading to mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. Just as physical fitness is achieved through knowing what objectives to meet, financial wellness can be achieved by understanding one’s financial objectives and how to achieve them.

Helping consumers and SMEs achieve financial fitness

“There are two critical aspects that credit providers consider when assessing an application for credit, namely your credit score and your affordability. An applicant’s credit score is an indication of their current credit standing and is based on the payment performance of existing credit facilities a consumer has. Affordability on the other hand assesses the applicant’s ability to make payments on a new credit facility by determining how much funds a consumer has available after covering all existing expenses,” says Van Jaarsveldt.

By accessing their Experian credit report and credit score free of charge via the web app, consumers can ensure that all their information is accurate and up-to-date enabling them to stay on top of their credit profile on a regular basis.

Similarly, by regularly updating their budget via the web app, consumers will have a detailed view of their finances providing a consolidated, one-stop view of their ability to afford additional credit facilities.

Up by Experian empowers consumers with the financial knowledge necessary to engage with financial institutions, knowing the likely answer to the credit application question before formally asking the question.

Access to credit information and financial education is a significant step towards financial inclusion, as it empowers individuals and SMEs to make informed decisions about their finances,” adds Van Jaarsveldt.

Driving financial inclusion

Financial inclusion is an essential component for overall economic growth for both consumers and small businesses. Up facilitates access to banking services and financial products to underserved populations by enabling consumers and SMEs to manage their financial wellness through gamified credit and financial education, budgeting, and the ability to track and manage their credit scores on a regular basis.

“There is, however, a large percentage of consumers who still face barriers to accessing credit or pay more for credit for several reasons. Some have trouble documenting their income. Others have either no credit history or a credit history that is too scarce, or “thin” to generate a credit score. This issue more often affects low-income consumers, and this is where alternative credit data can play a positive role,” explains Van Jaarsveldt.

“We believe that introducing new and more appropriate data sources is required to make the financial services market more inclusive. There are many forms of alternative data that could help build a financial footprint and positively impact the lives of many currently excluded from the market.”

With the required permission, consumers using the Up app, will be able to build an alternative credit score using hundreds of alternative data points which could be used to determine creditworthiness in a new and innovative way. “Only data that an individual has consented to share will be used to assess an individual’s stability and alternative credit score,” explains Van Jaarsveldt.

Most importantly this new alternative data will ultimately drive greater access to credit for consumers who were previously overlooked as well as provide profitable growth for lenders who will begin to see these individuals in a new way through more time relevant data points that could provide early indicators of changes in a consumer’s financial status.

Up is a great example of how Experian is innovating to find new ways to support our customers while improving financial access to more consumers. It fulfils our passion for financial inclusion and the accurate assessment of affordability.