MANTL & MeridianLink join forces on digital lending
MANTL has agreed to partner with MeridianLink to link its digital application front end with MeridianLink's consumer loan origination and underwriting systems. The integration will be offered as an optional point-of-sale product for mutual bank and credit union customers.
The tie-up expands MANTL's reach in digital lending after Alkami acquired the account-opening specialist last year. MANTL operates as a solution team within Alkami, which sells digital banking software to US financial institutions.
The integration connects MANTL's application experience with MeridianLink Consumer, MeridianLink's loan origination system for consumer lending. It also links to MeridianLink's underwriting engine and workflow tools.
Product scope
The combined product centres on the moment a consumer applies for a loan. MANTL provides the customer-facing interface, while MeridianLink handles back-office decisioning and origination.
The integration is API-driven and passes application data between systems in real time. It is designed to reduce manual document handling and hand-offs between teams.
The product includes automated know-your-customer checks. It can also return instant approvals or denials based on rules and decisioning in MeridianLink's underwriting engine.
For credit unions, it includes verification of membership eligibility. It also supports creating a primary share account for new members in the same process, according to the companies.
Single journey
A second focus is a single digital journey across deposit and loan origination. MANTL sells tools for opening deposit accounts and originating loans, and the integrated experience is intended to reduce drop-off when customers switch between products.
The integration also includes an option to present targeted offers while an application is in progress. Those offers are based on the applicant's existing data profile during the live origination workflow, according to the companies.
Point-of-sale flows have become a competitive area for banking technology providers, particularly as lenders compete with specialist consumer finance apps and retailers that embed credit options at checkout. Banks and credit unions have also faced pressure to shorten decision times and reduce operating costs in consumer lending.
Market positioning
MeridianLink sells cloud software used by banks, credit unions and consumer reporting agencies. Its portfolio includes digital lending, account opening, background screening and data verification products, and it markets a unified data layer called MeridianLink One.
MANTL focuses on account origination across channels and products. It says consumers can open a new deposit account in under five minutes and businesses in under 10 minutes, although results depend on each institution's configuration and checks. It also says its loan tools can automate loan application decisions.
Alkami has sought to widen its product set around digital sales and service for financial institutions. Acquiring MANTL gave it a specialist brand in account origination that sits alongside Alkami's broader digital banking platform.
Benjamin Conant, Chief Product Officer at Alkami and Co-founder of MANTL, said the partnership will broaden access to MANTL's lending experience for institutions already using MeridianLink's origination software.
"We believe innovation means making modern lending accessible, not just powerful," Conant said. "Our integration with MeridianLink allows us to deliver our digital lending experience to institutions that want to modernize their consumer experience. It's a major step forward in expanding our capabilities to service the consumer lending market. Regardless of where a bank or credit union is in their technology journey, they can offer a fintech-grade lending experience that grows relationships through hyper-personalized cross-sells, automation, and digital-first loan origination."
The companies did not disclose commercial terms of the partnership or name launch customers.
Availability is expected through MANTL and MeridianLink for institutions that use MeridianLink Consumer and want to add MANTL's digital front-end application experience, according to the companies.