Better Health for All

The company's CareCredit product, while aiming to provide access to various health services, exacerbates financial strain among vulnerable populations. Patients have been misinformed about no-interest payment plans and enrolled under stressful conditions without fully understanding the terms, leading to significant financial burdens.

CareCredit accounts carry APRs ranging from 29.99% to 32.99%, with penalty APRs up to 39.99% and additional fees, which contribute to increased debt and financial instability. This directly creates negative mental health impacts and financial disparities. The company's revenue is derived from these credit products, which have established negative health outcomes due to their terms and practices. While the company offers financing for counseling, the overall financial burden caused by its product negatively impacts mental health. There is no evidence of programs to address the severe financial disparities caused by its business model. The company's credit products do not have direct safety implications or addiction potential.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Synchrony Financial's participation in Project REACh has resulted in more than 50% of new cardholders achieving a prime credit score within a year

, demonstrating a positive impact on customer credit health and measurable asset growth.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Synchrony Financial ensures 100% pay equity across genders globally and racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.

The company has increased its minimum hourly wage to $21 for all U.S. hourly employees, with a plan to raise it to $21.50 by March 1, 2025. Annual bonuses are consistently provided to hourly frontline associates, including special bonuses to mitigate inflation impacts. Synchrony offers flexible work arrangements, including full-time remote or hybrid options, and provides tuition reimbursement up to $20,000 for full-time employees. Eligible U.S. employees can also have qualified student loan payments counted toward Synchrony’s matching 401(k) contributions. The company was ranked number 5 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list in the U.S. for 2024, marking its seventh consecutive year on the list. Employee feedback, however, highlights areas for improvement such as workload and management practices.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Synchrony Financial operates in the consumer finance sector and does not directly engage in material procurement or supply chain management typical of industries involved in fair trade and ethical sourcing.

Consequently, there is no procurement of physical commodities, no supply chain tiers to map for traceability, and no material sourcing of at-risk inputs. The company maintains a comprehensive Supplier Management Program requiring suppliers to adhere to a Supplier Code of Conduct. Synchrony enhanced its supplier diversity efforts, reporting a 95% increase in spending with diverse suppliers in 2023 compared to 2022, including a 331% rise in engagement with African American suppliers. However, the percentage of the total procurement budget directed to diverse suppliers is not disclosed, nor is the specific percentage of contracts including enforceable ethical clauses, or data on audit frequency, forced/child labor incidents, or remediation speed.

Honest & Fair Business

The company's ESG report explicitly states there was no external assurance from third parties regarding the information provided.

Synchrony Financial received an S&P Global ESG Score of 40. The company has an Ombuds program that incorporated an independent vendor to administer its helpline starting in the second quarter of 2024, and all employees and the Board receive training on the Code of Conduct.

Kind to Animals

Synchrony Financial is a consumer financial services company. As such, most KPIs related to animal products, testing, agriculture, or direct animal operations are not applicable to its business model and are therefore scored as N/A (0). For instance, the company has no products requiring cruelty-free certification, does not conduct animal testing, does not engage in animal agriculture, and does not source animal-derived ingredients or products. While Synchrony's CareCredit supports pet care financing

and the company partners with animal welfare organizations , , , , these activities do not directly align with the quantitative thresholds for KPIs such as wildlife conservation impact or supplier audits for animal welfare. The company also participates in public policy initiatives to support pet owners , but this activity does not meet the specific quantitative or qualitative thresholds for any defined tier in the 'public_policy_engagement' KPI, leading to its omission.

No War, No Weapons

Synchrony Financial, a consumer financial services company, uses automated screens to compare applicant names against the Specially Designated Nationals list maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

and adheres to USA PATRIOT Act requirements. This indicates the implementation of controls to prevent providing services to sanctioned entities. No other evidence related to arms manufacturing, military contracts, or conflict facilitation was found in the provided articles.

Planet-Friendly Business

The company's total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions were 29,137 tCO₂e in 2024, representing a 15.55% decline from 2023.

Net-zero targets have been set, but there is no mention of SBTi validation. More than 60% of the electrical power consumed by its data centers is from zero-carbon renewable sources as of 2024. Four of its 15 leased facilities are green certified, including two LEED-certified buildings, one EDGE-certified building, and one IGBC Platinum Rated building. Synchrony has published TCFD reports and continues to evaluate the potential use of climate-related risk event scenarios. Total pages printed declined approximately 10% in 2024 compared to 2023.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Synchrony Financial has established 8 formal partnership agreements with indigenous or local community groups, including United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY), Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA), Reservation Economic Summit (RES), Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL), American Indian College Fund (AICF), and a partnership with the Totem App which shares interchange fees with tribal governments.

No cultural appropriation incidents have been reported. Given the company's financial services business model, specific cultural impact assessment protocols, FPIC processes, cultural site protection, social license to operate, and cultural incident response frameworks are not directly applicable to its operations, and no related incidents or specific protocols are reported.

Safe & Smart Tech

Synchrony Financial has not reported any material cybersecurity incidents in the past three fiscal years

and reported zero data breach incidents in 2023, reflecting a strong security program. The company's Board of Directors has a Technology Committee that oversees AI initiatives, ensuring alignment with ethical standards and responsible practices. Synchrony actively monitors and audits AI models to detect and rectify biases, demonstrating a strong focus on preventing algorithmic harms. Furthermore, Synchrony complies with privacy, information security, and data protection laws such as GLBA and CCPA, having implemented programs to adhere to these regulations.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Synchrony Financial demonstrates revolutionary material efficiency by actively developing digital-only credit cards and achieving high digital adoption rates for payments (69% in 2024)

and applications (57% in 2024), significantly reducing physical material input. The company has implemented over 10 waste reduction initiatives, including comprehensive recycling programs for e-waste (73,000 pounds recycled in 2024) and paper (212 million fewer paper statements in 2024 compared to 2018), food waste reduction partnerships, and eliminating single-use cups at most hubs. Hazardous waste is actively reduced through e-waste recycling programs that prevent toxins like lead and mercury from polluting landfills. Circular design principles are integrated through the development of digital-only cards. The company encourages customers to reduce paper consumption via its "Go Paperless" initiative and regular communications. No waste disposal violations were reported in the past three years. However, the company has only vague waste reduction goals without specific targets or deadlines.