Airwallex adds Affirm instalments for merchants selling into the US

Airwallex and Affirm announced on August 13 that merchants using the Airwallex platform can offer Affirm’s pay-over-time options at checkout to eligible customers in the United States, according to a joint statement. The option covers merchants in 35 countries and requires no separate integration.

US shoppers who qualify can select four interest-free instalments or monthly payments extending up to 24 months, according to PYMNTS. Affirm charges no late or hidden fees and displays repayment terms before a purchase is completed.

“More merchants around the world are looking for better ways to serve US shoppers, and payment choice at checkout is an important part of that,” said Steve McPhee, vice president of strategic partnerships at Affirm, in the announcement.

Jason Gottlieb, vice president of financial and strategic partnerships at Airwallex, said merchants use the platform to offer payment methods suited to shoppers in different markets. Airwallex now supports more than 160 payment methods, according to Finovate.

The arrangement extends a distribution strategy Affirm has pursued through payment platforms rather than individual merchant deals, following similar tie-ups with Worldpay, Fiserv and J.P. Morgan Payments. Reaching merchants through infrastructure they already use avoids negotiating separate relationships with each one.

Founded in Melbourne in 2015 and co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, Airwallex serves more than 676,000 businesses and holds over 85 licences across 50 markets. Neither company disclosed financial terms or a rollout timeline beyond current availability for eligible merchants. Affirm trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker AFRM.