Airwallex and Affirm have announced that merchants using Airwallex can now offer Affirm's instalment payment options at checkout to eligible customers in the US.
According to the companies, eligible Airwallex merchants based in 35 countries can add Affirm as a checkout option for US shoppers without requiring a separate integration. Shoppers who select Affirm at checkout can choose from payment schedules including four interest-free instalments or monthly instalments extending up to 24 months. In addition, Affirm does not charge late or hidden fees and discloses total repayment amounts to shoppers before purchase.
The addition of Affirm forms part of Airwallex's broader payment methods offering, which the company states now spans more than 160 payment methods globally. For merchants operating outside the US and seeking to serve US shoppers, the partnership removes the need to establish and manage a separate contract and dashboard specifically for Affirm, since the option is administered through the existing Airwallex platform.
At the same time, BNPL services such as Affirm have become an established checkout option in US e-commerce, with consumers using instalment plans as an alternative to revolving credit. For merchants, offering such options at checkout is commonly associated with effects on conversion rates and average basket size, which Airwallex has cited as a rationale for the integration. The partnership reflects a wider trend among cross-border payment platforms to consolidate multiple regional and alternative payment methods within a single merchant-facing interface, rather than requiring merchants to negotiate and integrate each provider separately.
Company statements
Jason Gottlieb, VP Financial and Strategic Partnerships at Airwallex, said merchants use the platform to maximise local payment options for shoppers internationally, noting that failing to do so represents unrealised conversion. It was also added that the partnership with Affirm is intended to help international merchants drive sales to US shoppers using a payment method that is already familiar to them.
At the same time, Steve McPhee, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Affirm, said an increasing number of merchants outside the US are seeking better ways to serve US shoppers, with payment choice at checkout described as a component of that effort. The representative said the partnership allows merchants to offer Affirm through a platform many already use, rather than requiring a separate integration process.
The announcement did not include financial terms of the partnership or a specified rollout timeline beyond the current availability of the integration for eligible merchants.
