Amazon and Affirm are rolling out their buy now, pay later (BNPL) solution in Canada, enabling shoppers to pay in instalments
The Buy now, pay over time with Affirm service launched in the US last year. Within the next month, it will be available during checkout to all eligible customers in Canada in both English and French.
Customers who choose Affirm as a payment option during checkout on Amazon.ca will undergo a soft credit check that won’t impact their credit score. If approved, Affirm’s technology will determine available payment options for each customer.
Eligible customers will be able to split their purchases over $50 into monthly payments. Depending on the purchase cost, they can pay in 3-48 equal monthly instalments. The service also incurs interest payments between 10-30% APR.
Affirm BNPL payment mode is not eligible for certain purchases, such as Whole Foods Market or Amazon Fresh orders, digital purchases like movies, Kindle books or gift cards.
The move should boost the retail giant’s revenues that experience the slowest growth levels in about two decades. Thus, Amazon reported a net loss of $2 billion for Q2 2022. One of the reasons for the decline is the company’s stake in electric-vehicle maker Rivian Automotive. However, the unabated inflation has also been among the company’s biggest challenges.
In current economic conditions, BNPL market is projected to grow. In particular, the anticipated economic downturn will drive the demand for low-cost credit solutions. Tech giants have already acknowled the market potential, introducing their own BNPL solutions. For instance, Apple’s recent update of the iOS 16 introduced the long-awaited Apple Pay Later.
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BNPL Market Size to Expand by 78% in 2022
BNPL users to reach over 900 million globally by 2027: Juniper Research