Visa Flexible Credential allows users to manage funding from various accounts for different purchase types, and use “Buy Now, Pay Later” services via the Affirm partnership.
Visa recently announced the global expansion of its Flexible Credential (VFC) program, allowing users to access multiple funding sources via a single card.
The partnerships with Affirm in the U.S. and Liv Bank in the UAE offer Visa clients even greater flexibility, supporting “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) options and multi-currency transactions. Namely, it will support five of the most popular currencies, including U.S. Dollar, British Pound, Euro, Canadian Dollar and Australian Dollar.
Debuting in the U.S., the Visa Flexible Credential feature rolls out with the Affirm debit card, allowing eligible consumers to access flexible payment options right from the Affirm app easily. The Affirm Card is currently used by over 1.4 million consumers in the U.S. The fintech has also recently rolled out its BNPL services in the UK.
For the MENA region, Liv collaboration enables frequent travellers to pay using multiple currency accounts from one card. Liv is a digital bank launched by Emirates NBD. It allows users to manage multiple currency accounts with one card, enabling seamless international transactions. This flexibility is particularly valuable in regions like the UAE, where cross-border spending is rapidly increasing.
The feature is also helping businesses simplify finances by managing multiple accounts from one card. Since launching the Olive card in partnership with Sumitomo Mitsui in Japan about a year ago, Visa Flexible Credential has attracted over 3 million users. Most of them (70%) are actively switching between debit, credit, and prepaid options, primarily using credit for purchases. Additionally, Visa and SMCC introduced a feature to help small businesses manage cash flow, allowing them to switch seamlessly between business and personal accounts on the same card. Visa plans to expand this small business capability beyond Japan after further testing.
