Bolt Picks Affirm to Add BNPL Options at Checkout

Checkout and payments company Bolt is teaming with buy now pay later (BNPL) provider Affirm, according to a Tuesday (Jan. 27) press release.

The collaboration makes Affirm the default BNPL provider for Bolt’s network of merchants in the United States, the release said. The companies will begin integrating Affirm into Bolt’s checkout with select merchants this month, and there are plans to expand the integration across the merchant base.

“Checkout is where intent turns into revenue, and flexibility matters in that moment,” Bolt founder and CEO Ryan Breslow said in the release. “By bundling the Affirm BNPL option across Bolt checkout, we’re giving merchants a simple, standardized way to offer installment payments that convert without adding friction or operational complexity.”

The partnership lets shoppers divide their purchases into biweekly or monthly payment plans, while allowing merchants to improve conversion and checkout completion by easing friction at the point of purchase, according to the release.

“Affirm was built to help consumers pay over time in a way that is clear, fair and aligned with strong merchant outcomes,” Steve McPhee, senior director of strategic partnerships at Affirm, said in the release. “By partnering with Bolt, we can deliver predictable, transparent payment options seamlessly and at scale, giving merchants a powerful tool for growth while helping more shoppers complete purchases with confidence.”

Shoppers are increasingly viewing pay later options as a routine tool, not a special financing decision, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence report “Buy Now, Pay Later Powers the Experience Economy.”

“The headline finding is not simply that [BNPL] use is growing,” PYMNTS reported Wednesday (Jan. 21). “It is where and why it is growing. Consumers are increasingly using pay later for concerts, travel, home services and even necessities, such as utilities and medical bills.

The expansion is happening in tandem with rising credit card balances, rather than instead of them. Cards are still central, with installments now layered on top, offering households more ways to manage cash flow amid high prices and tightening budgets.

Affirm’s partnership with Bolt came one day after the company launched a collaboration with payments and financial services company Fiserv. The new partnership is designed to bring BNPL capabilities to the debit card programs at Fiserv’s bank and credit union partners, as consumers seek flexible payment options.