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In this article, we'll cover the most common questions that both prospective and new Affirm customers have about our platform as they get started with us.
To kick-start your integration with Affirm, refer to our development quick start guide.
Getting-started questions
How do I get started?
At Affirm, we don't provide a one-size-fits-all approach; instead, we offer a variety of options tailored to your industry and product offerings. Fill out this form to get started. You can then expect to hear back from our sales team within three to five business days from submission.
Which countries is Affirm available in?
We work with businesses based in the U.S., Canada and the UK, as well as businesses based outside the U.S., Canada and the UK, as long as:
- The majority of their customers have a billing address in the U.S., Canada, or the UK.
- The business has a U.S., Canadian, or UK entity.
- The business has a U.S., Canadian, or UK bank account where we can deposit funds.
We can only provide our pay-over-time solution to U.S., Canadian or UK shoppers. If you meet these requirements, you can get started with Affirm by creating an account. Once you've accessed your Merchant Portal and provided some information about your business, our team will contact you with next steps.
What types of businesses does Affirm work with?
Affirm works with hundreds of thousands of businesses of all sizes and across a wide range of industries. We don't require our partners to meet a minimum volume for online sales. To explore a partnership, your business should:
- Sell directly to UK consumers.
- Learn more about how to operate in accordance with our Prohibited Business Policy.
- Have a U.S, Canadian, or UK bank account.
If you've ticked everything off this list, we'd love to explore a partnership with you! Get started by creating a merchant account.
My website isn't fully live yet. Can I still apply?
At this time, we do require that your website be fully live in order for us to explore a partnership. Your website should also be running on one of our supported e-commerce platforms.
The customer experience
How does Affirm work for my customers?
When shoppers visit your site, they'll be able to see Affirm wherever you choose, including on your homepage and on your product, basket and checkout pages. When shoppers know about Affirm's flexible payment options early in the shopping journey, this can eliminate 'sticker shock' and remove price as a barrier.
When they've finished adding items to their basket, they can select Affirm as their payment method at checkout. They'll enter a few pieces of information and get a real-time decision. (Or if they're a returning user, they'll simply sign in.) They'll then see from one to three payment options with terms ranging from six weeks to 36 months, depending on their basket size and credit history, and on the financing programme that you chose.
Once your customer has confirmed their payment plan, you'll be able to process the order. Your customer will then make their payments at affirm.com or in the Affirm app, or they can turn on AutoPay.
When a customer encounters issues with a purchase and can't get in touch with the merchant to resolve their issue directly, they may submit a dispute via Affirm. Learn more about the Dispute resolution Policy.
What financing programmes do you offer?
Our powerful Adaptive Checkout™ solution dynamically offers the perfect payment options for your customers and your basket sizes. Shoppers receive the most relevant payment terms with just a few simple pieces of information. With Adaptive Checkout, you can offer three months 0% APR.
Buying with Affirm is quick and easy: we ask new users for just a few pieces of basic information and then our approval decision only takes 10–12 seconds. Returning users just need to sign in to apply. Shoppers are then offered between one and three payment plan options depending on their basket size and credit history, and on the financing programme that they choose. If you choose a 0% APR programme, qualifying shoppers will be offered 0% APR payment plans, while shoppers who don't qualify may be offered interest-bearing payment plans.
For more information about the financing programme, contact our Merchant Care team.
Can I use Affirm for In-Store and Telesales?
Once you've set up your e-commerce integration, and depending on your in-store and telesales annual revenue, we do offer in-store and telesales integrations in the U.S., Canada and the UK. These integrations require minimal lift.
With our telesales solution, your customer will receive an email and SMS message with a checkout URL. Once they have followed this link, Affirm will present an identical integration to the in-store flow. Learn more about our telesales solution.
What will my customers pay?
For each Affirm transaction, shoppers pay between 0–36% APR based on their credit history and the financing programmes that they choose.
When shoppers select Affirm at checkout, they'll get detailed payment plan options. Whichever payment plan they choose, they will never pay a penny more than they agree to on day one; Affirm never charges shoppers late fees or any other kind of fee. We take on all repayment risks.
How does Affirm maintain security against possible cyber threats?
Security against cyber threats and data protection is an essential part of Affirm, and this is why we have developed key measures to provide the best experience.
Check out the details of our security programme in Affirm's Trust Centre.
Merchant fees
What is my fee?
For our merchant partners, we charge a merchant discount rate (MDR) and transaction fee. The exact fee we charge is based on a few factors, including the programme option you choose, your business size, and your business's risk profile based on data we've gathered from working with thousands of businesses.
A typical Affirm fee is a base percentage + £X.XX per transaction, but this can vary according to business type and size. We don't charge integration fees, annual fees or monthly fees. Once you've created an Affirm merchant account and submitted a few pieces of information about your business, you'll see additional details about our various financing programme offerings and associated fees.
Learn more about fees and programmes, create a merchant account today.
How and when will I be paid?
Affirm settles to your bank account via direct debit transfer within 1–3 business days of each transaction. We pay you upfront, in full, less the merchant discount rate (MDR) and transaction fee. Learn more about the settlement process.
How do refunds work?
Issuing refunds on an Affirm order is the same as processing a credit card refund, and you can do it directly via your e-commerce platform or the Affirm Merchant Portal.
For a partial refund, Affirm will first credit your customer's final recurring Affirm bill. If the refund amount is larger than the final recurring bill, Affirm will apply the remainder of the refund to the preceding recurring bill, and so on. All other payment terms will remain unchanged from the customer's original plan.
We don't refund the merchant discount rate or the transaction fee. Learn more about refunds.
Integrations
How does integration work?
Whether you're on an e-commerce platform or you use our direct API implementation, the integration process is designed to be quick and easy.
Once we've decided to partner together and you've selected the financing programme that you'd like to offer your customers, we'll give you access to our learning management platform, which will walk you through the integration step by step. Most of our partners integrate Affirm very quickly, and our Integrations team is always available if you need help.
Once the integration is complete, your customers won't ever have to leave your website because Affirm will be seamlessly integrated into your checkout.
Where can I obtain my API credentials?
If you're a developer looking to obtain public and private keys, you will first create a merchant account and sign an agreement, and then our team can activate your account. Learn more about the integration process.
Note: Only administrators can manage API keys. If you need a key, contact your workspace administrator or use the Support widget on this page.
Which e-commerce platforms do you work with?
We have direct integrations with many e-commerce platforms. We're constantly adding more, so keep checking back for updates!
Why am I getting an 'Incorrect provider credentials' error?
If you're trying to test or run Affirm's checkout on your website and your merchant application is still under review, it is likely that you will receive this error. When and if your application is approved, you will receive working API keys to use on your website.
However, if your application has been approved and you are still receiving this error, contact our Merchant Care team.
Affirm U.K. Ltd is authorised and registered by the Financial Conduct Authority, Firm Reference Number 756087; see here for more details.
> Next: Getting Started With Affirm: Signing Up and Account Creations