Affirm’s new exclusive partnership with Sam’s Club gives the buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider a new foothold in warehouse retail, where shoppers make purchases ranging from household essentials to big-ticket electronics. The deal, announced Thursday (Oct. 22), also gives Affirm a chance to deepen its role in everyday spending as installment providers compete to become consumers’ preferred way to pay.
The multiyear agreement makes Affirm the exclusive pay-over-time provider for Sam’s Club. The service will launch on SamsClub.com in the coming weeks, with plans to expand to physical club locations in 2027.
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Eligible shoppers will be able to apply for financing at checkout and receive a real-time decision for their specific purchase. Approved customers can select a monthly payment plan and review the payment amounts and payoff date before committing. Affirm says it does not charge late fees or compound interest.
“Making every dollar count shouldn’t stop at checkout,” Wayne Pommen, Affirm’s chief revenue officer, said in the announcement. “When people pay over time with Affirm, they know what they’ll owe and choose a plan that fits their lives.”
The partnership arrives as BNPL providers compete for customers who increasingly use multiple services rather than stick with one. Nearly three-quarters of BNPL users, 74%, reported using two or more providers in the three months through May, up from 68% in April 2025. That behavior makes merchant distribution and the ability to offer suitable payment terms important competitive advantages. An exclusive arrangement with a major retailer gives Affirm a dedicated checkout presence across Sam’s Club’s online business, with the potential to extend that advantage in stores.
The competitive field remains crowded. Affirm is the leading provider, reaching 50% of U.S. BNPL users, narrowly ahead of Afterpay (48%), Klarna (47%) and PayPal Pay Later (41%).
Affirm’s own growth also points to an expanding role beyond traditional large purchases. In its fiscal fourth quarter, transactions rose 41% year over year to 53 million, outpacing the 36% increase in gross merchandise volume to $14.1 billion. Average order value fell 4%, suggesting more activity across smaller purchases. Affirm Card active users more than doubled to 5.2 million, while spending in services grew 49%.
The Sam’s Club deal could help Affirm build on that momentum by connecting its installment plans with a broad retail audience. It also extends the company’s recent push to secure major distribution partners, following its September announcement of a BNPL partnership with Amazon in the United Kingdom.
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