The deal and the rollout
Affirm struck a multi-year agreement to become the exclusive BNPL provider for Walmart's Sam's Club. It will first appear on the Sam's Club website in the coming weeks, with in-store availability planned for 2027, according to a Thursday statement that did not disclose terms.
San Francisco-based Affirm leaned on a familiar message. "When people pay over time with Affirm, they know what they'll owe and choose a plan that fits their lives," Chief Revenue Officer Wayne Pommen said.
Competitive backdrop
The move follows a different Walmart tie-up: in the prior year, Klarna Group Plc was selected as Walmart's OnePay preferred installment-loan provider. The news pressured Affirm shares, and the company said that, over the six months ended Dec. 2024, its Walmart partnership accounted for roughly 2% of adjusted operating income.
This year has been bumpy for Klarna, with revenue projections trimmed and a search underway for a crucial senior hire.
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Why it matters for investors
An exclusive lane at Sam's Club adds a fresh checkout channel for Affirm just ahead of the holiday stretch, with physical stores joining later. Inside Walmart's ecosystem, the roles are distinct: Affirm at Sam's Club, and Klarna chosen last year as the preferred installment-loan provider for OnePay. The bottom line: BNPL is a distribution game, and winning the cart can influence who captures the growth.
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