Bolt Selects Affirm as Embedded Buy Now, Pay Later Partner Across Its One-Click Checkout Network

Rhea-AI Summary

Bolt announced that Affirm (NASDAQ: AFRM) will be the default buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider across Bolt's one-click checkout network in the United States, with a rollout beginning January 2026 to select merchants and broader availability planned thereafter.

The integration embeds Affirm alongside card payments for logged-in and guest shoppers without extra merchant integration, offers biweekly or monthly plans including eligible 0% APR options, and is intended to reduce checkout friction and improve conversion and average order value.

Key Figures

APR option: 0% APR

1 metrics

APR option 0% APR Select BNPL plans where eligible in Bolt checkout

Market Reality Check

Price: $68.79 Vol: Volume 4,395,466 is sligh...

normal vol

$68.79 Last Close

Volume Volume 4,395,466 is slightly below 20-day average of 4,685,243 (relative 0.94). normal

Technical Price at 68.71 is trading just above 200-day MA at 68.3, suggesting a neutral long-term trend pre-news.

Peers on Argus

AFRM was down 3.81% while higher-affinity software peers were mixed (e.g., MDB +...

AFRM was down 3.81% while higher-affinity software peers were mixed (e.g., MDB +2.34%, CYBR , TOST -1.47%), indicating stock-specific dynamics rather than a broad sector move.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 23 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 23	Bank charter application	Positive	-1.9%	Applications filed to establish Affirm Bank as an industrial loan company.
Jan 14	Underwriting update	Positive	-4.4%	Enhanced underwriting using real-time account signals to expand purchasing power.
Dec 04	Merchant partnership	Positive	-1.2%	Holiday payments partnership with Pacsun adding installment options and promo offer.
Dec 02	Investor event	Neutral	+3.9%	Announcement of CFO fireside chat to discuss strategy and financial results.
Nov 25	Consumer survey	Positive	+2.9%	Survey showing confusion about credit card terms, supporting demand for transparency.

Pattern Detected

Recent generally positive strategic and product news often coincided with flat-to-negative 24h moves, indicating a pattern of muted or contrary reactions.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Affirm reported several strategic and brand-building milestones. It applied to form Affirm Bank, aiming to add a Nevada-chartered, FDIC‑insured subsidiary, and updated underwriting with richer real‑time signals to expand responsible access. It also announced a holiday payments partnership with Pacsun and released a Canadian survey highlighting confusion around credit card fine print. A CFO fireside chat was scheduled to discuss strategy and results. Despite these developments, 24‑hour price reactions have often been modest or negative.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement positions Affirm as the default BNPL provider across Bolt’s one‑click checkout net...

Analysis

This announcement positions Affirm as the default BNPL provider across Bolt’s one‑click checkout network, potentially expanding exposure to Bolt’s U.S. merchant base. It reinforces themes from prior updates: broadening distribution, emphasizing transparent terms, and integrating financing deeper into checkout flows. Historically, similar product and partnership news produced mixed short‑term price reactions, so future focus may fall on measurable outcomes such as merchant adoption, conversion improvements, and any disclosed volume impacts from this integration.

Key Terms

buy now, pay later, bnpl, apr

3 terms

buy now, pay later financial

"Affirm will become the default buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider across Bolt's checkout"

A payment option that lets a buyer take a purchase immediately and split the cost into a few smaller, scheduled payments instead of paying the full amount up front. For investors, it matters because it can boost sales and customer loyalty for merchants, create fee and interest income for the lender, and introduce credit, default and regulatory risks that can affect revenue and valuation much like a change in a company’s loan book or consumer demand would.

bnpl financial

"Affirm will become the default buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider across Bolt's checkout"

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is a service that allows consumers to purchase items immediately and pay for them over a set period, often through installment payments. For investors, BNPL companies represent a way to facilitate spending and generate revenue from transaction fees and interest, making them an important part of the evolving digital payments landscape.

apr financial

"plans, including options as low as 0% APR where eligible."

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the yearly cost of borrowing money expressed as a percentage, combining interest and most fees into a single rate so borrowers can compare loans like comparing price tags. For investors, APR matters because it affects how much companies pay to raise capital, influences consumer demand for credit, and helps compare returns or costs across loans, bonds, and financial products — all of which can change profits and valuations.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bolt, the checkout, identity and payments leader powering faster, smarter commerce, today announced a new strategic partnership with Affirm (NASDAQ: AFRM), the payment network that empowers consumers and helps merchants drive growth. Through the partnership, Affirm will become the default buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider across Bolt's checkout experience in the United States, enabling Bolt merchants to offer flexible and transparent payment options to eligible shoppers.

The partnership will begin rolling out to select merchants this month, with broader availability planned across Bolt's merchant base. Affirm will be integrated directly into Bolt's one-click checkout and presented alongside card payments for both logged-in and guest shoppers, without requiring additional integration work from merchants.

"Checkout is where intent turns into revenue, and flexibility matters in that moment," said Ryan Breslow, Founder and CEO of Bolt. "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."

By selecting Affirm at checkout, shoppers can apply to split their purchase into biweekly or monthly payment plans, including options as low as 0% APR where eligible. If approved, shoppers choose the personalized payment plan that works best for them. As always, Affirm never charges late or hidden fees, or compounding interest.

"Affirm was built to help consumers pay over time in a way that is clear, fair, and aligned with strong merchant outcomes," said Steve McPhee, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships at Affirm. "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."

For merchants, the integration is designed to improve conversion and checkout completion by reducing friction at the point of purchase. Affirm will be surfaced broadly across Bolt's network to standardize access to pay-later options at scale, while preserving a fast, consistent checkout experience.

Offering Affirm at checkout can help businesses drive overall sales, increase average order value, and reach new customers. Bolt merchants can learn more about Affirm at affirm.com.

About Bolt

Bolt is the checkout, identity and payments leader powering faster, smarter commerce. Its B2B and B2C offerings form a complementary ecosystem. Merchants like Revolve, Kendra Scott and Lilly Pulitzer use Bolt to boost conversion and loyalty, while more than 80 million shoppers benefit from one-click checkout and a secure, cross-site identity. Bolt's core product suite, CheckoutOS, Bolt Ignite and the SuperApp, a new all-in-one finance/crypto hub, helps merchants grow while giving consumers convenience and absolute control. From high-risk processing to one-click subscriptions, Bolt replaces fragmented tools with future-ready infrastructure that scales. The result is a frictionless, trusted journey for shoppers and powerful growth for businesses of all sizes. To learn more, visit Bolt.com.

About Affirm

Affirm's mission is to deliver honest financial products that improve lives. By building a new kind of payment network—one based on trust, transparency, and putting people first—we empower millions of consumers to spend and save responsibly, and give thousands of businesses the tools to fuel growth. Unlike most credit cards and other pay-over-time options, we never charge any late or hidden fees. Follow Affirm on social media: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | X.

Rates are from 0-36% APR. Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check, may not be available everywhere, and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required. For licenses and disclosures, see affirm.com/licenses.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bolt-selects-affirm-as-embedded-buy-now-pay-later-partner-across-its-one-click-checkout-network-302670522.html

SOURCE Bolt

FAQ

What did Bolt announce about Affirm (AFRM) on January 27, 2026?

Bolt selected Affirm (AFRM) as the default BNPL provider across its one-click checkout network in the United States, with rollout starting January 2026 to select merchants.

How will Affirm integrate with Bolt checkout for merchants and shoppers?

Affirm will be integrated directly into Bolt's one-click checkout and shown alongside card payments for logged-in and guest shoppers without requiring additional merchant integration work.

What payment options will shoppers see from Affirm through Bolt checkout?

Shoppers can apply to split purchases into biweekly or monthly plans, including options as low as 0% APR where eligible, and select a personalized plan if approved.

When will Bolt merchants get access to Affirm BNPL across the Bolt network?

The partnership begins rolling out to select merchants in January 2026, with broader availability planned across Bolt's merchant base thereafter.

What benefits does Bolt cite for merchants from the Affirm integration?

Bolt says the integration aims to reduce checkout friction, improve conversion and checkout completion, increase average order value, and standardize access to pay-later options at scale.

Where can Bolt merchants learn more about offering Affirm through Bolt checkout?

Bolt merchants can learn more about Affirm and its merchant offerings at affirm.com.