Antom, the global merchant payment and digitisation platform operated by Ant International, has announced a strategic partnership with Affirm, listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol AFRM. The collaboration is designed to integrate Affirm’s popular buy-now, pay-later services directly into Antom’s merchant network within the United States, providing businesses with a streamlined method to offer their customers trusted and transparent payment alternatives at checkout.
Beginning this month, merchants utilizing the Antom platform will be able to incorporate Affirm into their checkout systems. This integration aims to deliver greater transparency and purchasing choice to consumers by allowing eligible shoppers to select customized biweekly or monthly payment plans. A core pillar of Affirm’s consumer appeal is its upfront pricing model, which displays the full cost of the purchase before the transaction is completed and ensures that buyers are never subjected to late fees or hidden charges. This commitment to clarity has proven effective in building consumer confidence and driving repeat business, a trend highlighted by the fact that approximately 96% of Affirm transactions originate from repeat users.
Gary Liu, Chief Executive Officer of Antom and Senior Vice President of Ant International, emphasized the strategic value of the collaboration for merchants navigating an increasingly competitive digital commerce landscape. According to Liu, businesses continuously seek payment solutions that can adequately support revenue growth while remaining straightforward to integrate and instantly recognizable to their customer base. By introducing Affirm, a widely recognized and trusted brand in the financial technology sector, Antom is equipping its merchants with a tool designed to convert casual browsing traffic into finalized purchases.
The technical implementation of the service has been designed to minimize friction for businesses. Merchants can enable Affirm directly through the Antom portal by completing a streamlined onboarding process. When consumers choose Affirm at the point of sale, they undergo a rapid eligibility verification check. Affirm’s real-time underwriting technology then tailors a personalized purchase offer based on the specific transaction details. These approved offers can accommodate purchase amounts ranging from $35 up to $30,000, with repayment terms spanning anywhere from 30 days to 36 months. Additionally, the partnership empowers Antom merchants to offer attractive promotional terms, including six-month interest-free payment options funded through Affirm.
Steve McPhee, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Affirm, noted that payment platforms are increasingly prioritizing flexible financing solutions because merchants consistently achieve stronger performance metrics when consumers are given the ability to pay over time under honest and transparent conditions. McPhee expressed enthusiasm for the rollout, pointing out that Antom’s immediate introduction of Affirm to its expanding U.S. merchant base, combined with the platform’s extensive international footprint, establishes a strong foundation for long-term collaborative growth across global markets.
Building on the initial rollout in the United States, the strategic partnership is scheduled for further geographic expansion later this year. Antom and Affirm have confirmed plans to introduce the pay-over-time service to customers in the United Kingdom within the coming months, with subsequent expansions planned for additional international markets as the collaboration scales globally.
