Affirm has signed a multi-year deal to become the exclusive buy now, pay later provider for Sam’s Club. The service is expected to launch on SamsClub.com in the coming weeks, ahead of the holiday shopping season, with a rollout to physical stores for early 2027.
The offering will include monthly installment plans, with down payments potentially required on purchases of $500 or more.
Sam’s Club is entering the BNPL market later than some competitors. BJ’s Wholesale Club began offering installment payments through Citizens Pay in 2021, while Costco launched a BNPL option in May 2025, also through Affirm.
Finding the Right Demographics
Affirm previously provided BNPL services at Sam’s Club’s parent company, Walmart, until Klarna won the partnership in March 2025.
“Even though we think of Sam’s Club as an extension of Walmart, they have different business models and cater to overlapping but distinctly different demographics,” said Don Apgar, Director of Merchant Services at Javelin Strategy & Research. “Affirm was a better fit for Sam’s Club based on the more affluent demographic of the Sam’s shopper versus a Walmart customer. Looking at the Affirm portfolio, they are more closely aligned with the demographic of the Sam’s customer versus a Klarna one.”
Differences Between the Players
Affirm tends to serve higher-value purchases, including electronics, furniture, and travel. Estimates of its average transaction size range from $250 and $500, and its installment plans can extend to 48 months. Klarna, by contrast, focuses more on smaller purchases, with typical orders around $100 and pay-in-four plans popular across categories such as beauty and everyday retail.
That distinction could help explain why Sam’s Club opted for Affirm. While some observers have speculated that Walmart may be testing which provider performs better, industry experts disagree.
“You might think they are going to run both and which is most effective, but that’s unlikely given that both are multi-year deals,” said Apgar. “If Walmart was setting up a competition, they would be more likely to start with shorter term contracts.”
