The news: Affirm will be the exclusive buy now, pay later (BNPL) partner for Sam’s Club, per a press release.

Consumers will be able to check out with Affirm at SamsClub.com in the coming weeks. In-store BNPL checkout at Sam’s Club locations will launch in 2027.

Affirm was Walmart’s exclusive BNPL provider until Klarna took the partnership in the spring of 2025. Working with two different BNPL providers could let Walmart compare their performance against each other—and potentially move both stores over to the top provider.

Why this matters: Affirm stands to pick up valuable in-store payment volume at a major wholesale retailer. Members tend to have larger, more expensive baskets full of essentials like groceries—which could make installment options more desirable. 

• The share of BNPL users turning to installments for groceries has doubled since 2024, making up 29% of US BNPL-using households, per Lending Tree.
• That share rises to 34% for parents with kids under 18 and 38% for Gen Zers.

Implications for BNPL players: While network-based tie-ups like Apple Pay or Clover can be more efficient than drawing up individual partnerships with retailers, partnerships with major retailers are still critical. 

Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, for instance, commented that the company’s tie-up with Walmart has helped drive bigger-ticket installment sales, per the company’s Q2 2026 earnings call.

Retail partnerships are also key to driving category-based expansion into areas like elective medical services, veterinary practices, appliances, and trade work—meeting consumers where they need financing but might not want to use revolving credit.

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