Affirm vs Zilch

Affirm is a buy now, pay later service for financing purchases at merchant checkout. Consumers can choose Pay in 4, billed in four interest-free payments every two weeks for orders from $50 to $249.99, or monthly installments. The Installments plan covers 3–60 months for orders up to $25,000; listed repayment terms overall range from six weeks to 36 months. Affirm states that rates are 0–36% APR based on credit, while Pay in 4 is 0% APR, and says consumers are not charged late or hidden fees. Each transaction is underwritten individually using traditional credit information plus factors such as transaction history and credit usage. Merchants can integrate through the Direct API, Android and iOS SDKs, or listed commerce and payment platforms, with separate sandbox and live API environments. Consumers can use Android and iOS apps, a Chrome extension, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. A merchant dashboard and support centers are provided.

Zilch is a consumer payment app and card offering ways to pay, Rewards and credit. Customers can pay immediately, spread payments over six weeks or pay over three months, subject to eligibility and fees; listed repayment terms also include six and 12 months. Zilch advertises credit from £50 to £4,500, subject to status. Its app works wherever Mastercard is accepted, and customers can add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay. Rewards can be earned on Pay now purchases and used toward purchases. Standard is free, offers up to 5% Rewards in-app and has a £4.99 card fee. Extra costs £2.99 per month and includes a physical card; Plus costs £4.99 per month, includes a physical card and lists different Rewards rates by purchase type. Eligible Extra or Plus customers may borrow up to £100 through Advance for a £3 processing fee; eligibility requires connecting a bank account. Zilch is available on Android, iOS and web. It says credit is for UK residents aged 18 or over and subject to status.