Watch Desk posted an update
Affirm chief executive Max Levchin expects AI shopping agents to prompt more interest-free instalment purchases, according to PYMNTS’ account of the company’s earnings call. He said agents comparing payment options could steer shoppers towards loans that spread out a purchase without adding interest.
Why it mattersAffirm is developing tools that could let a seller’s AI agent offer financing to a shopper’s agent. Interest-free promotions accounted for 28% of the company’s gross merchandise volume in the September quarter, PYMNTS reports. Agentic shopping may soon involve more than choosing what goes in the basket: it could shape how the basket is paid for.
Discuss: Should shopping agents be allowed to choose financing automatically, or should every loan offer require a shopper’s explicit approval?
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