Mastercard Drives Scale of Buy Now, Pay Later with Raft of New Partners

Notable brands help further expand Mastercard Installments BNPL program; gives consumers greater flexibility, transparency and payment choice wherever they shop

Mastercard today announced a growing list of leading partners, including BNPL specialists and globally recognized brands, further expanding Mastercard Installments, the unique BNPL program that delivers greater choice at checkout, both in-store and online.

Amount, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's, Deserve, H&R Block, i2c, Lithic, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sutton Bank and Walgreens join the wide array of partners already working with Mastercard on the BNPL program. They are the latest brands to embrace the benefits of adopting Mastercard Installments’ innovative open loop model.

Mastercard Installments uses the power of the company’s trusted network to make BNPL available to millions of consumers and merchants worldwide. It enables banks, lenders, fintech companies, wallets and BNPL players to offer a variety of flexible installment options to consumers - including a zero percent interest, pay-in-four model – without onerous integration into the merchant infrastructure. This allows participating partners to quickly offer secure and competitive BNPL experiences at scale through Mastercard’s global acceptance network, which includes more than 83 million merchant locations.

“As demand for BNPL solutions continues to grow, consumers have made it clear they want greater choice, flexibility and control in how they pay – wherever they shop,” said Linda Kirkpatrick, President of North America at Mastercard. “With our vast acceptance and reach, Mastercard is uniquely positioned to enable lenders and merchants to deliver seamless and secure BNPL experiences at scale. Our diverse new partners represent the versatility and agility of our BNPL program, and we’re excited to work together to make BNPL available to millions of consumers worldwide.”

Delivering scale, inclusion and consumer protection

Mastercard Installments enables consumers to digitally access BNPL offers, either pre-approved through their lender’s mobile banking app, an interaction they often trust most from their financial institution, or through instant approval during checkout. Pre-approved installments can be used directly on a merchant’s website or can be stored in digital wallets to then be used online or in-store wherever Mastercard is accepted. Payments to the merchant are then made through a single use, Mastercard virtual card. Consumers have full transparency on lender practices up-front during the approval process, and unlike most BNPL offerings available today, consumers will continue to benefit from zero liability fraud protection, the ability to challenge unrecognized charges, and the peace of mind that comes with Mastercard’s acceptance footprint.

Mastercard Installments will also provide access and support to a robust network of partners and a suite of APIs that can be used to power various aspects of an installment experience, all delivered securely and at global scale through the Mastercard multi-rail network. Learn more about our APIs on Mastercard Developers.

Adam Hughes, CEO of Amount said, “Our partnership with Mastercard opens up new ways for Amount to offer bank customers the ability to go to market easily and quickly with a BNPL solution, without the need for merchant integration. Bolstered by Mastercard’s powerful merchant network, bank-backed virtual cards can now enable a seamless transition from online to in-store BNPL options, giving customers greater flexibility and confidence to use the service when and where they want to shop.”

Kalpesh Kapadia, CEO of Deserve said, “Deserve is committed to providing innovative, digital-first solutions that meet the needs of today’s consumers and BNPL is a core feature that fits naturally into our platform. We are excited to be a launch partner for the Mastercard BNPL program, as it advances both Mastercard and Deserve's ability to offer BNPL at scale to drive outstanding consumer experiences."

Jeff Jones, President and CEO of H&R Block, said, “H&R Block values our long-standing partnership with Mastercard – one that is built on delivering innovative solutions to consumers. We’re excited that Mastercard is offering BNPL as another way technology can help people better manage their money, and we look forward to working with Mastercard to learn more about the opportunities BNPL presents now and in the future.”

Ava Kelly, Chief Product Officer of i2c, a global Mastercard Fintech Express Program member, said, "We are thrilled to partner with Mastercard to provide buy now pay later, installment payment solutions on our global platform, as demand for BNPL continues to grow. Partnerships like ours enable issuers to offer customers increased financial access, flexibility, and control over how they spend, with unmatched speed-to-market that allows them to stay competitive within this growing market.”

Bo Jiang, CEO and Co-Founder of Lithic said, “Our customers look to us for cutting-edge card products and BNPL has been at the top of the list but until now there hasn’t been an easy way for fintechs to include BNPL in their card issuing programs. With Mastercard Installments, Mastercard is making BNPL more broadly available than it’s ever been, and through our partnership, Lithic is able to bring this feature to companies of all sizes, from startups to enterprise companies."

Learn more about Mastercard Installments and its range of benefits for consumers, merchants and acquiring banks, lenders, as well as wallets and BNPL players.

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

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