Affirm at Checkout: What It Is and How It Affects Your Payout

Affirm at Checkout: What It Is and How It Affects Your Payout

Affirm is one of the payment methods a parent can choose when they pay for a registration on Enrichment.kids. It appears alongside card and bank options on the payment step of checkout. This article explains what Affirm is, what the parent goes through when they pick it, and -- the part that matters most for you -- what it does and does not change about your payout.

What Affirm is

Affirm is a "buy now, pay later" option. Instead of paying the full session price at once, the parent can split it into smaller scheduled payments over time. Affirm pays for the registration up front; the parent then repays Affirm directly on their own schedule.

The key point for you: when a parent pays with Affirm, the registration is paid in full at the moment of checkout, exactly like a card payment. You are not waiting on the parent's installments, and you are not carrying any of that repayment. The arrangement to pay over time is strictly between the parent and Affirm.

Affirm tends to be offered on mid-range and higher order totals. Most session prices in the $200 to $700 range qualify. Whether Affirm appears for a given order, and the specific payment plan offered, are decided by Affirm at checkout based on the order total and the parent -- not by you and not by any setting in your dashboard.

What the parent sees at checkout

Checkout works the same way it always does. The parent adds a session to the cart, assigns a participant, completes any required registration forms, and reaches the payment step. On that step, Affirm shows up as one of the payment options.

If the parent chooses Affirm:

  1. They are taken through Affirm's own short approval flow, where they pick a payment plan and confirm.
  2. On approval, they return to Enrichment.kids and the order completes.
  3. The registration is confirmed immediately -- the participant lands on your roster, the receipt email goes out, and you get the sale notification, all the same as any other paid registration.

From your side, an Affirm registration is indistinguishable from a card registration in how it flows onto your roster and into your reports. The only visible difference is the payment method recorded on the transaction.

What it means for your payout

The payment method the parent chooses does not change your payout or your fees. Your service fee and payment processing fee are calculated the same way regardless of whether the parent paid by card or with Affirm, and the amount that reaches your bank is identical.

Here is a $400 session under the default fee handling, where you absorb the fees. Notice the two columns are the same:

Line Paid by card Paid with Affirm
Session price $400.00 $400.00
Service fee (1.75%) -$7.00 -$7.00
Payment processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) -$11.90 -$11.90
Your payout $381.10 $381.10

This example uses the default absorb fee handling and the standard fee rates. If your organization is set to pass or split fees, the split between you and the customer follows that setting -- but it still does not depend on the payment method. For the full breakdown of how fees and payouts work across all three fee structures, see Understanding Your Fees as a Provider.

On your Sales Report, the method of payment column will read Affirm for these transactions, so you can tell at a glance which registrations came in that way.

Refunds when a parent paid with Affirm

You issue refunds for an Affirm registration exactly the way you would for any other registration -- from the refund dialog on the order item or roster entry. There is no separate process.

A refund returns money to the parent's original payment method. When that method was Affirm, the refund flows back through Affirm, and Affirm adjusts the parent's remaining balance or installments accordingly. You do not need to coordinate anything with the parent's payment plan; that part is handled on Affirm's side. For the mechanics of standard refunds versus full refund override, see Processing Refunds & Cancellations.

FAQ

Do I get paid less when a parent uses Affirm?
No. Your fees and your payout are the same as a card payment. The example above shows identical numbers in both columns.

Do I have to wait for the parent to finish their installments to get paid?
No. You are paid in full at checkout, the same as any other registration. The parent repays Affirm separately, on their own schedule.

Do I need to turn Affirm on or set anything up?
No. Affirm is available at checkout without any action from you. There is no toggle in your dashboard for it.

Why didn't Affirm show up for one of my sessions?
Whether Affirm is offered depends on the order total and on Affirm's own approval. Very low-priced sessions may not qualify. This is determined by Affirm at checkout, not by your listing.

How do I refund a registration the parent paid with Affirm?
The same way you refund anything else. The money returns through Affirm to the parent, and Affirm adjusts their payment plan.

Will the parent see any extra fee for choosing Affirm?
The price the parent pays at checkout is the price they see. Any cost of paying over time is part of the parent's arrangement with Affirm and is shown to them inside Affirm's flow.

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