How we build composable ecommerce experiences with Afterpay.

Afterpay works best when your average order is big enough that paying all at once puts people off. We see it perform for apparel, outdoor gear, furniture and wellness brands with baskets around $100 to $600. Below that it usually just adds a fee. We look at your order values before recommending it.

Where it appears matters more than the integration itself. Instalment pricing needs to show on the product page and in the cart, not only at checkout. By checkout the customer has already decided what they can afford. We also track what it does to returns and margin, not just to order value.

Is Afterpay right for my ecommerce brand?

Who it's for

Brands with basket sizes high enough that paying over time changes whether a customer buys, particularly where a younger audience is put off by a single large charge.

Average order values above roughly a hundred dollars
Categories where shoppers compare and hesitate
Brands selling into Canada, the US, Australia and the UK

What it solves

Average order value is capped by what customers will pay in one go
Cart abandonment is high on higher-priced items
Instalment options aren't visible until checkout, so they don't influence the decision
The effect of instalments on returns and margin is unmeasured

Common questions about integrating Afterpay for your ecommerce brand.

Does buy now pay later increase ecommerce conversion?

It tends to on higher value baskets, where the barrier is the size of the single payment rather than the total price. On low value orders it adds a payment option nobody needed and a fee you still pay. Basket value is the thing to check first.

What does Afterpay cost a merchant?

The merchant pays a commission per transaction plus a fixed fee, and rates are negotiated rather than published, so your number will depend on volume. You receive the full amount up front and Afterpay carries the repayment risk, which is what the fee is buying.

Should we show pay later messaging on product pages?

Yes, and it is where most of the effect comes from. Seeing the instalment amount next to the price reframes the decision before the shopper reaches checkout. Adding it only at checkout captures far less of the benefit.

Does offering Afterpay increase returns or chargebacks?

Return behaviour is broadly similar to other payment methods in most categories, though it is worth watching your own data rather than assuming. Chargeback and fraud risk sits with Afterpay rather than you, which is a meaningful part of the value.

How long does it take to add Afterpay?

The payment integration itself is quick, often under a week on Shopify or BigCommerce. The work worth doing properly is the messaging across product, cart and checkout, and making sure it does not clutter pages that are already busy.