Buy now, pay later company Affirm pushes further into retail gift cards

Buy now, pay later company Affirm said it is teaming up with a major provider of retail-branded gift cards to let shoppers purchase digital gift cards for the holiday season and pay for them with installment payments spread over as many as 12 months. Affirm's partnership with privately held Blackhawk Network, one of the largest distributors of retailers' pre-paid gift cards, comes as Affirm and other buy now, pay later (BNPL) firms are soaring in popularity. San Francisco-based Affirm announced on Tuesday that shoppers can now buy gift cards – among the most popular purchases during the holiday season – from Nordstrom, REI and Bath & Body Works with Affirm.