FinanceLayer vs. third-party BNPL
Third-party BNPL providers underwrite the loan and charge you a percentage of every order. FinanceLayer lets you underwrite, the customer pays you on schedule via ACH, and you keep the margin.
Layaway for your store.Without the 6% BNPL fee.
FinanceLayer turns your Shopify store into its own installment lender. You set the terms. Customers pay by ACH, no Affirm, no Klarna, no Afterpay percentage cut.
Same payment plan. Six-times lower cost to you.
BNPL providers underwrite the loan and charge you a percentage of every order. FinanceLayer lets you underwrite, and keep the margin.
Merchant keeps ≥99% of order revenue
Merchant defines installment terms
ACH collection (not card)
Your branding on the agreement
No customer account signup required
Flat monthly fee · no per-order cut
E-signed ACH authorization (audit trail)
Available on every Shopify plan
Merchant fee on a $1,000 order
Merchant fees sourced from public pricing pages (affirm.com/business/pricing, klarna.com/business, afterpay.com/merchant, shopify.com/shop-pay-installments) as of April 2026. Shop Pay Installments merchant fee estimated from Shopify's stacked Payments + Affirm rate disclosures. Compliance note: FinanceLayer is scheduling and documentation software, not a lender. Merchants using 5+ installments or charging interest should consult counsel on TILA and state RISA requirements.
Legally binding. Brand-free. One click.
Each plan is an e-signed ACH authorization. Your branding. Your terms. The customer never has to create an account.
- E-SIGN Act compliantTimestamp, IP, and agreement hash stored immutably.
- Your branding, not a BNPL logoYour store name, logo, colors, not a third-party brand's.
- Mobile-first signingPhone, tablet, desktop, works everywhere.
This agreement authorizes ACME Supply Co. to collect installment payments via ACH bank transfer.
IP 174.21.•••.24
Key differences
- Third party underwrites the loan
- Percentage cut on every order (typically 4–6% + $0.30)
- Provider branding on the checkout agreement
- Customer signs up for the provider's account
- Chargeback and dispute rules set by the provider
- You underwrite, or apply your own approval rules
- Flat monthly subscription, no percentage cut
- Your branding on the agreement and customer emails
- No third-party account for the customer to create
- ACH collection via Stripe Financial Connections
Compliance note: FinanceLayer is scheduling and documentation software. It is not a lender. Merchants using 5+ installments or charging interest should consult counsel regarding Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA) and state retail installment sales act (RISA) requirements.
Run merchant-held layaway
Install MerchantLayer from the Shopify App Store and offer your first layaway plan in minutes, no third-party underwriter, no percentage cut, just scheduling software.
