Affirm is a "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) payment method available for businesses in the United States and Canada. It allows guests to book their stay and pay in fixed monthly installments while the property receives the full payment upfront.
Learn more about Affirm with Cloudbeds Payments.
Benefits
- Higher Conversion: Give guests the flexibility to book higher-value stays without paying the full cost today.
- Increased Booking Value: Guests are more likely to add extra nights or add-ons when they can spread the cost over time.
- No Risk to You: You are paid in full immediately; Affirm handles the installment collections and takes on the credit risk.
- Fully Integrated: Works seamlessly with Cloudbeds Payments via the Booking Engine or Pay-by-Link.
Important
- Booking Engine: Affirm is exclusive to Cloudbeds Booking Engine Plus (only for Cloudbeds Payments customers using Stripe). Properties on the classic version can still use Affirm via Pay-by-Link.
- Customers that already have Affirm enabled with pay-by-link will have it become available on their Cloudbeds Booking Engine immediately.
- Availability: Only for Cloudbeds Payments customers in the USA and Canada.
- Guest can pay in installments (to Affirm), but properties receive the full payment immediately in one transaction.
-
Transaction Minimums: Affirm will not appear as an option if the amount being charged is below:
United States: $150 USD; Canada: $50 CAD
Affirm and Smart Policies (Deposit Rules)
It is important to understand how Affirm interacts with your property's deposit policies:
Standard Behavior (100% Collection)
By default, Affirm is designed to collect 100% of the total booking value at the time of checkout. This allows the guest to finance the entire stay.
When Smart Policies are Enabled
If you have Smart Policies active that require a specific deposit (e.g., "50% due at booking"), the behavior changes:
- Deposit Capture: Affirm will only be available to pay the required deposit amount defined by the policy.
- Policy Conflict: If your required deposit amount (e.g., 10% of a $500 booking = $50) is lower than the Affirm minimum ($150 USD), Affirm will not be displayed to the guest.
To ensure Affirm consistently appears for your guests, ensure your Smart Policy deposit requirements meet the minimum threshold ($150 USD / $50 CAD) for the bookings you want to target.
How to set up
- You should enable Affirm as a payment method in payment settings so your guests can pay with Affirm.
- Affirm should be set up as a custom payment method; check this article for more details: Set up custom payment methods.
- Contact our Support Team if you need further assistance setting up Affirm for Cloudbeds PMS and booking engine.
How to disconnect
Disable the Affirm on the Payment Method page. Check the instructions here: How to disable or delete a payment method
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to enable Affirm?
There is no extra cost to enable Affirm for Cloudbeds.-
What are the Affirm payment installment options?
Guests can pay over time in monthly installments. -
How do guests make my payments?
☑️With Cloudbeds Payments, guests are able to choose Affirm as a payment option on a reservation booking link (pay-by-link) or on the Cloudbeds booking engine.
☑️Affirm will email guests and text reminders before payments are due. -
What is the minimum transaction amount?
☑️Properties in Canada: The minimum transaction amount is $50 CAD.**
☑️Properties in the United States: The minimum transaction amount is $150 USD.**
**Important: Affirm will not appear as a payment option for any amount lower than these values. -
Does Affirm work with the classic Cloudbeds Booking Engine?
Affirm is not available for the classic booking engine (classic booking engine customers can still use Affirm via pay-by-link). To use Affirm, users need to upgrade to Booking Engine Plus. -
How are refunds processed for Affirm-paid booking cancellations?
Cloudbeds initiate the refund process to Affirm. However, in this case, Affirm is the intermediate between the property and the guest, meaning that they (Affirm) are in charge of refunding the guest under their own terms after we initiate the refund from our side.
Comments
What happens when a guest cancels an Affirm paid booking? How are refunds processed for these transactions?
Hello, Erica Beers!
In this case, we initiate the refund process to Affirm. However, Affirm is the intermediate between your property and the guest, meaning that they (Affirm) are in charge of refunding the guest under their own terms after we initiate the refund from our side.
Kind regards!
Please sign in to leave a comment.