{"id":18703,"date":"2025-10-03T14:17:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T18:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/?post_type=is-it-scam&#038;p=18703"},"modified":"2025-10-02T14:26:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T18:26:39","slug":"is-affirm-a-scam","status":"publish","type":"is-it-scam","link":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/is-it-scam\/is-affirm-a-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Affirm a Scam?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#what-is-affirm\">What Is Affirm?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#is-affirm-a-scam\">Is Affirm a Scam?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#so-should-you-use-affirm\">So, Should You Use Affirm?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-use-affirm-safely-and-privately\">How to Use Affirm Safely and Privately<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re thinking of using Affirm, you need to know if Affirm is safe. Is Affirm a scam?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below, we explain whether Affirm is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when using this BNPL financial technology company.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-affirm\">What Is Affirm?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Affirm is a \u201cbuy now, pay later\u201d (BNPL) financial technology company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"526\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Affirm-2-1024x526.png\" alt=\"Affirm\" class=\"wp-image-18708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Affirm-2-1024x526.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Affirm-2-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Affirm-2-768x394.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Affirm-2.png 1040w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With Affirm, users can split purchases into installments at checkout, either online or in\u2011store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Upon approval, Affirm fronts the full purchase amount (minus a merchant fee) to the retailer immediately. This lets merchants ship your order without waiting for you to pay in full.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Users make installment payments directly to Affirm. There are reportedly no hidden fees, prepayment penalties, or late fees. That said, missing payments can result in interest and may be reported to credit bureaus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The company was founded in 2012 by PayPal co\u2011founder Max\u202fLevchin and partners and is a publicly traded company.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"is-affirm-a-scam\">Is Affirm a Scam?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No, Affirm is not a scam. It\u2019s a legitimate BNPL financial tech company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Affirm gets mostly positive reviews from third-party publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/reviews\/loans\/personal-loans\/affirm-buy-now-pay-later\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NerdWallet<\/a> gives Affirm a 5.0 out of 5.0 stars rating, saying it\u2019s <em>\u201ca standout BNPL provider, thanks to numerous term lengths to choose from, zero fees and no-interest offers.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bankrate.com\/loans\/personal-loans\/reviews\/affirm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bankrate<\/a> gives Affirm a score of 4.8 out of 5.0 stars.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/personal-finance\/personal-loans\/affirm-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Business Insider<\/a> reports that Affirm offers shoppers a variety of repayment plans, including interest-free options on select long-term purchases with no fees. However, its APRs vary by term and can become costly over longer financing periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A review of Affirm <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ramseysolutions.com\/debt\/affirm-review?srsltid=AfmBOop93tomdsgQ3xc3dx1pO1JLSc2MF1FrigN3bgShupzY5GA8as8g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">on Ramseysolutions.com<\/a> is less favorable. However, the reviewer notes that they don\u2019t like any \u201cbuy now, pay later\u201d plans.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/clark.com\/personal-finance-credit\/how-does-affirm-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clark.com<\/a> has a good explanation of how Affirm works, including a list of pros and cons of using Affirm.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>User reviews of Affirm are likewise mixed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>2.1 out of 5.0 stars (from 523 reviews) on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.creditkarma.com\/reviews\/personal-loan\/single\/id\/affirm-personal-loans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Credit Karma<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1.17 out of 5.0 stars (from 1,275 reviews) on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbb.org\/us\/ca\/san-francisco\/profile\/financial-services\/affirmcom-1116-445613\/customer-reviews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Better Business Bureau<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2.7 out of 5.0 stars (from 6,906 reviews) on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trustpilot.com\/review\/affirm.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trustpilot<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4.8 out of 5.0 stars (from 481,200 reviews) on <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.affirm.central&amp;hl=en_US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Play<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4.9 out of 5.0 stars (from 1,591,848 reviews) on the <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/affirm-buy-now-pay-over-time\/id967040652\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">App Store<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On online forums like Reddit, user experiences are likewise very mixed, with some people saying Affirm <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Affirm\/comments\/1euszsj\/is_affirm_safe_to_use\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">is great<\/a> and others warning to stay away from this company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/personalfinance\/comments\/qhfi78\/how_legit_are_these_buy_now_pay_later_loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">One user said<\/a>:<em> \u201cI financed my Peloton through Affirm and I enjoyed the entire process from start to finish.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"739\" height=\"123\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmPositiveRedditPost.png\" alt=\"Positive Reddit post about Affirm\" class=\"wp-image-18709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmPositiveRedditPost.png 739w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmPositiveRedditPost-300x50.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 739px) 100vw, 739px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, another person said: <em>\u201cJust beware of customer service, if you ever have an issue they will string you along for months and may even accidently ruin your credit from their mistake! I paid all my loans off on time, never missed a payment but there was an error that said i still owed 3 cents, but the system wouldn&#8217;t let me pay that 3cents because it was under a dollar. They sent that 3 cents to collections and my credit got knocked down. This was after over 50 calls to them.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"745\" height=\"187\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmNegativeRedditPostAboutCustomerService.png\" alt=\"Negative Reddit post about Affirm's customer service \" class=\"wp-image-18710\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmNegativeRedditPostAboutCustomerService.png 745w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmNegativeRedditPostAboutCustomerService-300x75.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 745px) 100vw, 745px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Users also warn about double-checking the sites you buy from with Affirm, as the customer service may not be helpful.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Affirm\/comments\/16vkbmq\/do_not_use_affirm_for_loans_worst_customer_support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">One person<\/a> who used Affirm to split a $200 preorder into $50\u2011a\u2011month payments never received their item and couldn\u2019t reach the merchant. When they canceled the charge through their bank, Affirm still demanded payment and said it would defer to the dishonest merchant\u2019s terms.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Affirm is a Better Business Bureau <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbb.org\/us\/ca\/san-francisco\/profile\/financial-services\/affirmcom-1116-445613\/customer-reviews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(BBB)- accre<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbb.org\/us\/ca\/san-francisco\/profile\/financial-services\/affirmcom-1116-445613\/customer-reviews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">d<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbb.org\/us\/ca\/san-francisco\/profile\/financial-services\/affirmcom-1116-445613\/customer-reviews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ited<\/a> company and holds an \u201cA+\u201d rating on the BBB website.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the BBB website, Affirm has received 6,620 complaints over the last three years through the BBB, with 2,404 complaints closed in the last 12 months. (Read our review <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/is-it-scam\/is-the-bbb-a-scam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cIs BBB a Scam?\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.affirm.com\/privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">privacy policy<\/a>, Affirm states that it employs \u201cphysical, electronic and procedural security measures\u201d to safeguard its systems against unauthorized access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also says it has safeguards such as firewalls and data encryption in place, and enforces physical access controls to its premises.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, it only grants access to users\u2019 personal information to employees who require it for their job duties.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"216\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmInfoProtection-1024x216.png\" alt=\"Affirm privacy policy 'How we protect your information' section \" class=\"wp-image-18711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmInfoProtection-1024x216.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmInfoProtection-300x63.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmInfoProtection-768x162.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmInfoProtection-1536x324.png 1536w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmInfoProtection.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Affirm also offers passkeys.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024, Affirm was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/news\/security\/affirm-says-cardholders-impacted-by-evolve-bank-data-breach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">involved in a data breach<\/a> related to its third-party bank partner, Evolve Bank &amp; Trust.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The breach happened after an Evolve employee reportedly clicked on a malicious link, granting attackers access to the bank&#8217;s systems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The personal information of Affirm Card users was exposed, including names, Social Security Numbers (SSNs), bank account details, addresses, and contact information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attackers leaked the stolen data after Evolve refused to pay ransom demands, making the information <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.pcmag.com\/e-commerce-payments\/153108\/lockbit-ransomware-attack-exposes-affirm-customers-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">publicly accessible<\/a> on the dark web.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the breach, Affirm faced <a href=\"https:\/\/aplegal.com\/affirm-faces-class-action-lawsuit-after-cyberattack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a class action lawsuit<\/a>. Plaintiffs said Affirm failed to vet Evolve\u2019s compliance with security standards sufficiently and did not promptly notify users about the breach.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Affirm responded with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.affirm.com\/security\/06-25-2024-evolve-cyber-security-incident\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a detailed Q&amp;A<\/a> about the incident on its website, noting that its own systems were not accessed and detailing the steps it has taken to protect customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"734\" height=\"196\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmIncidentResponse.png\" alt=\"Affirm Q&amp;A about a data breach it experienced, including the question &quot;What is Affirm doing about this?&quot; (and answer)\" class=\"wp-image-18712\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmIncidentResponse.png 734w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AffirmIncidentResponse-300x80.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 734px) 100vw, 734px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Privacy&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Affirms explains the kind of data it collects, why it collects it, and with whom it shares it in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.affirm.com\/privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">privacy policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It collects the following information:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Directly from you:<\/strong>\u202fIdentity (name, SSN, DOB), contact (email, address, phone), financial (bank login, account\/card numbers, transaction history), device &amp; usage (IP, browser\/OS, cookies, app interactions), geolocation, biometric (photos), customer\u2011service interactions, marketing preferences.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>From third parties:<\/strong>\u202fCredit bureaus, identity\u2011verification\/fraud\u2011prevention vendors, merchant partners, advertising &amp; social\u2011media platforms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Affirm uses this data to deliver and improve its services, support users and communicate with them, as well as to meet security and compliance requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The company may share your data with affiliates and subsidiaries (e.g. Affirm Loan Services, LLC), service providers and contractors (e.g. IT, fraud monitoring and analytics), merchant partners (to complete transactions and for marketing, unless you opt out), advertising partners (for targeted ads and measurement), legal\/government entities (when required by law or to protect against fraud), and in corporate transactions (e.g., mergers and acquisitions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It states that it will only retain your information for as long as necessary for business\/legal purposes, in accordance with specified criteria (purpose, legal obligations, fraud prevention, and privacy impact).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can opt out of notifications about Affirm\u2019s services and SMS messaging. You can also review and edit your personal data at any time through your Affirm account or by emailing customercare@affirm.com.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t have any active loans, you can request Affirm to close your account by emailing customercare@affirm.com. Affirm will mark your account in their database as \u201cClosed,\u201d but will keep your account information to comply with legal obligations. However, your personal information will not be used by Affirm for any further purposes or sold\/shared to third parties (except as required by law).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Affirm notes that if you use a product offered through one of Affirm\u2019s bank partners, your data will also be subject to that bank\u2019s privacy notice (with links to these policies included at the bottom of Affirm\u2019s own privacy policy).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"so-should-you-use-affirm\">So, Should You Use Affirm?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Depends on your needs and financial habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you treat Affirm like a small\u2011loan tool rather than \u201cfree money,\u201d read the APR and terms carefully, automate your payments, and lock down your privacy settings, it can be a good way to break up larger purchases without having to rely on traditional credit cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-use-affirm-safely-and-privately\">How to Use Affirm Safely and Privately<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Vet the merchant before you buy from them.<\/strong> Shop with retailers that have clear refund policies and positive recent reviews. According to some user reviews, Affirm may not be able to help you if you purchase from untrustworthy sites that fail to fulfill their promises.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use automatic payments. <\/strong>Link a single bank account or debit card and turn on auto\u2011pay to prevent missed payments and late\u2011interest surprises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Read the fine print. <\/strong>Always double-check the APR, down-payment requirement, and total cost before committing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use strong credentials. <\/strong>Or better yet, a passkey.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Turn off notifications. <\/strong>You can decline to receive notifications about Affirm\u2019s services through your Affirm dashboard or by emailing customercare@affirm.com.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Opt out of SMS messaging. <\/strong>If you don\u2019t want to receive texts from Affirm, you can let them know through your Affirm dashboard or by replying \u201cStop\u201d or emailing customercare@affirm.com.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Turn off Affirm\u2019s browser extension.<\/strong> If you install Affirm\u2019s extension, turn it off or uninstall it whenever you\u2019re not actively shopping to reduce tracking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monitor your account and statements. <\/strong>Check your Affirm app regularly (and your bank or card statements) for any unexpected charges or lingering small balances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Close your Affirm account if you\u2019re not using it. <\/strong>Once you\u2019ve paid off all loans, consider closing your Affirm account.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our guide to whether Affirm is a scam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":18708,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-18703","is-it-scam","type-is-it-scam","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/is-it-scam\/18703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/is-it-scam"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/is-it-scam"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}