Affirm

Overview

Affirm is a buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) financial services provider that integrates directly into e-commerce checkout flows. The platform allows consumers to split purchases into monthly installment payments, with credit decisions made in real time at the point of sale. Affirm's on-site presence includes promotional messaging widgets on product pages and a financing application flow embedded in the checkout process.

What This Script Does

Affirm's scripts load from cdn1.affirm.com and related domains. The SDK renders two primary components: promotional messaging widgets that display estimated monthly payment amounts on product and category pages (e.g., "as low as $X/mo with Affirm"), and the checkout integration that initiates the financing application when a customer selects Affirm as their payment method. Cookies set by the SDK include session identifiers for maintaining the financing application state, device fingerprinting tokens used for fraud prevention during credit decisions, and attribution cookies that track the customer's path from promotional messaging to checkout selection. The affirm_session cookie typically persists for the browsing session, while fraud prevention identifiers may persist for up to 90 days.

Checkout Flow

When a customer initiates an Affirm financing application, the scripts open a modal or redirect to Affirm's hosted application page where the credit decision is made. The integration communicates loan terms, approval status, and virtual card details back to the merchant's checkout system via API callbacks. This checkout-level integration is essential for completing purchases using Affirm financing.

Consent & Compliance

Affirm scripts are classified as functional. The promotional messaging widgets and checkout integration serve a direct transactional purpose — they are part of the payment options offered by the merchant. Under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, cookies that are strictly necessary for a payment service requested by the user are exempt from consent requirements. The session cookies and fraud prevention tokens used during the financing application qualify under this exemption. However, the promotional messaging widgets displayed before the customer has expressed intent to use Affirm operate in a gray area — they promote a financial product but are also informational about available payment options. Under CCPA/CPRA, the financial data processed during Affirm's credit application falls under GLBA exemptions for financial transactions.

Should You Block This Without Consent?

No. Affirm's scripts provide a payment method integration that is part of the merchant's checkout offering. Blocking Affirm would prevent customers from accessing an available payment option and completing purchases via installment financing. The cookies set during the financing flow are functionally necessary for the payment service. The promotional messaging widgets on product pages, while technically optional, are standard payment method disclosures similar to displaying accepted credit card logos.