Affirm is a leading buy now and pay later payment provider. The San Francisco based company allows shoppers to spread the cost of their purchases over 6, 12 and 18 months. The benefit of Affirm is that the interest rate for large purchases can be as low as 10% as long as you pay the repayments on time.
However, some shoppers report that their Affirm payments are being denied at online checkouts. Some people have reported getting the following error “based on an eligibility check, we can’t create an account for you just yet”. Getting this message can be frustrating so we have investigated the most common reasons why Affirm payments get denied.
1. Affirm couldn’t verify your identity
The main reason Affirm usually denies payment is that their systems cannot verify who you are. To complete payment via Affirm the company must be able to confirm your identity so they can check that you are credit worthy. In most cases, your full name, address and phone number is enough to check your identity.
But what if these details are wrong? For example, if you’ve recently moved house or changed your name.
One reddit user found that they got denied payment as their maiden name was still on their credit report.
“It was because when I changed my last name after getting married, it did not go through on my credit report”
reddit user: u/costellocg
Before purchasing we recommend checking that details you use to pay for goods or services match what your bank has on file for you.
2. You bank is not listed
If Affirm requires more information you may be asked to confirm your bank. Unfortunately, not all banks are listed at this time. If you can’t find your bank then Affirm will not be able to complete your purchase. Affirm says they are continually adding more banks to their system.
3. You recently moved or changed address
Your postal address is an important piece of information that Affirm uses to match your identity. If Affirm is unable to link your postal address with an address on its system then your payment will be denied. Some users have found that when ordering items to an address other than their home, such as an office, then this has caused issues.
If you have recently moved home then you must update your customer records at your bank. We recommend checking these are correct before ordering online.
4. Lack of approved credit
When applying for Affirm it is important to be aware that the company will carry out a soft credit check. This won’t affect your credit score but it will check your credit risk as a borrower. Depending on the results of the soft credit check Affirm may deem you as not credit worth of a loan.
On the official website Affirm makes it clear that checking your eligibility will not affect your credit score. It is worth checking your credit score before applying to Affirm as their decision is often final. If your credit score is above average then this will reduce the chances of Affirm denying you.
5. Technical issue
We have heard people who appear to be eligible also having problems using Affirm on Walmart and other similar websites. You may find that you get the following error “affirm temporarily unavailable walmart”. If you have problems using Affirm on Walmart or any other well-known retailer then the reason could be a technical issue.
In most cases we recommend refreshing the page and trying the checkout process available later. If the problem persists you should try contacting the retailer. Don’t forget Affirm is not available on all products at Walmart.
More information can be found about paying with Affirm at Walmart here.
When can I reapply for Affirm?
Unfortunately, Affirm does not let you reapply once a decision has been made. That’s why it is so important to make sure you are aware of the minimum eligibility criteria before signing up.
Here is how to get approved for Affirm
To improve the chances of getting approved for Affirm we recommend you do the following.
- Know your credit score! Your credit score matters and is one of the most important things Affirm considers when approving you. If you don’t know your credit score then find out. There are lots of services which will let you check your credit scores, you can even check for free using Credit Karma. If you have a very low credit score then we recommend improving it before applying to Affirm.
- Double check your contact details and addresses. Does your home address match the details your bank has on file. One of the most common reasons for being declined is your personal details being wrong. Having the same details across every financial institution you use will help Affirm verify your identity during the eligibility check.
- Prequalify before making a purchase. Prequalifying means you will know what your spending limit is before making a purchase. This is especially handy if you are making a large purchase. To avoid getting denied at checkout we recommend you prequalify via Afiirm’s website.
What credit score is needed for Affirm?
One question everyone wants to know is, what credit score do you need for Affirm? Officially, Affirm do not share a minimum credit score number. However, we have seen other websites give ranges between 550 and 640. It is impossible to know exactly what credit score Affirm require. However, we can assume that anything above 640 means you have a good chance of being accepted by Affirm.
I have experian for my credit report so when they went to check my credit I forgot to unlock it, well they said it will take up to 48 hours to unlock but that is not the case I was able to unlock my credit report right away but there was still nothing I could do about it..so this is why they denied me..Very picky, make sure you have all your ducks in a row before trying to finance with them , this way your chances of getting the financing is much greater. Good Luck..Sezzle is another one, that one is very easy..”FYI”
I was approved but every store says, “we can’t help you pay for this purchase now, check back in 29 days.” Why is that?
Same thing happened to me Larry Zurligen and I’ve been using them for almost 2 years; oftentimes paying off before the end of the payment period! That’s ridiculous even after I provided all of my info as requested for verification.
I’ve used Affirm often to protect my identity with my own cards. I have never been turned down. As late as this past Friday, I was approved for over $3,800. Monday I received a notice that they couldn’t verify my identity. Nothing changed from Friday to Monday! I’ve called twice and neither representative could explain. Needless to say, I won’t be using them any longer! Terrible customer service!
Same issue here! Very random! Not worth it! I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before retailers stop using them! They will lose business this way!
Affirm does not have a phone number to contact them directly. You must have been calling the vendor. I’ve used Affirm for a number of years and never have been turned down. Good Luck!
Wish Walmart would use afterpay better service never had any approval problems. Refund were done in a timely manner. Affirm still denies me for identify info..the only pay as you go website I’ve ever had problems with getting approved.
I agree I love afterpay but the approval values are lower but they are a way better company than affirm
The only thing is that they require payment every two weeks instead of monthly.
If you were denied from a firm what is another option to put stuff in the layout or to pay as you go
I use a few other BNPL apps such as ZIP, ZILCH, but my favorite is AFTERPAY. ZIP and ZILCH seem to offer lower spending limits than Afterpay but with all 3 approval was easy! also all 3 are very good about raising spending power after a couple successful paid on time purchases! I’ll tell you for someone who has to budget for everything like me all 3 have significantly improved my overall quality of life simply b/c now I’m able to get the nicer things I wouldn’t be able to get otherwise (last Xmas was the best I was able to ever give my kids) and I think we all deserve to be able to do that from time to time!
Used Affirm before in the past with no problems. Paid off every item in full every time and on schedule. Now it says that they can’t approve me due to a bankruptcy on my credit file. That is true, but my bankruptcy was over 5 years ago and Affirm had approved me with no problems just last year. My BK has been discharged, but is still on my credit report for another 18 months or so. (CH 13) I didn’t think Affirm even looked at that since it seems they didn’t before. At least it said it was a soft inquiry and won’t affect my credit like hard inquiries do. I can actually make this purchase in full, but I wanted to spread the payments out over three months. It’s not a very large purchase anyway (less than $200)
I have used them for about 5 years now. Paid everything off on time with out deliqency. Just reapplied & was told I had a bankruptcy!! Its 10 years old & falls off next month. Never an issue before. WTH is going on now?
I’ve used Affirm several times. Thought I had found a great company to do business with. Now they only approve me for $90. I now consider them an unprofessional joke.
One day approved for $1500 and next day $50 at same place? Nothing changed in 1 day. Once my item is paid off, I will delete and never use Affirm again. Dont botherr calling, Can’t get anyone who speaks English!
Good for you dumping them. Not worth it.
It always says they can’t confirm my identity. Is it because I’m on a family plan with my cellphone and the account isn’t in my name? I’ve often wondered that. My deets have not changed in 15 years, so that shouldn’t be it. My name hasn’t changed in almost 30 years!
If that is your phone situation then yea that is definitely the problem, which is just dumb b/c in all honesty how important is the phone number anyway when it comes to verification? I mean phone numbers change all the time and then someone else gets your old one so I just don’t get how they can really base a decision on a phone number but unfortunately if it can’t be verified as yours denial is what you get.
I read where someone mentioned Affirm is trying to keep clients from paying on time. I hope this is not true or they could face many lawsuits. It is by no means my fault that I cannot get into my account. I never had a problem for the past years. What is going on with this company when you just want to update your phone number. Why did your customer service close my account with my old number? Now I cannot get into my account as you did not update my new phone number even though all my verification took place. I also do not like dealing with people who do not comprehend. Is this company failing? What is going on? I just want to pay my bills. They would not even let me pay on the phone. They keep saying there system is down. You need to provide a good reason for your lack of interest in my problem. I will by no means be liable for bills you will not let me pay. Also, why all of a sudden are you asking long time clients to provide a photo ID. I have already established myself with what you asked for years ago. This is sooooo wrong!
I read where someone mentioned Affirm is trying to keep clients from paying on time. I hope this is not true or they could face many lawsuits. It is by no means my fault that I cannot get into my account. I just want to pay my bills. They would not even let me pay on the phone. They keep saying there system is down. You need to provide a good reason for your lack of interest in my problem. I will by no means be liable for bills you will not let me pay.
Denied to many inquiries. Doesn’t make since I have paid my credit card off and my score 629.
I’ve been having problems for 6 months now updating my phone number and verifying my identity with Affirm (update links never came and when it finally did you get a technical error) Their updating information process is horrible and while their customer service staff tries to assist, they often can’t really help you. You need to speak to a supervisor in order to get actionable assistance. I think I’m going to use Klarna instead to many road blocks dealing with Affirm (it’s frustrating and a head ache).
I tried to use Walmart affirm to get a TV and I was denied. I don’t understand why I was denied even though I work at Walmart.
i was denied bc of “limited loan experience”… wth? I literally have no outstanding loans/debts, and THATS why they denied me?
like yeah, no, you’re too likely to actually pay us back, no can do.
I was denied. I have purchased so much from Amazon and kept up with other bills. Well, guess I’ll go elsewhere, nor will I purchase from Amazon again.
I’ve been using Affirm for several years now with no issues. I’ve always paid, often early. My current accounts are like $900. I’ve always been preapproved for a few thousand. Today, I noticed all of my preapproved amounts are gone and I get the message they can’t help me. Nothing changed. In fact, I actually just got a raise. Once this amount is paid off, I’m done with Affirm. I’ve relied on them for several big purchases without issue. It’s like cutting a life line. If they continue to do this, they’ll lose.