Affirm launches in the UK, as ‘buy now, pay later' market faces regulatory overhaul

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) giant Affirm is launching in the U.K., its first market outside North America.Its long-anticipated arrival comes as U.K. lawmakers mull new rules to bring BNPL firms into line with other traditional consumer credit services, though such laws aren’t expected to come into effect until at least 2026 — long enough for Affirm to build traction, and curry favor with consumers and regulators alike. Founded in 2012, Affirm emerged from a startup incubator called HVF, setup by PayPal co-fo ...