Zilch
London wallet and Visa card that brings its own shoppers to retailers and charges on completed purchases
Quick Overview
| Company | Zilch Technology Limited |
|---|---|
| Category | Buy Now Pay Later Providers |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2018 |
| EU Presence | Yes - United Kingdom |
| Data Location | Not stated |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes (UK GDPR) |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Pay now, pay in 4 (6 weeks), pay over 3 months, Visa digital and physical card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, Zilch Rewards, in-store use, affiliate-style retailer programme |
| Pricing | Retailers pay on purchases; rates not published. Consumer plans: Standard free, Extra £2.99/month, Plus £4.99/month |
| Best For | UK retailers who want performance-based customer acquisition |
| Replaces | Affirm, Clearpay |
Detailed Review
Zilch Technology Limited is registered in England and Wales (company number 11488502) at 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London, and its terms state it is authorised by the FCA. The company's news section says it was founded in 2018.
Its retailer page frames Zilch less as a checkout module and more as a source of traffic: it says retailers do not pay unless customers purchase and that no integration is needed.
A card, not a plugin
Shoppers get a Visa digital or physical card, so Zilch works at any shop that accepts Visa, online or in store, and can be added to Apple Pay or Google Pay. The merchant relationship rests on affiliate-style tracking and campaigns, with the retailer page citing partners such as QVC, Iceland and Morrisons.
Consumer side
Pay now, pay over 6 weeks and pay over 3 months are the main ways to pay, with credit from £50 to £4,500 and a representative APR of 14.9% shown on the UK page. Paid plans (Extra at £2.99 and Plus at £4.99 a month) add rewards.
What retailers see
The page states more than 3 million customers ready to spend, a pure performance model and marketing services. These are company statements, not audited figures.
Limitations to Consider
Zilch is UK-only: its pages say credit is for UK residents, 18+, subject to status. Because it is a card and acquisition channel, the retailer gets less control over the checkout journey than with a native BNPL module such as Scalapay, and retailer rates are not public. Representative APR and fees apply to shoppers.
Who Should Use Zilch
UK retailers who want additional customers on a pay-per-purchase basis rather than a conventional checkout integration.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Pays on purchase, not on integration
- Works anywhere Visa is accepted
- FCA-authorised, UK company with number
- Digital wallet support
- Consumer rewards bring repeat traffic
Cons
- UK residents only
- Retailer rates not published
- Little control over the checkout journey
- Shoppers bear APR and fees
Alternatives to Zilch
Other European buy now pay later providers worth comparing before you decide:
Alma
France · Instalment and pay-later checkout with published merchant fees
Mondu
Netherlands · B2B invoice, instalment and trade-account payments
Scalapay
Italy · Interest-free pay in 3 or 4 for Italian and EU shops
SeQura
Spain · Pay-later and instalment checkout built in Barcelona
See all European buy now pay later providers or compare them directly against Affirm on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Its retailer page says no integration is needed and that retailers pay only when customers purchase.
The UK pages state credit is for UK residents only.
Its terms state authorisation by the FCA.