target shopper
Target store.
Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters
  • Affirm stock jumped Wednesday after Target added the buy now, pay later service as a payment option.
  • Target's online shoppers can use Affirm for purchases of more than $100.
  • Affirm was recently added to Amazon.com's payments roster.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

Affirm Holdings stock surged Wednesday after retail heavyweight Target said its shoppers will be able to use the company's buy-now, pay-later service for some of their purchases.

Share gained as much as 19% to trade at $132.50 then pared the rise to 15%. Trading was heavy, with volume of more than 33 million shares traded during the session, outstripping the average volume of 8.4 million shares. Affirm stock has more than doubled since debuting in January.

Target said online customers could use Affirm to pay monthly for big-ticket purchases of more than $100. It directed people to apply online with Affirm, which says approval is subject to credit checks. If approved, customers can pick Affirm as a payment option on Target's website and choose a monthly payment schedule.

"We know our guests want easy and affordable payment options that work within their family's budget," Gemma Kubat, Target's president of financial and retail services, said in a statement.

An option to use Affirm appeared on Target's website on Wednesday. Target said Affirm doesn't charge late or hidden fees.

In late September, Amazon.com said it was partnering with Affirm to offer installed payments to customers, a move that sent Affirm's stock soaring.

The buy-now-pay-later model is growing in popularity, with Klarna and Afterpay among players in the space while PayPal and Apple Pay have added installment plans to their payment methods.

Target shares were down 0.6% at $226.20 shortly after 3 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday.

Read the original article on Business Insider