Buy now, pay later · Payment methods
Alma for online stores: how installments work and who can offer them
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Alma is a European buy now, pay later provider. Through Stripe, shoppers in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg can split an order of €50 to €5,000 into 2, 3 or 4 interest-free payments. The store is paid upfront and Alma collects from the shopper; Alma says payouts are guaranteed with no risk of non-payment. On its own site Alma also lists Germany and Portugal, 10 or 12 installments, and pay in 15 or 30 days.
- Where it works (Stripe)
- Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain; domestic only
- Currency
- EUR
- Order range (Stripe)
- €50 to €5,000
- Plans
- Pay in 2, 3 or 4, interest-free
- Settlement
- Up to 3 business days on Stripe
- Refunds
- Full or partial within 180 days
- Disputes
- 120 days to file; 14 days to send evidence
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC checkout does not offer Alma today. On one-time orders, Klarna covers shoppers in France and Italy up to €4,000, Spain and Belgium up to €10,000 and the Netherlands up to €5,000; cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal in euros work too, including in Luxembourg.
How Alma works
The shopper picks Alma, is redirected to Alma's website, chooses 2, 3 or 4 installments and comes back to the store. The total is usually split evenly, but Alma may take more in the first payment depending on the shopper's profile. Alma asks stores to add lines to their terms of sale: purchases can be paid in installments with Alma, Alma's terms apply, a refusal by Alma can cancel the order, and the shopper has 14 days to withdraw.
What it means for your store
Alma covers losses from customer fraud but may ask you to stop or pause a shipment. It expects reasonable fraud and dispute rates and can remove access if they rise. Refunds complete in about 5 minutes. For disputes, Stripe holds the amount, you have 14 days to send evidence, and Alma decides within 25 days after that. Dispute fees are not refunded either way.
Alma is open to companies, not sole traders, and excludes business-to-business, education, professional, travel, transport, telecom and veterinary services. Stripe says Alma is available to marketplaces but not to platforms that onboard other businesses to take payments directly, such as Shopify or Squarespace.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the smallest order Alma accepts?
- Through Stripe, Alma accepts orders from €50 up to €5,000 for pay in 2, 3 or 4.
- Who bears the risk if an Alma shopper doesn't pay?
- Alma. Its site says payouts are 100% guaranteed with no risk of non-payment and that Alma takes care of customer collection.
- Can I use Alma for subscriptions?
- No. Stripe lists recurring payments as not supported for Alma.
Sources
- Alma payments — Stripe
- Alma for merchants — Alma
Related
- Scalapay — Italian-born pay in 3, pay in 4 and pay later for shoppers in euro countries; euro only.
- Klarna — Pay in full, in 30 days, in 3 or 4 parts, or financing; store paid upfront, Klarna takes the credit risk.
- Riverty — Pay by invoice in 14 or 30 days, monthly invoice and installments, mainly in DACH, Benelux and the Nordics.
- Tabby — Gulf pay in 4 and longer plans in Saudi Arabia and the UAE; merchants receive the full amount in days.
- Tamara — Sharia-compliant pay in full or split in 2, 3 or 4 in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain; no interest.
- Afterpay / Clearpay — Four interest-free payments every two weeks in the US, Canada, UK (as Clearpay), Australia and New Zealand.