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Sezzle
Type of businessPublic
Type of site
Financial technology
Traded asASX: SZL[1] [2]
Founded2016; 8 years ago (2016)
Key peopleCharlie Youakim (CEO)
Paul Paradis (President)
Killian Brackey (CTO)
IndustryFinancial technology
URLsezzle.com
UsersIncrease 3.1 million (June 2021)
Current statusActive
Native client(s) on

Sezzle is a publicly traded financial technology company headquartered in Minneapolis, U.S, with operations in the United States and Canada.[3] The company provides an alternative payment platform offering interest-free installment plans at selected online stores.[3][4][5] As of June 2021, the Sezzle platform had over 10 million user sign-ups and over 48,000 participating merchants.[6][7][8]

History

Sezzle was founded in 2016, by Charlie Youakim, who had previously led Passport Parking, Paul Paradis, and Killian Brackey in Minneapolis, U.S.[9] Sezzle raised over US$17 million in equity capital prior to its IPO, where it raised an additional US$30 million. The company also has a US$100 million debt facility from Bastion capital.[10][11][12]

Sezzle's initial product was next-business-day ACH payments and a cashback reward system. Sezzle later iterated to a “buy now, pay later” model in 2017 after witnessing success in the growing industry. Sezzle launched its product to the United States in August 2017. It raised US$9.1 million in mid-2018 and gained a US$100 million debt financing from Bastion Capital Corporation by the end of the year. At that time, it hired former US Bank executive Karen Hartje as its Chief Financial Officer and former Target and TD Bank executive Jamie Kirkpatrick as its Chief Risk Officer.[13]

In April 2019, Sezzle raised US$5.7 million, partnered with Bank of America Merchant Services to implement their digital card processing solution within the payment platform, and expanded to Canada a few months later, opening its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. Sezzle listed on the Australian Securities Exchange at AU$1.22 a share on 30 July 2019 and raised US$30 million.[14] In December 2019, it gained a US$100 million line of credit.[15]

In February 2020, Sezzle announced that it topped 1 million active customers.[16]

On 1 June 2020, Sezzle reincorporated as a Public Benefit Corporation, making Sezzle the first “buy now, pay later” corporation with such a status.[17] Later that summer, the company raised US$55 million from its equity in the ASX, and hired former PayPal executive Veronica Katz as its Chief Revenue Officer, while Paradis became the company's first President.

On 6 August 2020, Sezzle CEO Charlie Youakim said the company is testing its service offering in India, with an expected launch at the end of the year. The move would mark its first major expansion outside the US and Canadian marketplaces.[18]

In 2021, it was revealed that Sezzle had begun operating in the Brazilian market.[19] Also in that same year, US major retailer Target Corporation announced that it had chosen Sezzle as it preferred "Buy Now, Pay Later" partner making it the first top 5 US retailer to partner with a BNPL provider.[20] Also in 2021, Sezzle CEO Charlie Youakim was selected by Worth Magazine as one its distinguished "100 Most Worthy" list for his work to financially empowering young consumers across the world.[21]

In February 2022, Sezzle entered into a binding agreement to be acquired by Australian-owned Zip Co by way of statutory merger, implying Sezzle's value at A$491 million at the time of announcement.[22]

In July 2022, Sezzle and Zip mutually agreed to terminate their previously announced merger agreement for the proposed acquisition of Sezzle by Zip. As part of the mutual termination, Sezzle will receive from Zip U.S. $11 million, to cover, among other things, Sezzle’s legal, accounting, and other costs associated with the transaction.[23]

Platform

The Sezzle e-commerce payment platform enables customers of participating online stores to split the payment for their purchases into four installments. The first installment is paid at the moment of purchase while the other three are due at regular intervals over the following six weeks.[9][24]

Instead of relying solely on a customer's FICO score for credit risk evaluation, Sezzle's underwriting system assesses each order individually and takes into account multiple factors including a soft credit score check, the customer's order history with Sezzle, and the total purchase amount.[9][25] The customer's credit score is not impacted.[24] Repeat customers who have paid off previous purchases on time are allowed to finance the purchase of more expensive products.[4]

The platform operates as an alternative payment method that the customer selects at checkout to enable payment with participating retailers. Users can also shop and find stores through the Sezzle app and website.[26]

California lending license

On 30 December 2019, the company introduced a "buy now and pay later" service in California to its customers, but the California Department of Business Oversight ruled that the company must instead make loans to its customers.[27] The California Department of Business Oversight stated that Sezzle's involvement with the merchants goes "beyond non-lending relationship yet permitted by California courts, and the credit sales purportedly purchased by Sezzle do not justify Sezzle’s extensive involvement."[28][29]

On January 17, 2020, the California Department of Business Oversight officially approved Sezzle's application for a lending license to operate within the state of California.[30][31][32]

References

  1. ^ "U.S. Payment Startup Sezzle CEO on Australia IPO, Strategy". Bloomberg. Bloomberg Daybreak: Australia. July 30, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  2. ^ Richardson, Tom (July 30, 2019). "The Sezzle IPO is about to put a rocket up the ASX boards". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Sezzle overview". craft.co. May 22, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Ramstad, Evan (November 18, 2018). "Sezzle develops pay-in-2019 option with online retailer Tobi". Associated Press. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  5. ^ Mohs, Marielle (June 27, 2019). "AngelTax Credit Returns To Minnesota In Hopes Of Making Minneapolis Competitive With Silicon Valley". CBS Local. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  6. ^ GmbH, finanzen net. "Sezzle Surpasses One Million Active Customers | Markets Insider". markets.businessinsider.com. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  7. ^ Sezzle. "Sezzle Surpasses One Million Active Customers". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  8. ^ PYMNTS (February 10, 2020). "BNPL Startup Sezzle Tops 1M Active Customers". PYMNTS.com. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c PYMNTS (November 17, 2017). "How Sezzle Wants To Help Millennials Without Sizzling Credit". PYMNTS.com. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  10. ^ Grayson, Katharine (November 15, 2018). "Fintech startup Sezzle snags $100 million for pay-as-you-go offering". American City Business Journals. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  11. ^ "Paytech Sezzle sizzles with $100m line of credit". FinTech Futures. November 20, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  12. ^ Muhn, Julie (July 31, 2019). "Sezzle Raises $30 Million in IPO". Finovate. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  13. ^ "Millennial Payment Company Sezzle Hires Target and TD Bank Alum As Chief Risk Officer". PRWeb. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  14. ^ "Australia laps up U.S. buy-now-pay-later lender Sezzle in IPO". Reuters. July 30, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  15. ^ "Sezzle closes $100 million debt facility to finance online shopping over holiday season". Star Tribune. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  16. ^ PYMNTS (February 10, 2020). "BNPL Startup Sezzle Tops 1M Active Customers". PYMNTS.com. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  17. ^ PBC, Sezzle. "Buy Now, Pay Later Leader Sezzle is Now a Public Benefit Corporation". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  18. ^ "Buy now, pay later platform Sezzle tests the waters in India". Platform Executive. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  19. ^ "Home". sezzle.com.br.
  20. ^ "Target joins other retailers offering 'buy-now, pay-later' ahead of holiday shopping season". October 7, 2021.
  21. ^ "Charlie Youakim is on a Mission to Financially Empower Gen Z". November 16, 2021.
  22. ^ "Announcements".
  23. ^ "Sezzle and Zip Mutually Agree to Terminate Proposed Merger". cdn-api.markitdigital.com. July 12, 2022. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Wierson, Arick (June 24, 2019). "Payment Disruptor Sezzle Poised to Shake Up the US E-Commerce Market". Observer. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  25. ^ "Sezzle FAQ". Sezzle. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  26. ^ Ross, David (April 17, 2019). "US buy-now-pay-later app Sezzle moves into Afterpay's territory in Australia – but says it's not here to fight". Business Insider Australia. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  27. ^ "Australia-Listed Sezzle Fails to Win California Lending License, Shares Dive". The New York Times. January 2, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  28. ^ "Regulator blocks hot fintech startup from offering its service in California". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  29. ^ "Sezzle shares plunge after California moves to regulate online installment payments". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  30. ^ "California grants loan license to pay-later outfit Sezzle". Reuters. January 17, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  31. ^ PYMNTS (January 17, 2020). "Sezzle Installment Payments Gets Lending License". PYMNTS.com. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  32. ^ Sezzle. "Approval of Sezzle's California Lending License". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
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