Zilch
“Can Zilch turn its 4-million-consumer BNPL base into a full Ad-Enabled Payments Network where advertisers subsidise the cost of credit, eliminating consumer fees entirely while monetising commerce data?”
Zilch launched in 2018 as a BNPL and ad-subsidised payments platform, becoming FCA-regulated before its consumer launch. It differentiated from peers like Klarna and Afterpay by combining zero-interest instalment credit with a debit/reward offering subsidised by advertiser spend, rather than merchant fees alone. By 2024-2025, Zilch pivoted further from pure BNPL toward an 'Ad-Enabled Payments Network' (ASPN), launching a Financial Media Network (FMN) that monetises consumer engagement data and works toward an IPO. The company now frames itself as a consumer platform competing for wallet share across payments, credit, insurance comparison, and commerce intelligence.