DivideBuy
DivideBuy helps retailers increase conversions with flexible point-of-sale finance.
DivideBuy is an FCA-regulated point-of-sale finance provider that offers both interest-free and interest-bearing credit solutions to e-commerce retailers. Unlike traditional BNPL competitors focused on short-term payments, DivideBuy specializes in longer-term financing (3-60 months) for high-value items like furniture, electronics, and home improvement products, with credit amounts from £50 to £12,500. The platform combines proprietary credit technology with lending facilities, achieving over 90% acceptance rates through flexible options like deposit increases or guarantors. DivideBuy was acquired by Zopa in February 2023 and now operates under Zopa Bank Limited.
Problem solved
E-commerce retailers lose sales when customers cannot afford high-value purchases upfront and need longer-term financing options beyond traditional BNPL providers.
Target customer
E-commerce retailers selling high-ticket items (furniture, electronics, home improvement) who want to offer flexible payment options and reduce cart abandonment
Founders
R
Robert Eric Flowers
Founder & CEO
Originally a sporting goods retailer; left school at 16 and founded DivideBuy to solve point-of-sale finance for retailers.
C
Christopher Peter Martin
Founder
Co-founded DivideBuy with Robert Flowers and Max Thowless-reeves.
M
Max William Thowless-reeves
Co-Founder
Co-founded DivideBuy alongside Robert Flowers and Christopher Peter Martin.
Funding history
Angel
$130,000
Unknown
Led by Angel investors
· Unknown
Series Unknown
$3.5M
Late 2014
Led by Jon Moulton (family office)
· Unknown
Series Unknown
$60M+
2019 (approximately)
Led by Souter Investments, Jon Moulton
· Shawbrook Bank, Paragon Banking Group
Lending Facility + Equity
$300M
September 2021
Led by Davidson Kempner Capital Management
· Unknown
Total raised:
$496M
Industries
Pricing
Transaction fee plus monthly product fee. Specific pricing not publicly available; contact hello@dividebuy.co.uk or live chat for details.
Notable customers
Cloud Nine, Simba Sleep, musicMagpie
Integrations
Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Craft Commerce
Website
Competitors
Klarna
Klarna focuses on short-term BNPL (2-12 weeks); DivideBuy offers longer terms (3-60 months) for higher-value items.
Afterpay
Afterpay targets fast fashion and lower-ticket items with installment plans; DivideBuy specializes in furniture, electronics, and high-ticket retail.
Square
Square is a broader payments platform; DivideBuy is specialized point-of-sale finance with higher acceptance rates and longer terms.
Why this matters: DivideBuy represents a specialized category within fintech—not traditional BNPL, but regulated point-of-sale finance for high-value retail. Its 2023 acquisition by Zopa (post-£220M funding round) signals consolidation in the embedded finance space, while its Rising Star award in 2024 reflects strong market traction despite operating in a crowded BNPL landscape.
Best for: Online retailers selling furniture, home improvement products, or high-ticket electronics who need to offer longer-term financing (3-60 months) with high acceptance rates to increase conversions.
Use cases
High-Value Furniture Sales
A furniture retailer uses DivideBuy to offer 12-60 month interest-free and interest-bearing credit options. Customers can complete checkout in under 60 seconds with over 90% approval rates, leading to increased basket values and reduced abandonment rates—retailers typically see up to 70% improvement in approvals and conversions.
Electronics & Appliance Retail
An electronics retailer integrates DivideBuy via Shopify to offer flexible payment plans on TVs, appliances, and gaming systems (£50-£12,500). The high acceptance rate accommodates diverse customer credit profiles through flexible options like deposit increases or guarantors.
Home Improvement Marketplace
A home improvement e-commerce platform uses DivideBuy to enable customers to finance tools, materials, and equipment over 3-24 months, converting browsers who were previously unable to afford larger purchases into customers.
Alternatives
Klarna
Choose Klarna for fast-fashion and lower-ticket items with short-term BNPL (weeks), not for furniture or high-value retail requiring longer terms.
Affirm
Choose Affirm for broader BNPL coverage and US market presence; DivideBuy is UK-focused with specialty in longer-term, higher-value financing.
PayPal Credit
Choose PayPal Credit for integration with existing PayPal ecosystems; DivideBuy offers higher acceptance rates and longer terms specifically optimized for furniture and electronics.
FAQ
What does DivideBuy do? +
DivideBuy is an FCA-regulated point-of-sale finance provider that enables e-commerce retailers to offer flexible credit options to customers. It provides both interest-free credit (up to 12 months) and interest-bearing credit (up to 60 months) for purchases between £50 and £12,500, with over 90% acceptance rates and checkout completion in under 60 seconds.
How much does DivideBuy cost? +
DivideBuy uses a transaction fee plus monthly product fee model. Specific pricing is not publicly available and must be requested directly from the company via email (hello@dividebuy.co.uk) or live chat.
What are alternatives to DivideBuy? +
Klarna (short-term BNPL for fashion/lower-ticket items), Afterpay (installment plans for fast fashion), Affirm (broader BNPL coverage), and PayPal Credit (PayPal ecosystem integration). DivideBuy differentiates through longer terms (3-60 months) and specialization in furniture and high-ticket electronics.
Who uses DivideBuy? +
E-commerce retailers selling high-value items like furniture, electronics, and home improvement products. Notable customers include Cloud Nine, Simba Sleep, and musicMagpie. Retailers typically see 70% improvement in approvals and conversions after implementing DivideBuy.
How does DivideBuy compare to Klarna? +
DivideBuy specializes in longer-term financing (3-60 months) for high-ticket items like furniture and electronics, while Klarna focuses on short-term BNPL (2-12 weeks) for fast fashion and lower-ticket retail. DivideBuy is FCA-regulated and combines proprietary credit tech with lending facilities; Klarna is a broader BNPL platform. Choose DivideBuy for furniture retail, Klarna for fashion.
Tags
BNPL
point-of-sale finance
embedded finance
furniture retail
high-ticket retail
payment flexibility
FCA-regulated