How to List Your Products on Mainstack’s Affiliate Marketplace

Price objections kill more sales than any other factor. A customer sees your $1,000 course, wants it, but can't justify the upfront cost. They leave. You lose the sale.

Mainstack's Pay-in-Tranches eliminates this barrier by splitting payments into 2, 3, or 4 manageable installments. Instead of losing that customer, you convert them while maintaining your full pricing power.

The Flexible Payment Revolution

The payment landscape has fundamentally shifted. Nearly 4 in 5 merchants plan to improve their installment payment capabilities because consumer behavior has changed permanently.

Market Growth:

• BNPL usage increased 400% globally since 2018, growing 17% annually through 2028
• BNPL now represents 5% of global e-commerce transactions, projected to reach 9% by 2027
• An estimated 86.5 million people in the U.S. used BNPL in 2024, up 6.92% year-over-year

Consumer Expectations:

• 88% of consumers want to know about installment options before or during checkout
• 60% of BNPL users are under 40 years old
• 50% of consumers would switch merchants for flexible payment options

This isn't a trend, it's the new standard. Customers expect payment flexibility, and businesses that don't offer it are losing sales to competitors who do.

Measurable Business Impact

Conversion Rate Improvements

Price sensitivity is the #1 reason customers abandon purchases. Pay-in-Tranches directly addresses this:

• RBC Capital Markets found BNPL increases retail conversion rates from 20% to 30%
• Flexible payment options reduce cart abandonment by up to 40%
• Up to 40% of BNPL sales come from new customers to the retailer

Revenue Growth

Flexible payments don't just convert more customers, they increase spending per customer:

• BNPL results in 85% higher average order value than traditional payment methods
• BNPL omnichannel shoppers spend 72% more per transaction
• The average BNPL purchase amount grew 11.6% from $135 in 2021 to $142 in 2022

Customer Satisfaction and Retention

Happy customers become repeat customers:

• BNPL customer satisfaction rose 16 points year-over-year
• Flexible payment options boost Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) through enhanced satisfaction and loyalty
• BNPL customers are engaged over longer periods and make more frequent purchases

How Pay-in-Tranches Works

Payment Structure Options

Installment Splits:

• 2 payments: 50% at purchase, 50% later
• 3 payments: 33% at purchase, two additional payments
• 4 payments: 25% at purchase, three additional payments

Flexible Intervals:

• Monthly payments for ongoing programs
• Quarterly payments for seasonal offerings
• Custom intervals based on your business model

Automated Management:

• Automatic charge processing
• Payment failure handling
• Customer notification system
• Real-time status updates

Advanced Features

Smart Analytics Dashboard:

• Payment success rates by installment option
• Customer payment behavior patterns
• Revenue forecasting based on scheduled payments
• Churn prediction for incomplete payment plans

Risk Management:

• Automated credit checks for larger amounts
• Payment failure retry logic
• Flexible grace periods
• Customer communication workflows

Integration Capabilities:

• Seamless checkout experience
• Mobile-optimized payment flows
• Multiple currency support
• Third-party tool integrations

Industry-Specific Applications

Online Education and Courses

Educational purchases are perfect for installment payments because they're high-value investments in personal development:

• 59% of installment users manage finances better with big-ticket educational purchases
• Course creators can offer semester-long programs with monthly payments
• Certification programs become accessible to working professionals
• Corporate training packages can be structured around quarterly budgets

Digital Products and Software

High-value digital products benefit significantly from payment flexibility:

• Template bundles and design assets appeal to budget-conscious creatives
• Software licenses can be paid over time, reducing barrier to entry
• Digital marketing tools and courses convert better with installment options
• Subscription products can offer annual plans with quarterly payments

Services and Consulting

Professional services often face price objections that installments can overcome:

• High-value consulting packages become more accessible
• Coaching programs can align payments with session schedules
• Done-for-you services can split payments across project milestones
• Retainer agreements can offer flexible payment structures

E-commerce and Physical Products

Even traditional retail benefits from payment flexibility:

• Home & furniture is the most popular BNPL category, with 42% of users making these purchases
• Electronics and gadgets see higher conversion with installment options
• Seasonal products can offer payments aligned with usage periods

Customer Psychology and Payment Behavior

Understanding why customers choose installment payments helps optimize your offering:

Financial Management

75% of paycheck-to-paycheck consumers use flexible payment plans for financial relief, but it's not just about financial stress. Many customers use installments for:

• Budget control: Spreading costs across pay periods
• Cash flow management: Preserving liquid funds for emergencies
• Purchase timing: Buying when needed, paying when convenient

Convenience and Preferences

18% of financially secure consumers use installment plans for convenience, with 15% seeking rewards. This shows that payment flexibility appeals across income levels.

Psychological Factors

• Reduced payment pain: Smaller amounts feel more manageable
• Immediate gratification: Get the product now, pay later
• Risk reduction: Lower initial commitment reduces purchase anxiety

Implementation Best Practices

Display Strategy

More than 60% of consumers prefer to know about installment options before deciding to buy. This means:

• Product pages: Show installment amounts prominently
• Pricing displays: "Starting at $25/month" instead of "$100 total"
• Marketing materials: Feature payment flexibility in your messaging
• Email campaigns: Highlight installment options for abandoned carts

User Experience Optimization

The top factors influencing customer satisfaction are ease of choosing repayment options, ease of managing payments, and ease of reviewing transactions:

• Simple selection: Clear options without overwhelming choices
• Transparent terms: No hidden fees or confusing conditions
• Easy management: Customer dashboard for payment tracking
• Clear communication: Automated reminders and updates

Customer Support

• Educational content: Help customers understand installment benefits
• Payment assistance: Support for customers with payment issues
• Flexible policies: Options for payment rescheduling when needed
• Proactive communication: Updates on upcoming payments

Competitive Advantages

Market Differentiation

In crowded markets, payment flexibility becomes a key differentiator:

• Price positioning: Compete with lower-priced alternatives by reducing upfront cost
• Customer acquisition: Attract price-sensitive customers who would otherwise choose competitors
• Brand perception: Position yourself as customer-centric and accessible
• Market expansion: Reach customers who couldn't afford your products previously

Customer Loyalty

BNPL customers are more engaged and make more frequent purchases, leading to:

• Higher retention rates: Customers appreciate payment flexibility
• Increased referrals: Satisfied customers recommend your business
• Cross-selling opportunities: Customers comfortable with installments buy more
• Reduced price shopping: Less likely to compare prices when payment is comfortable

Risk Management and Best Practices

Financial Considerations

• Cash flow impact: Understand how installments affect your working capital
• Payment failure rates: Plan for typical 5-10% payment default rates
• Customer screening: Basic qualification criteria for larger installment amounts
• Reserve planning: Maintain reserves for payment processing delays

Operational Setup

• Clear policies: Define installment terms and conditions
• Customer communication: Automated systems for payment reminders
• Support processes: Procedures for handling payment issues
• Integration testing: Ensure seamless checkout experience

The market momentum is undeniable. BNPL is projected to grow at 9% CAGR through 2027, driven by:

• Generational shift: Millennials and Gen Z prefer flexible payment options
• Economic uncertainty: Consumers seek financial flexibility during volatile times
• Technology advancement: Better payment processing and risk management tools
• Merchant adoption: More businesses recognizing competitive necessity

Businesses that don't offer flexible payments risk becoming irrelevant as customer expectations evolve. Pay-in-Tranches positions you ahead of this curve.

Getting Started with Pay-in-Tranches

The setup process is straightforward:

1. Choose your installment options: Decide on 2, 3, or 4 payment splits
2. Set payment intervals: Monthly, quarterly, or custom schedules
3. Configure your checkout: Integrate installment options into your sales flow
4. Update your marketing: Highlight flexible payment options in your messaging
5. Monitor and optimize: Track conversion improvements and customer feedback

Your competitors are already offering flexible payments. Every day you wait, you're losing sales to businesses that understand modern customer expectations.

Pay-in-Tranches gives you the tools to compete effectively: higher conversion rates, increased average order values, improved customer satisfaction, and predictable revenue streams.

The question isn't whether to offer flexible payments, it's whether you'll implement them before or after your competitors capture your price-sensitive customers.

As we bid farewell to 2023, we would like to take the time to celebrate the incredible journey we’ve had at Mainstack.

This year was marked by a series of groundbreaking updates that have transformed our platform into something truly extraordinary.

We were hard at work paying close attention to the requests and suggestions of our users and we are glad we can bring to life most of their requests. From having a general makeover of the platform to enhancing user profiles, and revolutionizing our storefront. Our key focus this year was improving our Link-in-Bio and Storefront products, and we are proud of what we’ve achieved.

In this article, we will take a delightful stroll through the highlights of our year.

Mainstack V3; The One Place for Everything YOU.

The desire to serve and address the pain point of our users sent us back to the drawing board to envisage a new Mainstack. We remodeled and launched Mainstack V3 with You — our users, in mind. We moved from a simple, straightforward design to a bold, audacious look that reflects our efforts to ensure we simplify business and global monetization for our users.

Storefront Improvements

AI Integration to the storefront that makes product setup seamless.

 Our top priority this year was to ensure we create a seamless and immersive experience for our users. With AI integration into our storefronts, users can now generate their product or service description with a click.

‍

Save to draft that helps you craft your storefront with precision.

Crafting the perfect product information is an art, and we have made it even more precise with the Save to Draft feature. Now, users who do not have all the product information can save it to draft and pick up from where they left off, thereby, fine-tuning their product setup before making it live and ensuring everything is just the way they want it.

CRM Tools that help you manage Discounts, Automation, and your Contacts.

We transformed into a comprehensive business tool with the introduction of CRM Tools. These tools help manage discounts, set up automation for a seamless sales experience, and keep track of contacts effortlessly. With the CRM Tools, merchants can;

• Easily create, manage and offer discounts to their customers.

• Automate personalized emails post-purchase for a seamless customer experience, and

• Recover potential sales with automated abandoned cart emails.

Our users now put their business in the palm of their hands with our all-encompassing CRM Tools.

Flexible pricing models that boost product sales.

 We took product sales to another level by adding innovative pricing models designed to maximize flexibility and boost revenue. By introducing Pay-what-you-want, Fast action pricing and Pay-in-tranches pricing options, we empowered our users to offer their clients/customers a spectrum of choices. Now, they can effortlessly put their earnings on autopilot, taking their sales strategy to new heights.

Ensure ongoing connection with phone numbers on checkout

 In response to the most significant request from our users in Q4 2023, we successfully implemented a game-changing update just before the year ended. Now, in addition to email addresses, customers can input their phone numbers directly on the checkout page. This feature empowers Merchants with dual contact options ensuring they never lose touch with their valuable customers.

Link-in-Bio Improvements

Link-in-Bio Pro features that elevate users’ online presence.

 We launched the Link-in-Bio pro features this year and took our user profiles to the next level. From Pro Templates to a Verification Badge, Custom Domain, and integrations, users now have the power to customize their profiles like never before.

‍

Contact Card that helps you connect in style.

 This year, we introduced the Contact Card feature, allowing our users to showcase their information in a sleek and stylish way. A single quick scan gives your audience all they need to connect with you, making networking a breeze.

Card that helps you convey more with just a picture.

With the card feature, users can effortlessly showcase and sell their products directly from their Link-in-Bio. Utilizing the Card feature helps to elevate visual storytelling and product promotion, thereby, simplifying engagement and boosting sales with just a compelling image.

Templates and Themes that unleash creativity.

 With the addition of new Templates and Themes, our users can now personalize their Link-in-Bio like never before. They can choose from an array of professionally designed templates and use custom themes like a background image cover or a gradient, to make their mainstack presence uniquely theirs.

Verification Badge that gives a stamp of authenticity.

 We upped the credibility game with the Verification Badge for our Link-in-Bio pro plan users. Now, users can proudly display their badge, ensuring that their Mainstack presence is not only authentic but also recognized as such. Trust and reliability have never looked this good!

Thumbnails as a visual feast for your buttons.

Because small details make a big difference, we introduced Thumbnails on link buttons to add a visual feast to our users’ profiles, making navigation intuitive and delightful for their audience.

Have you taken the time to explore any of these product updates? Do share your experience and feedback with us. We’d love to know what you think about them. If you are yet to sign up to explore and unlock all the awesome possibilities on Mainstack, what are you waiting for?

Our 2023 journey has been nothing short of spectacular. With an array of features catering to customization, credibility, and business efficiency, we’ve laid a foundation for a platform that meets and exceeds users' expectations. As we look forward to 2024, our users can rest assured that innovation and excellence will continue to be at the heart of our journey as we continue this trajectory of success and advancement.

Thank you for sticking with us this year and cheers to a year of achievements and many more exciting updates.