Checkout.com vs Sezzle

Checkout.com annualised net revenue hits $750M

Payments provider Checkout.com announced that its annualised net revenue jumped 28% year-on-year to $750 million, attributing growth to increased payment volume and geographical expansion. The company, valued at $12 billion, expects to achieve $150 million in adjusted EBITDA profit for 2026, having turned profitable in 2024. Checkout.com operates across 56 countries with 10 acquiring licences and projected payment volume of $480 billion for full-year 2026. The company also plans to expand its money management offering and accelerate its AI strategy in agentic commerce and payments. Additionally, it disclosed an internal $40 million dividend from subsidiary Checkout Limited to the parent, which it clarifies is a treasury transaction, not shareholder distribution. Chief Revenue Officer Antoine Nougué emphasized that sustained profitability enables investment in AI to help merchants generate revenue. The company employs 1,700 people.

• Checkout.com reported annualised net revenue of $750 million, up 28% year-on-year.
• The company expects to achieve $150 million in adjusted EBITDA profit for 2026.
• Checkout.com is valued at $12 billion and operates in 56 countries with 10 acquiring licences.

Awin Hires Former Amazon Exec as Chief Product & Technology Officer

Awin, a global affiliate marketing network, has appointed Varun Aggarwal as its new Chief Product & Technology Officer (CPTO). Previously holding leadership roles at Amazon and Checkout.com, Aggarwal will lead a unified product and technology strategy aimed at accelerating the platform's growth, with a focus on leveraging artificial intelligence. The company plans to launch new features like AI Visibility and Smart Search to help advertisers better understand and measure the impact of their affiliate partnerships across the increasingly complex customer journey. CEO Adam Ross highlighted Aggarwal's experience in scaling global commerce platforms and his expertise in product development, commerce, and AI as key assets. The move signals Awin's commitment to leading technological innovation in the partner marketing space.

• Awin appointed Varun Aggarwal as Chief Product & Technology Officer (CPTO).
• Aggarwal previously held leadership positions at Amazon and Checkout.com.
• Awin plans to introduce new AI-driven features, including AI Visibility and Smart Search.

Agentic Commerce Users Could Reach 1.3 Billion by 2031

Juniper Research forecasts that agentic commerce users could grow from under 300 million in 2026 to about 1.3 billion by 2031, a near 350% rise. The report also projects agentic commerce transaction value will increase from roughly $8 billion in 2026 to $3.5 trillion by 2031. Juniper attributes the growth to retailer support, expanding agentic payment infrastructure and rising consumer comfort with AI, while noting current user familiarity and trust remain low. Separate research from Checkout.com found 24% of consumers say they will never delegate purchases to AI and 27% trust no organisation to operate an AI shopping agent. The article highlights payments as a structural concern — cards lead today but tokenisation and local-payment support will be important — and notes recent industry moves including OpenAI’s pullback from in‑app purchasing and Google’s new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) features.

• Juniper Research projects agentic commerce users could reach 1.3 billion globally by 2031, up from less than 300 million in 2026.
• Juniper Research forecasts agentic commerce transaction value will grow to $3.5 trillion by 2031, from about $8 billion in 2026.
• Checkout.com research (June) found 24% of consumers say they will never delegate purchases to AI, and 27% said they trust 'no organisation' to operate an AI shopping agent.

Investor Presentation Released: Sezzle

AI parsed presentation narrative: Sezzle is leveraging its proprietary AI-driven underwriting and high consumer engagement to transition from a pure-play BNPL provider into a comprehensive financial services ecosystem. Management's central thesis focuses on driving profitable growth through innovative products like SezzleCash and Sezzle Send while maintaining superior unit economics and a high return on equity. Key tailwinds mentioned: BNPL Market Expansion, Digital Wallet Integration.