Block, Inc. completes acquisition of Buy Now, Pay Later pioneer Afterpay
Block, Inc. and Afterpay Limited today announced the successful completion of the Scheme of Arrangement under which Block has acquired all of the issued shares in Afterpay. This transaction aims to enable Block to better deliver compelling financial products and services that expand access to more consumers and help drive incremental revenue for sellers of all sizes.
“We’re excited to welcome the Afterpay team to Block and are eager to get to work,” said Jack Dorsey (pictured), Block Co-Founder and CEO. “Together, we’ll deliver even better products and services for sellers and consumers while staying true to our shared purpose of making the financial system more fair and accessible to everyone.”
The acquisition furthers Block’s strategic priorities for its existing Square and Cash App ecosystems. Together, Square and Afterpay intend to enable sellers of all sizes to offer ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) at checkout, give Afterpay consumers the ability to manage their installment payments directly in Cash App, and give Cash App customers the ability to discover sellers and BNPL offers directly within the app.
Today, Square also launched its first integration with Afterpay, providing Afterpay’s BNPL functionality to sellers in the United States and Australia that use Square Online for e-commerce. This new omnichannel commerce tool can help sellers attract new shoppers and drive incremental revenue from day one.
Afterpay co-Founders and co-CEOs Nick Molnar and Anthony Eisen have joined Block and will help lead Afterpay’s respective seller and consumer businesses, as part of Block’s Square and Cash App ecosystems.
Block has also appointed Sharon Rothstein, a former Afterpay Director and Operating Partner at growth equity firm Stripes, to serve as a member of its Board of Directors. Prior to joining Stripes, Ms. Rothstein held several senior marketing and brand management positions with leading global brands including Sephora, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and Procter & Gamble before serving on the executive team as Global Chief Marketing Officer and Global Chief Product Officer at Starbucks Corporation.
“I’ve long admired Block’s purpose to make the financial system more accessible and inclusive. I’m honored and excited to bring my global experiences to the diverse expertise of this Board,” said Ms. Rothstein.
“We’re excited to welcome Sharon to our Board. Sharon’s expertise in marketing and global operations make her a great fit for Block as we move into this next growth phase with Afterpay,” said Dorsey. “We’d also like to thank all of the members of the Afterpay Board for their contributions to the business and the transaction.”
