Flipkart rolls out ‘Advertise Now, Pay Later’ to ease ad access for sellers

Flipkart has introduced a new initiative called ‘Advertise Now, Pay Later’ (ANPL) that allows sellers on its platform to launch advertising campaigns without making an upfront payment. The programme aims to simplify access to digital advertising for small businesses and new sellers by removing financial and procedural barriers.

The model enables sellers to run ads across Flipkart’s platform with no joining fees, no interest, and no penalties for delayed payments. Instead, the cost of the campaign is deducted from the seller’s earnings at the beginning of the following month.

According to Flipkart, the offering is designed to support sellers who may not have immediate capital to invest in advertising but want to improve their product visibility and sales performance.

“Simplifying access to advertising is key to helping more sellers grow on Flipkart,” said Vijay Iyer, Vice President and General Manager, Flipkart Ads. “This initiative is intended to provide sellers with more flexibility and reduce friction in how they approach marketing.”

ANPL is a line-of-credit model that uses a seller’s existing revenue on Flipkart as collateral. Sellers can activate the feature via the Flipkart Ads portal with a few clicks. The system offers campaign performance tracking and billing visibility, along with educational resources such as step-by-step videos and guides.

The platform supports multiple ad formats, including Product Listing Ads (PLA), Product Contextual Ads (PCA), and automated recommendation-based campaigns.

Flipkart says that over 24,000 sellers have used the ANPL feature since its introduction.

Ajay Pandey, a seller on Flipkart and owner of Ajro Deal, noted that the model provides operational flexibility. “ANPL gives me time to focus on sales without needing to manage daily ad payments,” he said.

Part of a broader seller enablement strategy

The launch of ANPL aligns with Flipkart’s broader efforts to expand seller support tools and services. With more than 1.4 million sellers on the platform and a customer base of over 500 million registered users, Flipkart continues to build tools aimed at increasing participation in digital commerce.

The company has introduced several seller- and consumer-focused innovations over the years, including Cash on Delivery, Easy Returns, and UPI integration, to improve accessibility and user experience.

ANPL adds to this suite by targeting a common challenge faced by many small businesses, the ability to market their products effectively without upfront cash flow constraints.

While Flipkart’s ‘Advertise Now, Pay Later’ (ANPL) model is relatively unique in the Indian e-commerce ecosystem, similar concepts do exist globally, though most come with additional restrictions or are limited to larger businesses. 

Globally, platforms like Amazon offer monthly invoicing options for advertising, where eligible sellers or vendors can pay at the end of the month instead of paying in advance. However, Amazon typically reserves this for high-volume sellers, and it often involves credit checks and formal approval processes. Similarly, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) provides credit lines and postpaid ad options. 

In India, Meesho, another major marketplace, has taken steps to reduce seller costs by removing commissions and occasionally offering performance-based ad incentives or limited-time free ad credits.

However, Meesho doesn’t yet have a formal postpaid advertising model like Flipkart’s. Other platforms like TikTok and some small-business-focused marketing tools abroad do offer ad credits or deferred payment options, often as onboarding incentives, but these are typically one-time offers and not part of a sustainable credit model

Flipkart’s ANPL is tightly integrated with the seller’s operating account on the platform. There’s no need for external credit checks or documentation, and the feature can be activated in just a few clicks. It also comes with educational tools like step-by-step guides and real-time performance dashboards.