Palisades Tahoe Uses Affirm’s 0% APR Options to Help Grow Pre-Committed Bookings

Palisades Tahoe has a storied history as the largest ski resort in California, attracting a high volume of skiers and riders throughout the year. With Affirm and 0% APR payment options, they’re able to make their product suite even more accessible to eligible consumers, which includes ticket packs, lessons, lodging, rentals, and more, while pre-committing crucial revenue for the resort. They were able to seamlessly add Affirm into their checkout flow through Affirm’s integration with their ski resort management platform. 

Below, Palisades Tahoe’s Email & Customer Relationship Marketing Manager, Morgan Farrell, outlines how they leverage interest-free promotions with Affirm. Palisades Tahoe saw 0% APR bookings account for more than 80% of total Affirm volume during a key winter booking period, driving a 205% overall increase year-over-year for Affirm bookings.

Affirm: What sets Palisades Tahoe apart from others in your industry? 

Palisades Tahoe [Morgan]: Palisades Tahoe is the largest Ikon Pass destination in North America. We are the largest ski resort in California, and we have a storied history dating back to — and of course before — the 1960 Winter Olympics that took place here. There have been a number of milestones since then, like the dawn of the freeskiing movement and the multiple World Cups we’ve hosted. That all leads us to carry out our purpose of “Sharing the spirit of these legendary mountains with the world.” Plus, Palisades Tahoe has really diverse terrain ranging all the way from beginner to expert. 

Affirm: Why did Palisades Tahoe first add Affirm, and why do you think it's important to offer a pay-over-time solution like Affirm to your customers? 

Palisades Tahoe [Morgan]: We saw the success at the Alterra level with Ikon Pass and wanted to see if we could transfer that same success down to the resort destination level. With the growth of Ikon Pass, and that season-long product, we were looking at Affirm as an approachable way for people to make that purchase over time and compare it to, say, the monthly cost of their gym membership. For destination visitors, it’s a big commitment to book a ski trip, so offering Affirm on things like lodging, lessons, and rentals makes booking a Palisades Tahoe trip more accessible. 

Affirm: Why did you decide to offer a 0% APR option to your customers? Was there a challenge you were trying to solve?

Palisades Tahoe [Morgan]: It was about options. We ran an offer which included  0% APR options from Black Friday to Christmas, more or less, to be more appealing to eligible customers and ensure they’re thinking about the ski season and booking passes and trips ahead of time. In the fall, we’re trying to help our customers make the switch from okay, it’s Friday night lights football season to, the first snow is on the ground, the mountain is open, and it’s time to get ready for winter. It’s a crucial time in our business to pre-commit those bookings for the remainder of the season during the shift from fall to winter. 

Affirm: The data shows that there was a 205% overall increase in volume YoY for Affirm bookings over that key period, primarily driven by 0% APR bookings that accounted for over 84% of total Affirm volume. What did you think of these results?

Palisades Tahoe [Morgan]: I really see providing 0% APR options as that driving factor as you said. I think it’s also paired with Affirm’s brand name. That’s something that consumers see, whether they’re shopping for a new flat screen TV or sneakers. Affirm is a brand that they’re aware of and can trust. Our Finance team certainly drills into the incremental results while on the marketing side, we see it complementing the convenience and positivity around the guest experience. 

Affirm: Including 0% APR options in the promotion also increased customer intent during that period, which grew the percentage of customers who booked with Affirm from 51% to 84%. What do you make of those results?

Palisades Tahoe [Morgan]: For approved guests, it makes it a lot easier for them to make a purchase. Maybe it’s a no-brainer for them, or maybe they’re preparing for another big purchase and so being able to pay over time, put it on autopay, and handle the expenses that way makes more sense for their budget.

Affirm: What channels were used to communicate the promotion to customers? Of those, which will you run again?

Palisades Tahoe [Morgan]: We brought it into our paid advertising creative, a dedicated landing page, as well as across individual product pages. We also leverage it in our email campaigns and in our app. It’s compelling to consider offering interest-free purchases over a broader time span beyond Thanksgiving to Christmas. We do launch a lot of products in September, throughout the winter, and into February and March, so a longer-standing offer would potentially drive more value. Another thing we’re considering is ensuring call center agents are including Affirm in their script to drive awareness and adoption.

Due to the success of their interest-free promotions with Affirm, Palisades is planning to run them again this coming fall to pre-commit revenue for the resort ahead of the 2024-2025 ski season.