QI Tech, a Brazilian financial infrastructure provider, and Bettr, Ant International's embedded finance platform, have partnered to expand embedded credit offerings across Brazil's e-commerce market.
The collaboration brings working capital lending for merchants and buy now, pay later (BNPL) options for consumers into digital shopping platforms.
The move comes as retail evolves with the growth of e-commerce, changing consumption patterns and demand for more integrated shopping journeys.
QI Tech enables companies to embed banking, payments and credit services into digital platforms, while Bettr delivers embedded finance solutions that help financial institutions and merchants scale digital credit products.
Embedded finance is increasingly connecting payments, credit and checkout into a single flow as merchants face tighter margins, higher logistics costs and more price-sensitive consumers, helping improve conversion rates, reduce cart abandonment and unlock new revenue streams.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the sector is expected to grow from $69.21bn in 2026 to $150.91bn by 2031.
In its initial stage, the partnership will focus on providing working capital loans for small and medium-sized e-commerce businesses, allowing merchants to finance inventory and support expansion. It will also introduce BNPL functionality for consumers shopping on platforms such as AliExpress, allowing purchases to be split into installments at the checkout.
QI Tech CEO and founder Pedro Mac Dowell said embedded credit is becoming a core part of digital commerce rather than a standalone product.
'Credit is moving away from being an isolated product to becoming a natural part of the digital experience,' Mac Dowell said.
'This partnership combines Ant International's technology capabilities with QI Tech's regulated and scalable infrastructure to better connect credit and payments within Brazil's evolving retail landscape.'
The lending programmes use automated credit analysis based on transactional data, combined with real-time decision-making and risk models designed to assess affordability and align lending with repayment capacity. The approach is intended to improve access to credit while supporting responsible lending practices.
Bettr Credit general manager and Ant International senior vice president Quan Yu said the partnership reflects a broader push to expand access to consumer and SME financing through embedded financial services.
'The partnership underlines our commitment to local collaboration for deeper insights and creating greater synergy,' Yu said.