Motley Fool Money Interview with Sezzle CEO Charlie Youakim
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Nov 16, 2025 
Charlie Youakim, Co-founder and CEO of Sezzle, shares insights on entrepreneurship and the evolution of fintech. He discusses how Sezzle's buy now, pay later model stands apart from traditional credit cards, emphasizing benefits like budgeting and consumer incentives. Charlie dives into how market competition fuels innovation and why understanding customer behavior is vital. He also outlines Sezzle's resilience during economic downturns and reveals an ambitious five-year vision to make the app a staple for younger consumers.
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From Parking Hardware To Market Leader
- Charlie built a company called Passport that started with parking hardware and pivoted into mobile payments to survive.
- Passport innovated with wallet functionality and white-label solutions and became a market leader in parking payments.
BNPL Promotes Planned Payments
- Charlie argues BNPL encourages planned payments and budgeting, reducing long-term overextension.
- He contrasts BNPL's shut-off on missed payments with credit cards that can create long revolvers and deeper debt cycles.
Tighten Credit Preemptively
- During holidays and downturns, tighten credit and lower limits proactively to prevent overextension.
- Monitor daily data and shut off or restrict groups quickly rather than waiting for long notice periods.