# E041 - Tim Li, CEO of LendAPI: In-Store BNPL, Indirect Auto Lending & Building Through Content

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-free-toaster-7173245/e041-tim-li-ceo-of-lendapi-in-store-bnpl-indirect-auto-lending-building-through-content
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-free-toaster-7173245/e041-tim-li-ceo-of-lendapi-in-store-bnpl-indirect-auto-lending-building-through-content.md
Podcast: [The Free Toaster](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-free-toaster-7173245)
Published: 2026-03-14T20:53:13+00:00
Episode link: https://thefreetoaster.podbean.com/e/e041-tim-li-ceo-of-lendapi-in-store-bnpl-indirect-auto-lending-building-through-content/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/miid2bp9gcbtywtg/AUDIO_Carlos_Tim_Li_Toaster_LM_V1.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-free-toaster-7173245/episodes/e041-tim-li-ceo-of-lendapi-in-store-bnpl-indirect-auto-lending-building-through-content
Duration seconds: 3425

## Resource

Tim Li, CEO of LendAPI, joins Carlos live in the DC studio for a wide-ranging conversation on how LendAPI is quietly becoming the infrastructure layer for modern lending. What We Cover: In-Store Buy Now, Pay Later Most BNPL players are built for online checkout — but 87% of commerce still happens in physical stores. Tim explains how LendAPI landed a major retailer (Sunglass brand Salmoiraghi & Viganò / Sunglass Hut adjacent) as a client looking to build a fully branded, in-store financing experience — complete with loyalty programs, insurance products, and subscription-style payment plans. The key insight: major BNPL players optimize for the transaction, not the shopping experience. Becoming Your Own Lender Tim breaks down how any merchant — from guitar shops to wellness centers — can self-finance customers using LendAPI's platform. High-margin businesses in particular can absorb default risk while collecting a down payment and building customer loyalty. Indirect Auto Lending LendAPI recently certified on RouteOne and DealerTrack, the two dominant auto dealer POS systems. Tim explains why credit unions are ready to ditch legacy LOS providers and what LendAPI offers that incumbents simply can't — speed, flexibility, and zero change-order fees. Building Through Content Tim shares his unfiltered content strategy: no ghostwriters, no AI tools — just 3,000-word blog posts written in 45 minutes at Starbucks on Saturday mornings. Two years in, LendAPI gets 3-4K website visits per day and runs entirely on inbound leads with no sales team. Find Tim Li: LendAPI.com ***** A word from our sponsor, Spinwheel: Reduce friction in your lending application with just two fields—phone number and birthdate. Spinwheel’s APIs boost application rates by 20-30% while also providing real-t…

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## Transcript

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