Answer: Branded as “interest-free loans,” buy now, pay later services require you to download an app, link a bank account or debit or credit card, and sign up to pay in weekly or monthly installments. Some companies, such as Klarna and Afterpay, do soft credit checks, which aren't reported to credit bureaus, before approving borrowers. Most are approved in minutes. Scheduled payments are then automatically deducted from your account or charged to your card.
NEW YORK (AP) — Since the start of the pandemic, the option to “buy now, pay later” has skyrocketed in popularity, especially among young and low-income consumers who may not have ready access to traditional credit.
If you shop online for clothes or furniture, sneakers or concert tickets, you've seen the option at checkout to break the cost into smaller installments over time. Companies like Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and Paypal all offer the service, with Apple due to enter the market later this year.
Q: How does buy now, pay later work?
Q: Are my purchases protected?
Answer: In the U.S., buy now, pay later services are not currently covered by the Truth in Lending Act, which regulates credit cards and other types of loans (those paid back in more than four installments).
That means you could find it more difficult to settle disputes with merchants, return items, or get your money back in cases of fraud. Companies can offer protections, but they don't have to.
Q: What are the other risks?
Answer: Because there's no centralized reporting of buy now, pay later purchases, those debts won't necessarily appear on your credit profile with major credit rating agencies.
That means more companies may let you buy more items, even if you can't afford them, because the lenders don't know how many loans you have set up with other companies.
Q: Why do retailers offer buy now, pay later?
Answer: Retailers accept the backend fees of buy now, pay later services because the products increase cart sizes. When shoppers are given the option to pay off purchases in installments, they're more likely to buy more goods in one go.
When Apple recently announced it will be creating its own buy now, pay later service, Josiah Herndon, 23, joked on Twitter about “paying off 6 carts of (things) I can’t afford with Apple, Klarna, Afterpay, PayPal Pay in 4, Shop Pay in 4, & Affirm.”
Q: Who should use buy now, pay later?
Answer: If you have the ability to make all payments on time, buy now, pay later loans are a relatively healthy, interest-free form of consumer credit.
“If (the loans) work as promised, and if people can avoid late fees and don’t have trouble managing their finances, they have a place,” said Saunders, of the National Consumer Law Center.
Q: How will economic instability affect buy now, pay later?
Answer: As the cost of living increases, some shoppers have started breaking up payments on essentials, rather than just big-ticket items like electronics or designer clothes. A poll by Morning Consult released this week found 15% of buy now, pay later customers are using the service for routine purchases, such as groceries and gas, sounding alarm bells among financial advisors.
Hicks points to the rising number of delinquent payments as a sign that buy now, pay later could already be contributing to unmanageable debt for consumers. A July report from the Fitch ratings agency found delinquencies on the apps increased sharply in the 12 months that ended March 31, to as high as 4.1% for Afterpay, while credit card delinquencies held relatively steady at 1.4%.
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