Top Buy Now Pay Later Apps of 2024
March 16, 2024, 7 min read
Buy Now Pay Later, often known as BNPL, is a buying arrangement between a seller and buyer that allows the buyer to acquire the products or services instantly but make a down payment and subsequent monthly payments over the course of a predetermined schedule for repayment. At the time of purchase, the buyer will make a payment equal to the first installment as a down payment, and the remaining balance will be divided into equal monthly payments.
Purchases made with the terms “buy now, pay later” can occur directly between the seller and the purchaser. Still, in most instances, a third-party payment platform mediates the transaction and makes the loan possible.
On the one hand, the platform gives merchants the ability to sell their wares and services to customers on their own, while on the other, it can collaborate with other lenders, like banks, that provide loans to customers. In this scenario, the merchant or the seller is paid in advance and the total from the loan is provided to the buyer by a third party. In most circumstances, this occurs.
Most Popular BNPL Apps
Forget bulky credit cards, BNPL apps are taking over! These services let you split your purchases into smaller installments, often interest-free.
Affirm provides a comprehensive selection of BNPL plans, including the conventional pay-in-four plan and monthly payment plans. Amazon, Walmart, Pottery Barn, and Best Buy are among the big shops with which it has partnered.
The best way to increase your chances of being approved is to let Affirm run a “soft” check on your credit, which won’t negatively impact your score. It is possible that your prior payment history with Affirm, the length of time you’ve had an Affirm account, any outstanding Affirm loans, your credit utilisation, current obligations and income, and any previous bankruptcies will also be taken into consideration.
Affirm gives customers the option to pay for their purchases over the course of four equal installments. These payments are due every two weeks, beginning with the first payment being due after the customer completes their purchase. In addition to that, it offers payment options that span three, six, and twelve months. There is the potential for even longer terms, up to and including 60 months.
The pay-in-four plan offered by Affirm does not incur any interest costs. Annual percentage rates, also known as APRs, for Affirm’s monthly plans ranging from 0% all the way up to 36%.
Affirm does not impose any fees on its users, including those associated with late or missed payments.
Users can pay for purchases using a pay-in-four or monthly plan using Afterpay. Retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Old Navy, Nordstrom, and Gap are among its partners in this industry.
Afterpay may run a light credit check on first-time users to determine eligibility for the service. Afterpay may, as part of its approval process, assess whether or not there are adequate funds on your debit or credit card, how long you’ve been using Afterpay, the purchase amount, and whether or not you have other loans with Afterpay that are still outstanding.
Afterpay provides a variety of payment schedules, including a pay-in-four payment plan and monthly payment plans of either six or twelve months.
Afterpay’s pay-in-four plan does not incur any interest charges because the company does not charge interest. The annual percentage rates for its various monthly plans range from 0% to 35.99%.
Afterpay does not charge you any fees if you make your payments on time. In the event that you are late with a payment, you will be subject to a late fee of up to $8 if the payment is not received within 10 calendar days of the date it was originally due.
Apple has a payment plan called “Pay in Four” that may be used at any retailer that accepts Apple Pay either online or via an app. Within Apple Wallet, users have the ability to apply Apple Pay Later.
Apple will perform a limited credit check as part of the application process, but it will not affect your score. Apple has not disclosed any further requirements for approval.
Apple gives customers the option to pay for their purchases over the course of four equal installments through the company’s “pay-in-four” payment plan.
Apple’s Pay Later service does not accrue interest; the company never has and never will.
Apple does not impose any fees, and this includes not charging a penalty for payments that are made late.
Klarna provides users with several payment plan alternatives from which to select, including a pay-in-four plan and monthly financing choices. A variety of prominent retailers now accept Klarna payments, including Macy’s, Etsy, Foot Locker, and Sephora.
How to Get Approved: Klarna will Perform a Soft Credit Pull Klarna will perform a soft credit pull. Your history with Klarna, the purchase quantity, and the available cash in your bank account are considered when making approval decisions.
The pay-in-four plan offered by Klarna divides the total purchase cost into four equal installments throughout its payment schedule. Customers can pay for their purchases using the Pay in 30 option up to 30 days after the ordered item has been sent. Klarna also offers a monthly finance option and the durations for this option range from six months to two years.
No interest is charged for either the Pay in 30 plan or the Pay in 4 plan offered by Klarna. The annual percentage rates for Klarna’s monthly payment plans range from 0% to 29.99%.
Klarna has the right to assess a late fee of up to $7 for over ten days overdue payments.
Both a pay-in-four plan and monthly payment options are available through PayPal. You can use PayPal to buy now and pay later for items at merchants such as Dillard’s, Target, GameStop, and Home Depot, whether shopping online or through the mobile app offered by PayPal.
The approval process for PayPal’s Pay in 4 plan includes a light examination of the applicant’s credit history. When you apply for monthly financing, it can make a rigorous inquiry into your credit history. Your application, the history of your accounts with PayPal, and the information provided by the credit bureaus are all considered throughout the approval process.
The Pay in 4 plan from PayPal allows you to spread the cost of your purchase out over the course of four equal payments. In addition, PayPal provides a monthly payment plan for six, twelve, or twenty-four months.
Pay in 4 is a payment plan offered by PayPal that does not incur interest charges. APRs ranging from 9.99% to 29.99% may be applied to its monthly payment plan.
PayPal does not assess any fees, including those for payments that are received after the deadline.
The pay-in-four option is available to customers shopping in-store and online at thousands of businesses, including Target, which accepts Sezzle payments.
The way to get accepted is for Sezzle to perform a “soft credit check,” which does not impact your credit score. When setting your spending limit, it will also consider any history you may have had with Sezzle in the past.
Payment schedule: The pay-in-four payment plan is offered by Sezzle. Your purchase will be broken up into four equal payments, each of which is due two weeks after the previous payment, with the first payment being due when you check out.
Interest: The pay-in-four plan Sezzle offers does not incur any interest charges.
Fees: Sezzle does not impose late fees; however, if you miss a payment by more than 48 hours, your account will be deactivated, and you will be required to pay a reactivation cost of up to $15 before you will be able to use Sezzle again. After your initial payment, Sezzle may assess a fee of up to $5 if you want to pay for subsequent payments with a debit or credit card.
Anywhere in the world can sign up for the pay-in-four plan Zip offers. When you download Zip’s mobile app, Visa is one of the accepted payment methods. Additionally, it has direct partnerships with a number of businesses, such as Sears and Best Buy.
The application process for Zip involves only a light review of your credit history. Beyond that, the corporation does not disclose to the general public how it chooses which consumers to accept. It is likely going to rely on whether or not there are adequate money available on your debit or credit card, as well as your history with Zip and the price of the item you want to buy.
The pay-in-four model is the one that is utilised by Zip for its payment schedule. Your purchase will be broken up into four equal payments, each of which is payable every two weeks beginning with the first payment due when you check out.
You will be charged an interest-based installment fee when you use Zip’s pay-in-four plan. This price, which is essentially interest, can run anywhere from $4 to $6, depending on the total purchase amount.
Zip levies a late payment fee of $5, $7, or $10, depending on the state where the customer resides, for any missed payments.
Conclusion
We compared different BNPL services to determine the top purchase now, pay later apps for a wide range of consumer needs. We evaluated various aspects, including how simple it is to make a purchase, how much it costs, whether or not a credit check is performed, and how payments are handled. Each sort of customer was given a score and weight for these data points based on their relative value. To ensure that our rankings and suggestions are always up-to-date and correct, we closely track data from BNPL services.
Sources: nerdwallet, investopedia
