What is buy now pay later?
Buy now pay later concept is exactly what they say – you get the chance to buy a product without having to pay for it until a later date. Known as point of sale credit, some give you 30 days to pay while others allow you to up to 1 year.
Make your payment on time
Because of how buy now pay later works it can become very expensive and a burdenif you don’t make your payments on time.
If you don’t clear your debt before the delayed period is up, some providers will ask for a settlement fee or a penalty sum of interest may be added to the debt.
In addition, you may have to pay late payment fees too, not paid payments could also be registered on your credit card report and affect your score (credit score). Be sure you set reminders and alarms to make sure you paid the debt before they send a new interest.
How much cost buy now pay later?
If you return back the price of what you bought within the delay period you will not pay any interest. That’s because these periods are usually interest-free. If you use it carefully you could delay paying for something for several months, or even a year, and not pay a dime interest. Many of the big firms won’t charge you any interest if you clear your balance before your delay period is up – even if you only pay the day before.
How credit score is affected?
It is a form of credit so how you use it can have an impact on your credit score. You are effectively borrowing the price of the item for the length of the delay period. If you use it responsibly and make your repayments on time then it shouldn’t have a impact on the credit score. That’s because when you use credit effectively, you are showing lenders that you are a reliable borrower.
If you skip a payment or miss what you owe when the time comes, it can be noted on your credit report. That mark could then stay on your credit record for six years, lowering your credit score. You can find out more in our guide to what affects your credit score.
This means that when you apply for a loan, credit card or mortgage in the future how you used buy now pay later could affect whether your application is approved.
Applying for lots of deals could also be bad news for your credit score. If the company does a hard search of your credit report when you apply for buy now pay later it will show on your credit report to other lenders. Lots of these searches worry lenders when they check your credit report as it looks like you are desperate for credit.
PayPal joins the ‘buy now, pay later’
PayPal today introduced a new installment credit option for PayPal users called “Pay in 4.” The name itself explains what the service offers — basically, it’s the ability for customers to pay for purchases, interest-free, over four separate payments. The service is an expansion on PayPal’s existing lineup of Pay Later solutions, which also includes PayPal Credit’s revolving credit line and its Easy Payments.
With Pay in 4, customers can choose to pay for purchases between $30 and $600 over a six-week period. Because it’s included with the merchant’s existing PayPal pricing, they won’t have to pay more fees to offer the option to their customers — as they do with several competitive “buy now, pay later” services.
For customers, the short-term payment option allows U.S. customers to pay for a purchase over time, without fees or interest. After their initial payment, the remaining three payments are automated. The feature will also appear in the customer’s PayPal wallet, where the payments can be managed.
Why I am denied to buy now pay later?
Because of how buy now pay later works it is a form of credit – you are being lent the price of the item. That means it providers may check your credit score before deciding whether to approve your application.
If you have a bad credit score you are likely to be refused credit. Discover more with our guide to why companies refuse credit applications.
It is well worth checking your credit score before you apply for buy now pay later to see if there are any problems you can fix to improve your score.
Alternatives to buy now pay later?
Used correctly buy now pay later can be a convenient way to purchase an item without having to part with your cash for a while. But there are other ways you could do this.
For example, you can apply for a credit card with an interest-free deal on purchases and spread the cost of paying for items over several years without paying a penny in interest. The advantage of a credit card over buy now pay later is it can be used in most stores so you can spread the cost of several items rather than just one.