Buy Now, Pay Later

Pay In Installments Online Shopping Plans That You Should Try in 2023!

Large amount of purchases often seem more convenient, if you are allowed to pay in installments. That is the reason that buy now pay later no credit check apps and websites continue to gain popularity over time. Pay in installments online shopping plans let you split the purchase payment without any additional fees such as interest charges!

What Will We Talk About Here?
  • Pay in installments online shopping plans lets you divide the cost of the purchase over months to make it easier to pay.
  • Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm, and Sezzle are the leading buy now pay later services in the market.
  • In order to choose the best BNPL scheme make sure it is accepted at multiple stores, offers high credit limit, reports to credit bureaus, etc.

…and Much More!

Pay In Installments Online Shopping – Find Your Best Options?

There are many installments plan floating in the market, that you can carefully use to make your shopping experience convenient. These are mostly free of interest and do not charge additional fees as long as you make the payments on time.

Since there are so many options to consider, here are some of leading brand names that you should go through.

Klarna

As number of stores taking Klarna continue to expand, this method of payment in installments has become particularly famous for large purchases. It offers up to 36 months of financing and does not impact your credit score in any way. You can even apply for it with a poor credit score.

The most famous payment option with Klarna is to divide your purchases into 4 equal payments. You have to pay the first one at the time of the purchase the remaining 3 at a two week interval. Luckily, there are no interest charges or hidden fees with Klarna.

Alternatively, you can also choose to pay in full within a month with $0 interest. The last option is to take up financing for up to 36 months. This category is famous with buyers who have made a large purchase.

You might be interested in reading: Does Amazon Take Klarna?

Pros

  • You only have to provide card numbers once.
  • Its app has enhanced security features.
  • There are no interest charges.
  • There are no late fees as long as you make the payment on time.
  • You can also earn rewards if you sign up with Vibe loyalty program.
  • Buyers can use Klarna wherever credit cards are accepted.

Cons

  • You have to go through approval process every time you make a purchase.

Affirm

Affirm is often considered to be the best BNPL service available in the market. It does not change any interest, there are no late fees, and it does not run a credit check either.

The repayment schedules are flexible with the choice to pay within 3, 6 , 12 months without any additional fees. All the terms would be disclosed to you at the time of the purchase. The best part is that a number of retailers now accept Affirm mode of payment. You are also allowed to link a virtual credit card online for payment in store as well as over websites.

Pros

  • Affirm does not charge any late fees.
  • You can get financing of up to $17,500 which is highest as compared to other options in the market.
  • You can use Affirm for online as well as in-store payments.
  • Buyers are allowed to choose payment schedules from multiple options.

Cons

Sezzle

You can also avail of flexible payments with Sezzle and even utilize an additional feature here: the ability to reschedule payments according to your needs and ease.

Buyers do need to make a 25% downpayment here in the form of first installment after which they will have access to the items that they purchased. As for the remaining payments, you can complete them timely every month or have the re-scheduled for up to two weeks later.

Pros

  • There are no interest charges on purchases.
  • If you choose to reschedule the order, it is free for the first timers.
  • You can re-schedule upcoming payments without any additional charges.
  • Buyers are also allowed to move payment date up to 2 weeks later than original date.

Cons

  • It is compulsary to pay 25% down-payment at the time of purchase.
  • You have to select the option of re-scheduling beforehand or you can not avail this feature.

Afterpay

Customers often rely on Afterpay for smaller credit limits. Although it may not be a go-to option for larger purchases, Afterpay can save you from over-spending by only allowing access to limited funds at a time.

You can use AfterPay online to make purchases with no additional charges and no interest rate. However, customers just have to wait for the company to give approval at the time of purchase.

It is more convenient to use Afterpay through its mobile app. You can connect a mobile wallet to transfer the payments timely after every 2 weeks. This is also a smart way to avoid missing out on a due date and facing penalty fee, which is quite high.

You might be interested in reading: Why Isn’t Afterpay Available in my State?

Pros

  • It offers smart credit limit so you don’t over spend.
  • There are no additional fees as long as you pay on time.
  • Afterpay personally sends reminders or notifications about due dates.

Cons

  • The company has high rates of declining an order.
  • You may have to wait a long time for approval.
  • Afterpay has one of the highest late fees in the market i.e. up to 25% of payment amount.

PayPal Pay in 4

Again, Paypal is famous for small purchases. Typically, customers use PayPal Pay in 4 option to avail purchases of up to $30 to $1,500. However, in order to be eligible here, your account must be in good standing. You can link credit card, debit card or bank account to cater to repayments.

The first payment is made at the time of the purchase and you have to make the other three payment every two weeks thereafter. Also note that there are certain states in the US, such as Dakota, Mexico, etc. that do not support PayPal use yet.

Pros

  • The brand is trusted by many.
  • It supports local as well as international transfers and purchases.
  • All the payments you make here would be free of interested charges.
  • Millions of merchants and online stores take PayPal.
  • You can use it to pay at a gas station or buy gift cards online, etc.

Cons

  • PayPal is not available in all US states.
  • The maximum of a purchase that you can make with PayPal is $1,500.
  • You have to wait for approval every time you buy something.

Splitit

It is one of the best choices that you could opt for in the list of pay in installments online shopping plans with no credit check. It works with multiple credit cards, charges no interest, offers multiple payment plans, and there are no late fees either.

If a store support Splitit purchases, you would see the option at the checkout. Simple tap on it and choose how many installments you would pay. Note that there is no application process or requirement for registration.

Pros

  • There is no application process and you can get the financing right away.
  • There are no credit checks wither.
  • You don’t have to worry about approval processes.

Cons

  • This mode of payment only works with credit cards.
  • Splitit is not available with any of the Amex cards.
  • It can not help you improve credit score as it does not report to credit bureaus.

Perpay

Bad credit score? No problem! The BNPL that you should look into is Perpay. It does not run any credit check and you just need to verify your income to get access to considerable spending limit.

Some users have been lucky enough to get approved in as less as 60 seconds. The repayment protocol is same as any other service i.e. you have to pay 25% downpayment and then choose to complete the bill within 4, 8, 16, or 18 months.

Pros

  • There are multiple payment plans that you can choose from.
  • Buyers can opt for payment in 4, 8, 16 or even 18 months.
  • The spending limit can be increased but it majorly depends on your income.
  • Perpay does not check credit history so you can apply with a poor credit score as well.

Cons

  • There are not many stores that accept Perpay.
  • You have to complete payments via payroll direct deposits.
  • It is a must to clear first payment in order to get your items.

Amazon

Amazon is a name well known to everyone. It is famous for large purchases and therefore, the feature to pay in installments here is quite commendable.

You can choose to buy now pay later for the purchases here but there is no set protocol for the items that fall under this category. Typically, the payments here can be split into 5, due every 30 days. However, you can choose to pay in full any time during the repayment periods.

You might be interested in reading: Amazon Monthly Payment Guide.

Pros

  • The procedure of use is completely hassle free.
  • The registration should not take more than 2 minutes.

Cons

  • Clients have pointed out trouble in getting refund.
  • Interest rates are high as compared to other options.

Zebit

Another interesting option, Zebit, lets you use a credit limit of up to $2,500. You can split the payments over a period of 6 months. Moreover, there are no interest charges and no penalty fees for paying late.

What really stands out about Zebit is it is one of the few BNPLs that has been reviewed very positively over the internet by its current users

Pros

  • It offers reasonable spending limit.
  • There are no late fees.
  • There are no interest charges.
  • You can avail of payment plan up to 6 months.

Cons

  • Plans through Zebit do not cover shipping fees.
  • There is no option to return a product or get a refund.

Quadpay

As compared to other names mentioned here, Quadpay is relatively a small service. Therefore, the repayment plan it offers are also limited. You will be charges late fee of up to $10 and this can be recurrent if you are continuously late with payments.

Pros

  • Quadpay fees are lower as compared to other options.
  • The payments are deducted automatically which reduces the chances of missing out on a due date.
  • The approval chances for installment plan with quadpay are quite high.

Cons

  • Some people have reported trouble in connecting their credit cards with Quadpay app.

Extra Reading

How To Choose The Right App For Pay in Installments Online Shopping

There are multiple factors that you have to keep in mind when choosing the best buy now pay later app for your purchase. First of all, experts suggest that you should go for the one that can help you improve credit scores.

  • There are BNPL services that report to credit bureaus and therefore, can help boost the look of your credit report with punctual re-payments.

Moreover, you have to look into the number of stores that accept the buy now pay later scheme that you are signing up with. Some of the options are not yet popular with majority of the stores. It can be troublesome to use them and you will end up opening multiple accounts which can get confusing and expensive.

It is also important to note and compare the interest charges and late fees that you will pay with a particular BNPL. Some platforms, like Affirm, do not have any late fees. Others may charge high interest on each subsequent payment.

Attention! BNPL apps also differ in the amount of credit limit that they offer. Although we would not encourage that you always go for the one with higher limits, it is important to choose the app that can cater to certain large purchases.

Buy Now Pay Later Apps vs Credit Cards

You might be wondering that a comparison between Buy now pay later scheme and credit card would not make sense. Although the two tool work differently, they offer the same relief to their users i.e. the ability to make purchases affordable when they are tight on budget.

  • BNPLs do this by dividing the cost over time and credit cards achieve the same goal by offering you a short-term loan from the bank in form of credit limit.

Credit cards are a wiser choice when you are looking into special discounts. Some of them are also specifically designed to let you avail of cash back and other credit card rewards such as travel points, bonuses, etc.

Note! Buy now pay later is a more reliable check when you wish to avoid a credit check and get financing help with a poor credit score.

The number of credit card available to those with a poor credit score are, first of all, limited, and, secondly, quite expensive. On the other hand, there are multiple BNPLs that offer bad credit financing with laptops, computer, iPhone and many other items.

The Bottom Line

Pay in installments online shopping is getting popular amongst customers with every passing day. Not only does it make it convenient for them to afford large purchases but also help them structure their spending in a better manner.

The most popular options here are Affirm, Klarna and Quadpay. These are quite in when it comes to online shopping with minimal extra fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the spots that will allow me to buy now and pay later?

There are a majority of locations that now allow you to buy now and pay later. Some of the leading BNPLs include Target, Amazon, and Walmart. Moreover, you can download their apps as well as do online shopping with pay in installment plans as well.

Can I buy in installments on Amazon?

Yes, you can pay in installments for the products you buy at Amazon. The details of the installment plans are available on the official website.

What are some alternatives to Klarna?

You can use payment plans like Affirm, Sezzle, Afterpay, or Quadpay in place of Klarna.

Do you need a good credit score to avail of BNPL offers?

Most buy now pay later apps do not run a credit check. They also do not report to credit bureaus so, in a nutshell, you can avail of them with a poor credit score as well.

Will BNPL help me build credit score?

There are only a few pay-in-installment plans that report to credit bureaus. Therefore, only these can help you improve credit score over time, that too if you are responsible with credit limit use. Other short-term buy now pay later programs do not create history, do not report to credit bureaus, and therefore, can not help you boost credit score.