Gone are the days of layaway. The years of waiting to pay off an item before bringing it home are over. Consumers can now use various "buy now, pay later" apps to purchase their desired products for only one down payment, completing the remaining payments over time while using the product. While this concept might still feel new, it's been around for a while. Home-shopping TV channels, like QVC and HSN [1], have had options to pay for items over time for several years. The caveat? You could only break up your payments at those home-shopping channels.
Now, with the buy now, pay later options available across retailers, free and downloadable buy now, pay later apps make it easy to spread out your payments. Here's an initial look at seven of the best apps, all of which you can access on desktop or mobile.
- Affirm [2]
- Afterpay [3]
- Klarna [4]
- PayPal Pay in 4 [5]
- Sezzle [6]
- Shop Pay [7]
- Zip, previously Quadpay [8]
With such a variety of options, it might be hard to know which one(s) best suit your shopping habits. To help you decide on the best buy now, pay later app for you, we've detailed answers to the following common questions ahead:
- How many payments are offered using the app?
- Will signing up impact your credit score?
- Does the app charge interest?
- What's the minimum and maximum purchase needed to use the app?
- How do you sign up for an account?
- How do you shop using the app?
- What are the perks of using the app?
Affirm
How many payments? 4+
Will signing up impact your credit score [10]? No
Does Affirm Charge Interest? Yes, for (three, six, or 12) monthly payment purchases. No, for four bi-weekly payment options.
Minimum and maximum purchase needed to use Affirm: $0 - $17,500 [11]
How to Shop Using Affirm
- In the app: Search for the store you want to shop at. If Affirm is available with the store, you can shop in the app, then click "pay with Affirm" at the bottom of the window. The app will help you check out and offer payment plan options.
- On a store's website: If Affirm is available on your favorite site, you might see the Affirm logo under any selected item. If you don't see the logo, test the checkout process (with a random item) until the website asks you for payment. Under the provided payment options, Affirm will be listed if the store offers it. If so, you'll be prompted to log into your Affirm account and complete the checkout process with Affirm's payment options (four bi-weekly payments or three, six, or 12 monthly payments with interest).
Perks of Using Affirm
- You can pay by debit card, credit card (with select purchases) [12], your checking account, and with a check in the mail.
- You can create a "one-time card" for large, in-store purchases [13], if approved by Affirm for the amount. This way, you can pay over time through Affirm, but take home your items the same day you purchase them in the store.
- On the app, you can use a four-digit pin or face-ID to log in.
- Any interest you're charged will be shown and explained to you before you complete your purchase via prompts.
Afterpay
How many payments? 4
Will signing up impact your credit score? No
Does Afterpay charge interest? No
Minimum and maximum purchase needed to use Afterpay: It depends on the store [14].
How to Shop Using Afterpay
- In the app: Search for the store you want to shop at. If Afterpay is available with the store, you can shop directly in the app. When you're ready to check out, select the Afterpay option from the list of payment methods. The app will help you check out and detail how much you'll pay for your first of four bi-weekly payments.
- On a store's website: If Afterpay is available on your favorite website, you might see the Afterpay logo under any selected item. If you don't see the logo, test the checkout process (with a random item) until the store asks you for payment. Under the provided payment options, Afterpay will be listed if the store offers it. If Afterpay is available, you'll be prompted to log into your account, complete the checkout process, and pay the first of four bi-weekly payments.
Perks of Using Afterpay
- There's no hard or soft credit check to open an account.
- You can create a digital card (for Apple Wallet or Google Pay) that you can use to break up your payments if you're shopping in-store.
Klarna
How many payments? 4
Will signing up impact your credit score? No
Does Klarna charge interest? No
Minimum and maximum purchase needed to use Klarna: $10+ [15]
How to Shop Using Klarna
- In the app: Search for the brand you want to shop from. When you're ready to check out, select the Klarna option in the list of payment methods. If you don't see Klarna listed, tap the "Pay K" button at the bottom of the window, then follow the prompts to check out using Klarna's four bi-weekly payments option.
- On a store's website: If Klarna is available to use with a brand, you might see the logo under any selected item on that brand's website. If you don't see the logo, test the checkout process (with a random item) until you're prompted for payment. Under payment options, Klarna will be listed if the store offers it. If Klarna is offered, you'll be asked to log into your account, complete the checkout process, and pay the first of four bi-weekly payments. If not, you can create a "one-time card" [16] in the app to then use to shop online.
Perks of Using Klarna
- Klarna doesn't trigger a hard or soft credit check to open an account.
- You can sync your email (Gmail, Outlook, and, soon, Yahoo) to Klarna to track your packages.
PayPal Pay in 4
How many payments? 4
Will signing up impact your credit score? No [17]
Does PayPal Pay in 4 charge interest? No
Minimum and maximum purchase needed to use PayPal Pay in 4: $30 - $1,500 [18]
How to Shop Using PayPal
- In the app: Search for the store you want to shop at. If the store is affiliated with PayPal, you can shop in the app and select PayPal upon checkout. From there, scroll down until you see the PayPal Pay in 4 option.
- On a store's website: If you are unsure if PayPal is available on the website you're looking to shop on, test the checkout process (with a random item) until the store asks you for payment. Under payment options, PayPal will be listed if the store offers it as an option. If that's the case, you'll be prompted to log in to your account. Once the PayPal window appears, scroll toward the bottom and select the PayPal Pay in 4 option. Then, choose the card you'd like to use (you cannot use your PayPal balance) to complete the first of four bi-weekly payments.
Perks of Using PayPal Pay in 4
- There isn't a hard or soft credit check required to open an account.
- You can sync your PayPal account to Messenger to get notifications when you've made an automatic payment. [19]
Sezzle
How many payments? 4
Will signing up impact your credit score? No [20]
Does Sezzle charge interest? No [21]
Minimum and maximum purchase needed to use Sezzle: The required minimum purchase [22] depends on the retailer, and the maximum purchase [23] depends on your Sezzle spending limit.
How to Shop Using Sezzle
- In the app: Start by searching for the store you want to shop at. If Sezzle is an available option with the store, you can shop in the app. When you're ready to check out, select the Sezzle option in the provided list of payment methods. The app will guide you through checkout and detail how much you'll pay for your first of four bi-weekly payments.
- On a store's website: If Sezzle is available on your favorite site, you might see the logo displayed under selected items. If you don't see the logo, test the checkout process (with a random item) up until the store asks you for payment. Sezzle will be listed under the payment options if the store offers it. If Sezzle is offered, you'll be prompted to log in to your account and complete the checkout process with the first of four bi-weekly payments.
Perks of Using Sezzle
- Similar to Afterpay, you can set up a virtual card to use for in-store purchases.
- There's no hard credit check [24] to purchase items using Sezzle within your limit, although there is a soft credit check to purchase.
Shop Pay
How many payments? 4
Will signing up impact your credit score? No
Does Shop Pay charge interest? No
Minimum and maximum purchase needed to use Shop Pay: $50 - $3,000 [25]
How to Shop Using Shop Pay
- In the app: Search for the store you want to shop at. If Shop Pay is available with the store, you can shop in the app. When you're ready to check out, select Shop Pay from the provided payment methods. The app will then take you through checkout and detail how much you'll pay for your first of four bi-weekly payments.
- On a store's website: If Shop Pay is available with a brand, you might see the logo under selected items on the brand's website. If you don't see the logo, test the checkout process (with a random item). When you go to check out, select the "Shop Pay" button. If your online browser recognizes you, it will send a code to your phone. Enter the code on your computer to get to the Shop Pay checkout page, and select the option to pay in four payments. If your browser does not recognize you, you'll be prompted to log in to your Shop Pay account, and then, you can select the four-payment option.
Perks of Using Shop Pay
- You can track any package (whether you used Shop Pay or not) by either adding the tracking number or syncing your email (Gmail or Outlook) to the app.
- Since it's run by Shopify [26], a range of stores in the US offer this option upon checkout with a qualifying purchase.
- There are no late fees.
Zip Pay, previously Quadpay
How many payments? 4
Will signing up impact your credit score? No
Does Zip Pay charge interest? No [27].
Minimum and maximum purchase needed to use Zip Pay: No, but if you do not pay the balance on time [28], you will be charged a fee.
How to Shop Using Zip Pay
- In the app: Search for your preferred store to shop at. When you're ready to check out, select the "pay with zip" option at the bottom of the window. You'll be prompted to set up a "one-time card" to use at the store. Then, the app will continue with the checkout process and detail how much you'll pay for your first of four bi-weekly payments.
- On a store's website: If Zip Pay is available with a website, you might see the Zip Pay logo under items on the site. If you don't see the logo, test the checkout process (with a random item) until you reach the payment screen. Under payment options, Zip Pay will be listed if it's available. After choosing it, you'll be prompted to log in to your account and complete the checkout process, then pay the first of four bi-weekly payments.
Perks of Using Zip Pay
- There isn't a hard credit check with Zip Pay. A soft credit check is run [29] when you apply for an account.
- You can create a digital card (for Apple Wallet or Google Pay) that you can use to break up your payments in-store.
Best Buy Now, Pay Later Apps
Remember, all of these buy now, pay later apps are free to download and use (no membership fees required). So choose what works best for you, and have fun shopping.