The retail markets are still changing. Both the recession and inflation are accelerating. Implying that shoppers are confronting rising living expenses. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is a type of flexible point-of-sale (POS) financing that gives customers the option to pay for specific items over time in smaller installments or in one lump sum. The point-of-sale financing option known as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) has gained popularity in recent ye
ars, particularly among younger generations.
BNPL is a short-term financing option that lets a customer pay for a product or service over a longer period of time in multiple, often interest-free installments.
BNPL has contributed to the category’s popularity by providing a compelling value proposition to all three key stakeholders in a transaction: the consumer, the merchant, and the BNPL lender.
The emerging technology’s key risks are typically cited by BNPL critics as a lack of regulation and a possible false sense of financial security for customers.
Credit card vs BNPL
Customers have been slowly moving away from the dominance of traditional credit cards since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with factors such as high-interest rates, declining credit limits, and poorly implemented rewards programs exacerbating the problem. The advantages of Buy Now, Pay Later include the following: Pros Convenient way to pay for purchases over time Frequently no interest or lower interest rates than credit cards Good credit/high credit score not necessary to qualify Fast approval Cons Payments can be hard to track Missing or late payments.
The following are the benefits and drawbacks of Buy Now, Pay Later:
- A quick and easy way to pay for things over time.
- Much of the time, there is no revenue or lower financing costs than with Visas.
- It is not necessary to have good credit or a high credit score to qualify.
Drawbacks
- Monitoring payments can be challenging.
- Payments that are late or missed cost money and can hurt your credit score.
- No prizes or money back procured on buys.
Alternative payment options, such as Buy Now, Pay Later, can benefit from the decline of credit cards.
However, retailers’ use of the buy now, pay later strategy is relatively new. Merchants who see the value in incorporating new consumer financing options into their business model can actually accomplish this fairly easily, despite the fact that it may appear to be a difficult task.
