Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Buy now, pay later 'growing fast' amid debt fears

Buy now, pay later 'growing fast' amid debt fears

Buy now, pay later services for online shoppers are growing at 39% a year, a report says, despite worries that young consumers are sleepwalking into debt.

Operators such as Klarna and Afterpay allow customers to delay payment or buy through interest-free instalments.

Convenience and the ease to make snap purchases are behind their popularity, according to the report by payment processors Worldpay.

But consumer groups say many young people are ignoring the debt risks.

Klarna has announced that seven million people have used its services in the UK, twice as many as a year ago.

Among them was Crystle Pearce, who bought a Peloton stationary exercise bike on Klarna after going into the store and asking about her credit options.

"I do not have £2,000 to drop on a spinning bike. It is definitely a luxury, so you have to make sure, before you sign the piece of paper, that you will be able to pay it back," she told BBC 5 live's Wake Up to Money.

"If you can't, you will get yourself into so much debt. If you miss a payment, it completely affects everything. I would only recommend it to someone who is budget-savvy."


Snap buys

These debt warnings have been consistent during the rise of these "buy now, pay later" services, with consumer groups warning for some time about the dangers.

Caroline Siarkiewicz, chief executive of the Money and Pensions Service, said that falling behind on payments can affect access to borrowing in subsequent years.

"These schemes attract younger people and are pretty straightforward," she said last month. "But many are not thinking about the future enough before they sign up to take out these products."

Complaints service Resolver said it had received nearly 10,000 inquiries about the issue since it began recording them separately in September 2018.

However, the Worldpay report suggested that these services were set to double their market share of online purchases by 2023, compared with last year.

"Buy now, pay later delivers a more intuitive level of convenience and access for consumers than traditional credit cards," the report said.

"As digitally savvy Gen Z consumers come of age, this is especially significant as younger consumers are more used to making snap purchases and then deciding later if they want to keep it."

Its research suggested this was the fastest-growing online payment method in the UK, growing twice as quickly as bank transfers and more than three times the rate of annual growth in digital wallets.

However, it said digital wallets - mainly involving payment via a mobile phone - were popular in stores and would account for more than half of online payments by 2023.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×