Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)

What's the latest news on buy now pay later for September 2021?

The buy now pay later space is swiftly heating up with acquisitions, new competitors, and established players upping their offerings.

In the biggest news for this month, Afterpay will be acquired by Square for $29 billion. The app will be integrated into the Square Cash app, which includes a consumer app, and payments hardware and software used by merchants. It's unclear how this will affect Afterpay's current and new Australian customers just yet, but it's business as usual for now.

Citibank is entering the market with "Spot" in October. With Spot, you will be able to make interest-free purchases up to $1,000 and split them into 4 fortnightly repayments. You will also have the option to split purchases over $200 into 8 repayments for a fee of $10. You can use Spot anywhere Mastercard is available.

Afterpay and Zip have also made moves to offer financial management tools on their platforms. These tools can help you manage your finances and help control your spending. Afterpay will also be offering a savings account and debit card via Westpac, in addition to its financial management tool. Zip, meanwhile, will be integrating Pocketbook into its app. This will allow you to keep track of all your accounts, including bank, superannuation and investment accounts from a single app.

What is buy now pay later?

Buy now pay later is the term used to refer to interest-free credit providers. Many people are even cutting up their credit cards in favour of this potentially more attractive shopping solution.

These interest-free platforms allow you to spread the cost of purchases over time (usually about 8 weeks), rather than paying large amounts of money upfront for items that you want or need.

How does buy now pay later work?

Buy now pay later works in much the same way as the interest-free deals major retailers have offered for years by allowing you to delay paying on your purchases and spreading the cost over a longer period of time. The only difference is that you are effectively borrowing money from a third-party provider that is available in a range of different stores, as opposed to a single retail outlet.

It works in a similar way to lay-by, but instead of securing an item for later purchase, you receive your goods right away.

How to use buy now pay later

• Sign up with a provider. Sign up either online or in-store. You can usually get on-the-spot approval.
• Make your purchase. Some providers only work with partnered merchants, whereas others are accepted anywhere that takes credit cards.
• Pay back what you spend. Repayments are usually made in regular instalments and are automatically deducted from your nominated card. You need to make sure that you have sufficient funds available to be able to cover the repayment.

Do buy now pay later platforms conduct credit checks?

Most buy now pay later platforms usually perform something known as a "soft credit check". This means that they will confirm your details and check your credit records for bankruptcy or Part 9 Debt Agreements, but the check won't show up on your credit score (like a "hard credit check" would). If you have major defaults on your credit record, you might not be eligible.

Other interest-free platforms may not check your credit score. Therefore, it's up to you to be realistic about what you can and can't afford to pay back. While interest-free platforms don't affect your credit record when you sign up, they can report defaults to your credit reporting body, which will negatively affect your score. Depending on how many payments you miss, you may also have to pay legal fees if action is taken against you.

Compare buy now pay later providers in Australia

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What features are offered by buy now pay later platforms?

Each provider offers the following features with its buy now pay later service:

• Varying loan term. Loan terms vary greatly depending on the provider and the retailer. For small-value purchases, loan terms can be as little as a few weeks to up to six months. For larger purchases, you may not have to repay your purchases in full for up to two or more years.
• Variable purchasing power. Depending on the provider, you can receive purchases prior to payment costing as little as $35 up to as much as $30,000.
• Repayment frequency. Again, it varies depending on the provider. Line of credit products generally require monthly repayments, whereas merchant payment options are commonly paid back in four instalments.
• Convenience. All interest-free finance products can be applied for and approved in minutes at the point of sale or online.
• Paperless. The application process and loan management is done online, so you won't need to physically print or sign anything.
• Wide acceptance. Line of credit debit cards are accepted anywhere normal credit cards are accepted. The merchant payment option is only available at partner merchants. However, there are a number of businesses offering this payment option.
• Ongoing. Unlike a loan, line of credit products do not expire once you pay off your debt. You can keep the card and use it again when required.

What to do if you can't meet a repayment

If you can't meet a repayment, it's important that you contact the buy now pay later provider you used to make the purchase as soon as possible. Most providers will allow you to defer the repayment date by a week or two without penalty. However, some providers may charge you a late fee for a missed payment.

Missing the payment without contacting your provider beforehand could see you receiving a black mark on your credit file. This could impede your chances of applying for credit in the future. Therefore, it's never a good idea to bury your head in the sand if you think you're not going to be able to meet your next payment.

How to make the most out of buy now pay later

Our four expert tips and tricks for getting the most out of your buy now pay later service:

1. Know your rights

Your rights as a customer are likely to vary depending on which buy now pay later provider you are using. Therefore, it's a good idea to check the terms and conditions of your specific provider rigorously, prior to using their service. Generally, the below applies:

2. Try not to spend more than you need to

It can be easy when using a buy now pay later scheme to end up spending more than you were planning to. Try to avoid overspending by bearing in mind that while the cost of the payments may be spread out over a longer period, it is the same amount of money.

On top of this, you run the risk of being charged late fees if at any point you don't have enough money in your account to cover an outgoing charge. Take into account weeks that you know bills or other costs will be coming out of your account, and factor in the additional charge of the buy now pay layer payments. Ensure that you will have enough money in your account for every payment date. And if it looks like it may be unlikely, remove that last impulse purchase from your cart.

3. Set up payment alerts

As mentioned earlier, missing repayments can leave a mark on your credit report. And most buy now pay later providers take direct debit payments automatically. Therefore, if you forget a payment and there isn't enough money in your account, you could see your credit taking a dent. Avoid this by setting a reminder a few days before your repayment is due to leave your account.

This gives you time to make sure that the right amount of money is in there before the direct debit is taken. Or, if it's going to be impossible to have the cash in time, to contact the provider ahead of time to let them know. Often, providers will allow a repayment deferral of a week or more, free of charge, if they are notified in advance.

4. If you want to return an item, do so as soon as possible

To avoid paying for items you have changed your mind about, it's a good idea to make your returns as soon as possible. Ideally, you want to send or take items back before your next payment date. While most buy now pay later providers will refund you in full for returned purchases, it may take a few days for your refund to process. This means more time with less money in your account.

What should I consider before I apply?

While interest-free finance may be enticing and suitable in some cases, there are a number of factors to consider before using it:

• Fees. All line of credit providers charge some form of fee. Most fees are associated with cash withdrawals and missing repayments. Some charge a fee for every single transaction.
• Interest. Though most providers don't charge interest, interest might be charged after an initial interest-free period. Rates can be high, in some instances up to 29% p.a.
• Minimum repayments. The minimum repayments are unlikely to repay the loan within the interest-free period. If you do not make additional repayments you will be charged interest.
• Credit record entry. Interest-free products are still a type of personal loan and can be recorded on your credit history if you don't meet your repayments. Be cautious of overusing or not repaying these products.

It's important to compare a range of interest-free offers before signing up. You can also consider a credit card with a 0% p.a. introductory interest rate offer.

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