How ‘Purchase Now, Pay Later’ Actually Works

Cash is tight nowadays. Vacation procuring, ballooning inflation, and a looming recession have pressured folks to extra fastidiously take into account their funds. These elements may assist clarify the explosion of “purchase now, pay later” providers. BNPL plans provided by firms like Affirm, AfterPay, and Klarna allow you to unfold the price of a purchase order—something from a Peloton bike to a basket of groceries—over a number of installments, with out the charges or rates of interest of most bank cards. In fact, free cash at all times comes with a catch.

Content material

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This week on Gadget Lab, we dig into the purchase now, pay later phenomenon and what it means for the way forward for procuring.

Present Notes

Learn Lauren’s interview with Max Levchin. Try extra of WIRED’s reporting about purchase now, pay later applications. Observe our protection of all issues ecommerce.

Suggestions

Michael Calore is @snackfight. Lauren is @LaurenGoode. Bling the primary hotline at @GadgetLab. The present is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Photo voltaic Keys.

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