pull down to refresh

Burritos on a payment plan, explained.
You’ve probably noticed it by now: You’re shopping online for some makeup or a new pair of running shoes or a water table for your toddler, and when you go to check out, you have a new option — why not break up the cost into four payments, made over time?
US consumers, especially Gen Z and millennial ones, have been embracing “buy now, pay later” services like Klarna and Afterpay with gusto the last few years. It’s not hard to see the attraction: Unlike a credit card, most BNPL plans don’t carry interest, and they generally don’t impact your credit score (though that is now changing).
On social media people tout BNPL as a way to buy stuff you want but don’t have the cash for right then — or maybe ever. And that’s starting to show up in the data: Leading BNPL company Klarna — which recently partnered with the food delivery service DoorDash, spawning a thousand memes — saw its net losses from consumers not paying their loans more than double in the first quarter of this year.
People talk so much about the plight of Gen Z, but I actually know quite a few Gen Z from serving on college ministry in my church. I can't say I know 100% all their financial situations, but the stereotypes you read about in the media don't seem to ring true for me, so I'm wondering who are the Gen Z that these articles talk about. I certainly don't know anyone who uses BNPL.
reply
BNPL is going to absolutely wreck a generation
reply
I'd say people are going to wreck the generation, not the tool!
reply