Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Buy Now Pay Later apps are one of the fastest growing payment methods in the US today. People love it because they can budget their purchases over time, while still getting what they need today rather than waiting.
Since many buy now pay later apps don’t charge interest, it can be an attractive way to get the goods you need now without costing yourself more money like a credit card would charge. As long as you make your payments as agreed, you know exactly what the purchase will cost you and most of the time, it’s only the cost of the purchase and nothing else.
Because of the popularity of these apps, we’ve rounded up the best buy now pay later apps on the market to help you decide which one is right for you, including Buy Now Pay Later apps that require no credit check.
In This Post:
- 1. Afterpay
- 2. Affirm
- 3. Klarna
- 4. Sezzle
- 5. Zip (Formerly Quadpay)
- Final Thoughts
- Popular Online Stores That Accept Afterpay in the U.S., Australia & NZ
- Online Stores That Accept Klarna To Buy Now, Pay Later
- Online Stores That Accept Zip (formerly QuadPay) To Buy Now, Pay Later
- Online Stores That Accept Affirm To Buy Now, Pay Later
- Online Stores That Accept Sezzle To Buy Now, Pay Later
1. Afterpay
Why we love it:
Afterpay is the Best Buy Now Pay Later App for Trendy brands for Fashion to Beauty & Shoes
Afterpay is the best buy now pay later app for trendy brands from fashion to beauty and shoes. It’s also great for consumers with less than perfect credit because Afterpay doesn’t check your credit (not even a soft credit pull) or report to the credit bureaus.
With Afterpay you buy now and pay for your purchase over 6 weeks, and they don’t charge interest. You can also use Afterpay to earn and purchase gift cards to your favorite retailers!
How it Works
If you’re approved for Afterpay, you can shop in-store or online. If you shop online, choose Afterpay as your payment method and log in, following the prompts. If you shop in-store, add your Afterpay card to your digital wallet and pay at the register using Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
You make your first installment payment at checkout and then make the remaining 3 payments over the next six weeks.
How to Apply
It’s easy to apply for Afterpay. Just download the app and complete the application. It takes just seconds, and you’ll know instantly if you’re approved. If you are, you can use your new payment method right away.
All you need is the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Email address
- Date of birth
- Credit card or debit card number to set up automatic payments
Features
Beside the fact that you can buy now pay later, Afterpay offers the following features:
- Get reminders of your spending limits
- Get increased spending limits with on-time payments
- Receive payment reminders so you don’t miss a payment
- Pay no fees if you make your payments on time and late fees are capped at 25%
- Get offers on the app to save money on purchases at your favorite stores
2. Affirm
Why we love it:
Affirm is the best buy now pay later app for big ticket purchases for home and hobbies
These are items you probably don’t buy often, but when you do, you need help affording them. Think of purchases like mattresses, bikes and fitness gear to sporting equipment – items you don’t buy often and that cost a lot when you do.
Affirm is a good option for these purchases because they offer longer terms to spread out your payments rather than the traditional pay in 4 payments model. Affirm is available at more than 29,000 retailers including the most popular stores.
How it Works
To use Affirm, you should first get pre-qualified. This will tell you what credit limit they’ll offer so you know what you can buy. You can use Affirm online or in-store. If you shop online, just choose Affirm as your payment method. If you shop in-store, request a virtual card from Affirm so you can pay from your digital wallet.
How to Apply
Affirm usually does a soft credit check to determine if you qualify when you pre-qualify. This doesn’t hurt your credit. Affirm also looks at your payment history with Affirm if you’ve used it before. If you made your payments on time, you’ll increase your chances of approval.
Features
Affirm offers many options to repay your balance, including the traditional pay in 4 model and options for longer terms for larger purchases. Each retailer has a different APR they charge, so always check with the retailer before deciding.
Other features Affirm offers includes:
- They charge no fees (except interest on longer term loans)
- Offers a browser extension to make it easy to shop online and see what you can afford
- You can use the Affirm app to make payments or set up autopay
- Doesn’t hurt your credit score
- No penalty for paying early
3. Klarna
Why we love it:
Klarna is the best buy now pay later app for earning rewards points
Klarna is the best buy now pay later app if you want to earn rewards. Klarna’s reward program is called Vibe and when you sign up and pay with Klarna, you earn one point for every dollar you spend. You even get a $5 welcome reward when you sign up and make your first purchase.
Klarna offers three payment options – the traditional pay in 4 model which requires payments every 2 weeks, a Pay in 30 option where you must pay for the purchase in full in 30 days or a loan term option with terms as long as 36 months.
How it Works
You can use Klarna to pay online or in-store. If you pay online, just select Klarna as your payment method and follow the prompts. You can also use Klarna’s ‘ghost card’ which gives you a unique number for single use to protect your information and avoid any hacking. It’s also a great way to pay at any retailer, even those that don’t accept Klarna.
The Klarna Ghost Card is like a prepaid card, but you pay 25% of the selected amount upfront and the remainder as agreed in your payment arrangement, such as pay in 4 installments.
How to Apply
To apply for Klarna, just download the app and create a new account. You’ll provide a little personal information to get started, and depending on the type of financing you choose, they may do a soft credit check.
If you are using the traditional pay in 4 payment method, they may not check your credit but if you’re taking a longer-term loan with monthly payments, they might.
You’ll get an answer instantly and can use your account right away.
Features
- Pay no interest with the pay in 4 payment model
- Monthly payment plans have interest from 0% – 24% depending on your qualifying factors
- Get a single-use ghost card to protect your information
- Earn rewards for every purchase you make with Klarna using Vibe
4. Sezzle
Why we love it:
Sezzle is the best buy now pay later app for shopping small indie businesses
Sezzle is best used when shopping small. They offer the traditional pay in 4 installment plan that stretches your payments out over 6 weeks. It works at almost 50,000 stores and you get instant approval if qualified. Using Sezzle doesn’t affect your credit score and your payments are interest free.
How it Works
You can use Sezzle in-store or online at thousands of stores. You can choose Sezzle for your payment method at checkout online or get a Sezzle virtual card which allows you to make purchases up to your stated limit with 25% down and the remaining 3 payments made over the next 6 weeks.
How to Apply
It’s easy to apply for Sezzle, Sezzle Up or a Sezzle virtual card. Download the app, provide the necessary information and get an answer right away. If you want Sezzle to help you build credit, you can apply after you use Sezzle one time and pay the purchase off in full.
Sezzle Up is an upgraded account that reports to the credit bureaus. You get a credit limit and make payments as agreed. If you do, it can help you build good credit.
Features
- Pay no fees if you make your payments on time
- Choose from standard Sezzle, Sezzle Up, or a virtual card
- Doesn’t hurt your credit if you use Sezzle (not Sezzle Up)
- Discover new brands and save money on your purchases
5. Zip (Formerly Quadpay)
Why we love it:
Zip is the best buy now pay later app for those with no or bad credit
Zip (formerly Quadpay) is great for those that need instant approval and don’t want to risk a credit check. Zip is one of the most widely accepted programs, as it is accepted everywhere Visa is accepted. Zip uses the pay in 4 model that splits your payments into 3 installments every 2 weeks with the first installment made at checkout.
How it Works
You can shop in-store or online with Zip. If you shop in-store, select the ‘in-store’ tab on the app, enter your purchase amount and review the plan offered. If you accept it, you’ll receive a digital in-store card to use when you checkout.
If you shop on-line, shop at your favorite retailers and choose Zip as your payment method, following the prompts to complete payment.
How to Apply
To get started with Zip, download the app and complete the application. It takes only a few seconds, and you’ll have an answer instantly. Review the terms and your spending limit and accept the offer if you agree to the terms.
Features
- Zip charges a $1 fee for each payment made, so each purchase costs an extra $4
- Zip also charges late fees, so make sure to make your payments on time
- Find great stores that are Zip exclusives that you otherwise might not know about
Final Thoughts
Each of these buy now pay later apps are a great way to make your purchases more affordable without incurring too much interest. Most plans don’t charge interest if you make your payments on time.
You don’t have to worry about having perfect credit or going over your credit limit. Each of the buy now pay later apps used at stores help you stay in control of your finances and make good financing decisions to improve your financial situation.
The next new Buy Now Pay Later solution is coming from Apple with Apple Pay Later. Shop stores that offer Apple Pay here.
More Buy Now Pay Later catalog stores can be found in our full guide here!
Bonita
Friday 11th of March 2022
I placed an order with a merchant using Zip. I placed the order on 2.26.22 with the first payment of $49.99. 1 week later on 3.5.22 my bank account showed 3 charges of $50.00 each from Zip. The next charge was supposed to me 3.11.22. I called the number that was showed up with the charges, it was the Quadpay’s old number. I call the number given on the recording, I was told that all 3 charges were made manually, and because they were manual, there is nothing that Zip can do about it. All 3 charges were made at 12.16 am on 3.5.22. I stated that they could not have been made manually because I have never set up an account with them to manage the payments. I asked if she was able to give me the email address they had attached to the account, but she was not allowed to give it to me. She stated that I could set up the account so that I can see the email address. I downloaded the Zip app, after putting in the verification code that was sent to my phone I got “Something went wrong” error. I tried to set it up via the computer and got the same error. Looks to me like this is what Zip does for whatever reason. They lie to the consumer when a call is made about the payments coming through too early. How can I make manual payments when an account had not be set up by me?