1 Peter 4:10. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.
The rise of "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) services has initiated a profound conversation about consumer financial habits and preferences. While these convenient installment loans appeal to a vast audience, experts suggest that individuals often leverage BNPL services as a supplement or alternative to traditional credit cards.
Consider Savannah Hurler, a 27-year-old mother from Texas, who finds BNPL a valuable tool for managing various expenses like clothing, shoes, beauty products, and household essentials while simultaneously addressing her existing credit card balance.
"Credit cards can sometimes encourage overspending," she observed.
Utilizing installment loans from platforms like Afterpay and PayPal, Hurler appreciates the simplicity of dividing payments into four equal parts, deducted biweekly from her account, thus bypassing interest and late fees.
Originally designed for sporadic purchases, BNPL services have recently experienced a significant surge in popularity. On Cyber Monday alone, BNPL spending escalated by 42% compared to the previous year, as per Adobe Analytics. Additionally, LexisNexis Risk Solutions reported that 1 in 4 American adults has used BNPL services at least once.
These services come from various providers like Apple, Affirm, Klarna, Zip, Sezzle, among others. Major credit card companies also offer their versions for substantial purchases, and Affirm recently announced its integration with Walmart's self-checkout stands.
However, experts caution against overlooking potential complexities within BNPL.
"Many recent college graduates, like myself, saw the consequences of the financial crisis and aim to learn from those lessons," explained Matt Gross, head of partnerships at Affirm.
During the subsequent recession, consumer bankruptcies surged to around 1.5 million in 2010, causing distress among Americans battling substantial debt. Today's BNPL users, mostly in their twenties and thirties, grew up witnessing financial stress due to mortgage or rent payments, credit card bills, and student loans within their households.
LexisNexis highlighted that most BNPL users are 35 years old or younger and tend to have more robust credit profiles than typical consumers, indicating strong relationships with conventional lending institutions.
"We can infer that consumers resort to BNPL services as an alternative, often due to lower credit scores," concluded the researchers. Despite attracting a higher portion of individuals with nonprime credit, about half of BNPL users possess prime or near-prime scores.
ADP Chief Market Analyst Nela Richardson attributed BNPL's current appeal to several factors: the post-pandemic surge in demand, imminent government relief, and credit card APRs exceeding 20% as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates. For consumers, it's a way to ease financial pressures while continuing to spend.
Kevin King, Vice President of credit risk and marketing at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, described BNPL as a highly convenient and affordable financial product. However, he highlighted that many consumers still struggle with higher costs and ongoing student loan payments.
BNPL firms have the authority to place customers into delinquent payment plans or restrict their services permanently for defaults. Additionally, these firms don't consistently report to credit bureaus, and while missed payments can impact a customer's credit score, timely payments may not necessarily boost it—at least not currently.
Major credit bureaus are collaborating with BNPL providers on models reflecting customers' behavior using credit scores, stated Liz Pagel, Senior Vice President of consumer lending at TransUnion, suggesting forthcoming changes.
However, Ethan Dornheim, Vice President of scores and predictive analytics at FICO, indicated uncertainty about the timeline for these changes.
Many BNPL users seek to improve their credit through these services, while some enter BNPL with genuine intentions to avoid credit card debt but find themselves grappling with similar financial stressors.
National credit card debt has reached a record $1 trillion, with the average balance hitting a 10-year high of $6,088. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that BNPL users are more likely to utilize credit cards, payday loans, and other high-interest financial services. Additionally, 18% of BNPL users had at least one reported delinquency across multiple accounts, compared to just 7% of non-borrowers.
"Many of these consumers are already facing financial pressure, leading them to explore these tools," said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate. The ease of these transactions and the ability to have multiple BNPL loans simultaneously could lead to overspending, especially around peak shopping seasons.
"In an ideal world, consumers would save consistently and primarily purchase with cash," Hamrick added. "However, that's not always the reality."
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