New ‘buy now, pay later’ rules to protect UK shoppers from 2026

Many major retailers have teamed up with lenders such as Klarna and Clearpay to allow consumers to spread the cost of their purchases. Photograph: Timon Schneider/Alamy

Shoppers who use “buy now, pay later” loans are to get new safeguards against unaffordable borrowing and credit card-style protection for their purchases, under rules outlined by the UK government.

However, campaigners have questioned why the BNPL changes will not take effect until 2026, warning that consumers need to be “wary” in the meantime.