The buy now, pay later enticements increasingly offered on websites’ checkout pages lure many customers, especially as the coronavirus pandemic has increased online shopping.
But the exploding use of buy now, pay later plans also is drawing more scrutiny from state and federal authorities over concerns that the practice may not be sufficiently regulated.
The plans allow customers to pay a small portion of the price upfront, receive the item and then pay the remainder in installments. Unlike credit cards, there’s no initial interest charge. But many consumers may not fully understand the plans’ implications, such as unexpected fees and possible harm to credit scores for late payments.
