BNPL has moved fast into everyday checkout Nearly one in four Americans used these services in the past year and that data helps explain why you see them so often The industry scaled quickly loan counts and dollar volume jumped sharply from through Many consumers stack multiple plans About report holding more than one loan at once and admit to late payments A recent survey shows people now use pay later for essentials like groceries and food delivery Regulators stepped in In May the CFPB reclassified lenders under new rules that require billing statements and dispute handling similar to credit cards Still industry delinquency sits low while broader credit card debt delinquencies run higher so you need to weigh short-term timing benefits against long-term risk Key Takeaways You ll get a quick data-driven view of why these offers matter now Usage rose fast loans and dollar volume expanded dramatically Many users juggle multiple plans and face late payments New rules add protections but gaps remain versus traditional cards Use BNPL when it fits your budget avoid it if you already carry credit card debt What BNPL is and why it matters to you right now BNPL services let you split a single purchase into a small down payment plus three equal biweekly payments This model often called Pay in usually shows as interest-free when you meet all terms Approval is fast Many providers run soft checks or none at all That ease makes this payment option attractive to users who... Login to read full