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KN-US, Nearly half of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) users said they had made at least one late payment in the past year, according to a survey released Monday (April 14, 2026).
The survey, published by LendingTree Inc., conducted by QuestionPro among 2,049 US consumers aged 18–80 during March and April, contained findings that reinforce concerns among policymakers, financial planners, and consumer advocates about over-reliance on BNPL.
Not only did 47% of borrowers make a late payment in the past year—up six percentage points from 2025 and 13 percentage points from two years ago—but 54% also said they would not be able to make ends meet without the loan.
Amid growing affordability concerns and expectations of further price increases this year, US consumers are also increasingly using installment loans for essentials: 29% said they used them for groceries, up from 25% a year ago and 14% two years ago. The survey also showed that it is increasingly common for borrowers to have multiple loans at once, up slightly to 24% from 23% last year.
This finding comes as the BNPL sector faces looser federal oversight. Last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which shrank in size and scope under the Trump administration, repealed a rule that subjected many BNPL services to the same guidelines as credit cards.
In December, the offices of seven Democratic state attorneys general sent letters to Klarna Group Plc, Affirm Holdings Inc., and other major providers requesting details on their fees and loan structures.
BNPL usage has surged in recent years and is expected to continue to grow as an alternative payment method. Transactions using these installment loans are expected to reach $687 billion in 2028, compared to $334 billion in 2024, according to Juniper Research projections.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Financial Technology Association, in a statement. “Our member companies consistently report default rates of less than 1% and low late payment rates, indicating that consumers are repaying their BNPL loans.”
Sumber foto: Sindonews
