It’s also how they get you to start using it. Accept the 0% interest loan, now the app is on your phone, now you’re seeing options for lower monthly payments, now you’re thinking about what you could afford with the app as opposed to what you have right now.
I bought an escooter through one of those apps and paid 0% interest, so it worked out for me, but you have to be careful about it.
Not to mention, if you miss a payment, you typically have to pay interest on the full original loan from the date you took it out, at some egregiously high interest rate.
Nearly 30%, for the scheme we have access to at my work. 28.99%. That exact number may in fact inform veterans of the industry of exactly who we use for financing.
There is a small percentage surcharge imposed by whoever is providing the financing, but it’s basically the same amount as what the credit card companies charge per transaction, on the order of 1-2%, so from the store’s perspective it’s the same either way. It’s not quite correct to say that customers who are not financing hot dogs are paying for others who are, but all of the customers financing hot dogs are indeed paying for each other.
On the topic of credit cards, by the way, in some states it is legal for the merchant to pass the processing costs on to the customer and in some cases the shyster bastards actually do it. To my knowledge most or all of the banks providing in store financing or buy-now-pay-later schemes in fact prohibit that practice, so there is at least that.
0% interest rates is paid for by the fees if you miss a payment
It’s also how they get you to start using it. Accept the 0% interest loan, now the app is on your phone, now you’re seeing options for lower monthly payments, now you’re thinking about what you could afford with the app as opposed to what you have right now.
I bought an escooter through one of those apps and paid 0% interest, so it worked out for me, but you have to be careful about it.
Not to mention, if you miss a payment, you typically have to pay interest on the full original loan from the date you took it out, at some egregiously high interest rate.
Nearly 30%, for the scheme we have access to at my work. 28.99%. That exact number may in fact inform veterans of the industry of exactly who we use for financing.
It’s also paid as a fee by the store, which in turn means every customer (incl those not using BNPL) is indirectly paying for it.
There is a small percentage surcharge imposed by whoever is providing the financing, but it’s basically the same amount as what the credit card companies charge per transaction, on the order of 1-2%, so from the store’s perspective it’s the same either way. It’s not quite correct to say that customers who are not financing hot dogs are paying for others who are, but all of the customers financing hot dogs are indeed paying for each other.
On the topic of credit cards, by the way, in some states it is legal for the merchant to pass the processing costs on to the customer and in some cases the shyster bastards actually do it. To my knowledge most or all of the banks providing in store financing or buy-now-pay-later schemes in fact prohibit that practice, so there is at least that.
Also you don’t get cash back from your credit card when you pay this way. Obviously for a $1.50 hotdog not a big deal but it adds up.