U.S. consumers are so fucked up, that they put more than $1 billion on buy-now, pay later services during Cyber Monday

Submitted ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨King@blackneon.net⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

https://news.adobe.com/news/downloads/images/2025/12/media_193e18b12ddc42ada8515da8f9b0c985f9a7b19ec.png

Usage of the flexible payment method hit an all-time high on Cyber Monday, driving $1.03 billion in online spend (up 4.2% YoY), as consumers looked for greater flexibility in managing their holiday budgets. The vast majority of BNPL transactions are happening on a mobile device as well, at 79.4% share on Cyber Monday (vs. desktop). In an Adobe survey of over 1,000 U.S. consumers (conducted Nov. 2025), respondents said they were most likely to use BNPL for electronics, apparel, toys, and furniture purchases.

Source: Adobe Analytics.

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Comments

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wesker@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Man, say what you will about credit cards, but at the very least with many of those you get rewards of some sort. BNPL is just the consumer version of the payday loan; you get nothing but the scam.

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- Exulion@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Idk, I do them when there is no interest involved. Like my credit card I only do it when I have the money though.
  
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  - skankhunt42@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    For what reason? Am I missing out on something?
    
    Seems like it’s better to just pay now if you have the cash.
    
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  - wesker@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Are many of them no interest?
    
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- lemmydividebyzero@reddthat.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  The rewards are there to keep you make them money.
  
  Some one has to pay for the rewards and the multi billion dollar companies usually don’t give money away for free without some plan. In the end, the consumer pays for the rewards because they add it on the product price.
  
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  - kungen@feddit.nu ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Yeah, the card issuers are already making bank from the interchange/issuer/processing fees, as well as interest if the customer eventually isn’t able to pay their full balance in time.
    
    But if you’re a perfect person and always pay your full balance every month, there’s literally no negatives with a credit card as a normal consumer. It’s usually even a better alternative, as if something goes wrong, a credit chargeback is much quicker and easier than a debit chargeback.
    
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nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Remember kids: someone is making money off of this, and it’s not you. There’s a reason some European countries have (started to) put this BNPL under strict credit regulation.

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- Echolynx@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I’m glad at least some countries are taking notice.
  
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  - nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    The Dutch national Financial Authority, for example, has a good explanation on why this is problematic and what exactly will happen per November 2026: www.afm.nl/en/sector/…/pb-marktupdate-BNPL-2025
    
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jif@piefed.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Paypal had a 20% cashback thing going on when you use BNPL. I’m sure that contributed.

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- architect@thelemmy.club ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  This is why I used it.
  
  0% apr plus 20% back I mean come on!
  
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- Echolynx@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Damn, that’s a pretty decent deal for a big purchase.
  
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- DogWater@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Whhhaaaa is it over??
  
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MyBrainHurts@piefed.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
It’s fucked but with a charitable view, I can see some logic.

For all the nonsense, there are a handful of good deals on the Friday/Monday. If I were living paycheque to paycheque, seems like a bnpl scheme could let me budget say, November to February for christmas gifts, interest free unlike a credit card.

That being said, that’s the theory. I imagine a lot of folks end up in over their heads much like credit cards etc.

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- Korhaka@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  
  If I were living paycheque to paycheque
  
  I would just reject consumerism and not buy anything. You very rarely save money by buying things, maybe some tools, or seeds/cuttings for things you can grow to eat.
  
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  - MyBrainHurts@piefed.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    This is the same as “I would just have a better job.”
    
    Some normal folks are out there, trying to give their kids as normal a life as they can despite their financial circumstances and not all of them are as enlightened as you claim to be online.
    
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  - mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    the thing I don’t understand with so many people being paycheque to paycheque is that, like, you need to come up with the money sooner or later. so just don’t fucking spend it on what you don’t absolutely need, and build up some savings.
    
    like, I get that some people are literally hand to mouth, I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about the people with a 2 year old car and newer clothing who claim paycheque to paycheque but use BNPL schemes. that’s just shitty financial decisions. if you’re financing every gift season, maybe… just save up a bit of money before each gift season by cutting back temporarily on something else? or do you like paying extra to be in debt unnecessarily? you clearly have the capacity to repay the loan, so just save for it ahead of time and pay less overall because no fees…
    
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melsaskca@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
There is no debtor’s prison in the usa. Charge everything you can, especially if you are poor. Let the chips fall where they may. With any luck the government will bail out the citizens like they do for the airlines, car companies and banks. /s

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- LePoisson@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  No debtors prison but there is a credit score. And that shit is the gateway to paying less for everything when you’re borrowing money. Especially for a mortgage on a house so you actually have equity in the property you’re living in.
  
  Wrecking your credit score basically gate keeps you from a lot of stuff sadly.
  
  I mean, I know you said /s but just saying fucking up your credit can screw you hard in the hyper capitalist hellscape we live in.
  
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  - tym@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    My 800+ credit score didn’t get me a better interest rate on my mortgage… that’s a game for corporations, multi-millionaires and above.
    
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- TronBronson@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Technically if you took out a bunch of bad loans the government would be bailing out the banks. Like 2008. Let’s ride!
  
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jaykrown@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
It really should be called “buy now, pay more later”. When are these greedy fucks going to learn that it’s not good when consumers don’t have money to spend? If all their money goes towards interest payments then we see a collapse in demand.

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- drmoose@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Except many BNPL options are 0% interest rate. I just renovated an apartment with ikea stuff and they offered me 0% interest rate over 1 year - it makes no sense to not take this offer.
  
  Many companies would gladly lose 4% (avg inflation) to guarantee a sale especially when dipping on loans are basically impossible today for the average consumer.
  
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  - Tartas1995@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Until you miss a payment and they hit you with the fine for missing a payment.
    
    THEY HAVE TO MAKE MONEY!
    
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  - MDCCCLV@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    They’re still in the acquire customers and market share phase and the number of providers is increasing. Increase in fees and predatory aspects comes later in the enshittification phase.
    
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- W3dd1e@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I don’t know if we have enough information. I agree with you that BNPL purchases are typically bad for the consumer, but I don’t necessarily think any to call people greedy in a difficult economy. Sometimes, people end up in shitty situations, trying to keep their life together, even when they can’t afford to.
  
  Was the volume items purchased greater than before or are prices just completely out of control? The article doesn’t indicate that it accounts for inflation. Inflation was about 3% and BNLPL was up 4%.
  
  What about the types of items that were purchased? It doesn’t actually say what types of items were used to BNPL transactions so we don’t know if it was household needs or unnecessary consumption.
  
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  - jaykrown@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I’m calling the lenders greedy. BNPL is similar to payday loans, taking advantage of people who don’t have money, making it cost more to be poor. The people who use BNPL are just being taken advantage of and suffer because of their situation.
    
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jaykrown@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

as consumers looked for greater flexibility in managing their holiday budgets

Yea, that’s a really nice way to put it.

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Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Cyber Monday is funny because it started with people buying things at work so it wouldn’t show up in their shared computers’ browser history, and now it’s like a whole made-up thing

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- Xanthobilly@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Capitalism never misses an opportunity to exploit consumers.
  
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  - Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Dodge v. Ford says so
    
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BossDj@piefed.social ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I do know that while I was getting all the family Christmas shopping done with Black Friday I saw a few buy now pay later offers. Most prominent was Pay Pal. The offer was if you use their buy now pay later feature with zero interest, they give you 5% in PayPal cash (whatever that means). I saw it several times, so I figure people were jumping on that

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MantisToboggon@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
We are a sentient ponzi scheme.

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Asfalttikyntaja@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Did nobody think that the “consumer” is capitalism way of speaking about humans?

I’m not a consumer, I’m a free man!

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- ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Funnily enough, there is a case as to why the word consumer so often pops up, especially in capitalist context. The first documented case of consumer was in the Middle Ages, in a French dictionary. It derives its meaning from Consumare, Latin for “use” but in a destructive manner. For example, you’d consume a candle or an apple because you’ll use them and then they’re gone, they’re broken/destroyed. Being a consumer back then was a bad thing because people were so ridiculously poor and naturally could not waste. Now contrast that with the same French dictionary which defines customer as a person who routinely buys from the same merchant.
  
  There’s a reason why this is being used so prevalently today. Customer implies agency, a process of thinking and making a choice, while a consumer just consumes. Let me give an example. “We need to check how the consumers will receive it.” it implies zero agency on the “consumers” part. Like feeding a toddler. But if I just say “We need to check how the customers will receive it”, it again implies agency that we have to do well to satisfy the needs of the customer and not just try feeding a toddler by using dirty tricks.
  
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  - Fedizen@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    So you’re saying the point of using “consumer” over “customer” is to dehumanize people so businesses don’t feel bad bilking them. Sounds right.v
    
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  - LemmyThinkAboutIt@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    The new Bath and Body Works CEO has implemented calling their customers “consumers” now instead. In things that come down from corporate, customer has been replaced with consumer. It’s extremely off putting.
    
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- Redex68@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  The point of the word is to give more context, so it’s clearer what’s being described. Same with the word user, you could say “Steam has 40m humans”, or you could say users.
  
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LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
How does buy now pay later compare to credit cards. Like everyone used to have those, have they given out less, or is that staying the same/more?

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- Sonicdemon86@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  It is worse as they don’t report when you are paying the loan unlike credit card. They only report that you paid it off. So it just messes with your credit score.
  
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- Denjin@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  BNPL generally has far less consumer protection than CCs. It’s also vastly easier to access BNPL services as they’re typically inserted into the payment process online, and don’t do a very good job of informing consumers of things like repayment terms and interest charges.
  
  There’s definitely a case to be made that they deliberately target those who are less financially aware who are most vulnerable to predatory lenders pushing them into unmanageable debt.
  
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  - Zanathos@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    The only BNPL service I ever use is PayPal. The math shows no interest and it will literally take out 1\4 of the total cost over a two month period which works great for me as I’m paid no weekly. Any other BNPL service is stupid because of the extra credit cost your paying on top of your carts price.
    
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Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
2008 recession will look like child’s play compared to our next global recession.

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- hark@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Just another once in a lifetime event.
  
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  - Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Not sure if we are in a sim or not, but i’m tired of getting fucked.
    
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man_wtfhappenedtoyou@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
So much for that black Friday boycott.

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- tym@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  this is the most frustrating part. This slow march to project 2025’s goals isn’t sophisticated. Any semblance of a general strike or boycott would have these cretins about-facing in no time. people are being sent to death camps, and we have this article.
  
  I’ll always believe the interwebz are “bread and circus 3.0” (Radio was 1.0 and TV was 2.0). If the average dolt believes the reward for silence is “next up”, they’ll quietly cower in the face of blatant human rights violations.
  
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taiyang@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
When I was younger and was just freshly moved out, I used BNPL 0% interest a lot (iirc it was Newegg, was like 15 years ago). It was kind of necessary to get a computer and I had just got an RA contract that paid stipends monthly, guaranteed for 5 years.

If you already have money and can get 0% interest, you can reinvest that cash as long as you can guarantee a payoff (set reminders!). You can put that $2,000 in a CD for that exact amount of time, too, and earn yourself back 3%-4%. That said, they might have caught onto my grift cause they usually offer 5% back OR 0% interest, lol.

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CaptainBlinky@lemmy.myserv.one ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I mean, even if it was 1 in 10 people that would still be like 30 bucks each. Most of those buy now pay later plans are interest free anyway.

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- BussyCat@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  They have late fees and can have incredibly high interest if you pay late.
  
  1 in 10 for $30 includes every single man, woman, and child in the United States. In reality there is a much smaller group spending much more money and developing a revolving door of debt where they are chronically in debt for non essential purchases and as soon as one of those payments goes late they will be slapped with a bunch of late fees and interest that will make them miss other payments and get even more late fees and interest until they end up underwater
  
  Klarna got 2.8B in revenue last year and they did it with those “interest free” loans
  
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  - Blackmist@feddit.uk ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    IIRC, most of the money they make is fees on the stores.
    
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HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
So last year there was 40 million less in consumer debt generated over the shopping days? Am I mathing that right?

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- winkerjadams@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Just for ‘buy now pay later’, but yes
  
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thingAmaBob@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I wonder what would happen if everyone suddenly stopped being in debt. Really wish people would just stop feeding the beast.

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- Korhaka@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I need a house though, most people don’t have 250k sat around. Of course in a major city multiply that by several times.
  
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  - thingAmaBob@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    One doesn’t always need to buy a home, but I don’t know your circumstances. Houses should be as affordable as cars, but I can’t even afford to pay on a 250K loan.
    
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Blackmist@feddit.uk ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Less spending on credit cards to at least partially balance that or just full tilt debt spirals?

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FourThirteen@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
What’s the difference between this and credit card debt?

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- BussyCat@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  The time scale is the other big difference. A credit card is intended to be paid off at the end of the month and gives you much better fraud protection than a debit card
  
  Products like klarna instead have you pay off a tv over months and offer you no real benefit besides racking up debt
  
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- AceTKen@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Buying on a credit card doesn’t incur interest fees until a month after the purchase so you can pay it off right away. This is guaranteed to incur fees right out of the gate and cannot be paid back faster than they want.
  
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Gammelfisch@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
The banks and shareholders are delighted.

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Lemming6969@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Raw dollar value means nothing if it’s not tariff and inflation adjusted. Report total pieces as well.

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- ivanafterall@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  It’s about one billion pieces of dollars. I’m let someone else handle the rest.
  
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