DEBT038 Buy now; pay later; manage carefully (596 words)

This article explains how the now popular ‘buy now, pay later’ offers work and how to make sure they don’t create unmanageable debt. It uses a case study and recommends financial guidance to overcome debt problems.

Before heading off on an overseas holiday, Sam decided to buy an expensive new camera to document his travels. The camera store offered a ‘buy now, pay later’ option, and attracted by the ‘no interest’ promise of the credit provider, Sam signed up.

All was well to begin with. Sam had a great time on his trip – in fact, maybe a bit too much of a good time. On returning home he’d maxed out his regular credit card and, with insufficient savings, he was unable to maintain the required repayments on his separate camera debt. And while, true to the issuer’s promise, he didn’t have to pay interest on the overdue payments, he was charged late fees on the repayments he skipped. Along with the standard payment processing and account payment fees, Sam’s camera ended up costing a lot more than he anticipated.