{"id":1061164,"date":"2025-07-09T14:25:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T18:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/ca\/?p=1061164"},"modified":"2025-08-08T16:32:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T20:32:27","slug":"should-i-ditch-my-credit-card-for-bnpl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/ca\/blog\/should-i-ditch-my-credit-card-for-bnpl","title":{"rendered":"Should I ditch my credit card for BNPL?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is popping up everywhere. Around half of Americans<\/a> have used BNPL, and around one in three have used it more than once. Buyers aren\u2019t just using it for essentials either, with nearly two in three attendees<\/a> at this year\u2019s Coachella festival using BNPL to buy their tickets.<\/p>

Credit cards, the grandfather of deferred payment solutions, have been around since the 1950s, and more than four in five US adults<\/a> have one.<\/p>

Is it worth ditching high-interest plastic in favor of zero-interest cardless loans? Here\u2019s how BNPL and credit cards compare and when you might want to use one over the other.<\/p>

Which is cheaper?<\/h3>

TLDR: BNPL can be cheaper for controlled spenders with a short-term repayment horizon, but it can be a dangerous financial trap for shopaholics who don\u2019t have a financial plan.<\/strong><\/p>

BNPL is famously touted as a zero-interest alternative to other forms of debt financing like credit cards, which, for some people, can be a symbol of reckless spending. Here\u2019s how the costs actually break down between popular BNPL plans and a typical credit card in the US as of July 4, 2025:<\/p>

\"Klarna\" Klarna<\/h4>