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The Future of ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’

Paying for purchases in instalments has quickly become ubiquitous online. But Klarna, Affirm and the other fintech players that dominate the space have loftier goals.

Klarna's app. Courtesy. — Klarna's app. Klarna. (Courtesy)

By

Cathaleen Chen

01 June 2021

BoF PROFESSIONAL

The option to pay for purchases via instalment plans has changed how people shop for clothes online, spreading from a handful of early adopters to virtually all major brands in the space of a few years. But the companies that popularised this 21st century version of layaway say they’re only just getting started.

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About the author

Cathaleen Chen

Cathaleen Chen is Retail Editor at The Business of Fashion. She is based in New York and drives BoF’s coverage of the retail and direct-to-consumer sectors.

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