4. Spending categories and purchase behavior

5. Financial behavior, budgeting, and payment issues

6. BNPL providers and market landscape

7. Perceptions, risks, and attitudes toward BNPL

8. Keep exploring

61+ Buy Now Pay Later Statistics (2026)

Report Highlights

Curious about the state of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)?

Here's your shortcut to the latest Buy Now Pay Later statistics.

1. Top Buy Now Pay Later statistics

There are 380M BNPL users worldwide. (Juniper Research)
The US is on track to reach about 96.3M BNPL users by late 2026. (eMarketer)
The global BNPL market was $560.1B in 2025 and is projected to hit $911.8B by 2030. (Research and Markets)
The BNPL market in the US reached roughly $122.26B in 2025 and may grow to about $184.05B by 2030. (Research and Markets)
About 34% of people ages 18 to 34 use BNPL. (The Motley Fool)
BNPL holds about 5% of the global market share. (Statista)
BNPL holds about 6% of the US market share. (Statista)
BNPL holds about 7% of the market in the UK. (Statista)
More than 10B BNPL transactions are expected worldwide in 2028. (Juniper Research)

2. BNPL adoption and usage patterns

BNPL adoption is rising rapidly as shoppers seek flexible payment options, particularly online. Growth is strongest among younger adults, and both global usage and spending are expected to rise sharply throughout the decade.

By 2028, BNPL is expected to reach about 670M users worldwide. (Juniper Research)
The US is projected to have more than 100M BNPL users by 2027. (eMarketer)

Year	BNPL users in the US (in millions)
2021	49.2
2022	69.2
2023	80.9
2024	86.5
2025	91.5
2026	96.3
2027	100.8
2028	105.0

Globally, BNPL transactions totaled about $334B in 2024 and are expected to reach about $687B by 2028. (Juniper Research)
In 2025, BNPL was forecast to make up only 1.4% of all retail sales in the US. (eMarketer)
The global BNPL market is projected to grow at a 10.2% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. (Research and Markets)
The BNPL market in the US is expected to grow at an 8.5% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. (Research and Markets)
BNPL users in the US are expected to spend about $1,380.65 each by 2028. (eMarketer)

Graphic showing BNPL users in the US expected to spend about $1,380.65 each by 2028 — BNPL users are expected to spend $1,380.65 each by 2028.

About 15% of Americans used BNPL in 2024, up from 14% in 2023 and 12% in 2022. (The Motley Fool)
Nearly one in five Americans under 45 has used BNPL, compared with about 8% of those 60 and older. (The Motley Fool)
Holiday shoppers spent about $18.2B through BNPL in 2024, up from $14.5B in 2022 and $16.6B in 2023. (The Motley Fool)
Cyber Monday saw a record $991M in BNPL spending in 2024. (The Motley Fool)
About 30% of BNPL users make at least one purchase each month. (The Motley Fool)

Respondents	At least once a week	Once a month	Once every three months	Once every six months	Once a year or less frequently
Total	16%	30%	23%	14%	16%
Gen Z	25%	29%	19%	12%	15%
Millennials	17%	35%	20%	14%	14%
Gen X	10%	25%	30%	16%	19%
Baby Boomers	12%	26%	28%	21%	12%
$5,000 to $49,999	15%	31%	21%	16%	17%
$50,000 to $74,999	18%	27%	27%	13%	16%
$75,000 to $99,999	18%	33%	23%	15%	12%
$100,000 to $149,999	15%	31%	29%	11%	15%
$150,000 to $199,999	21%	30%	13%	17%	19%
$200,000 and more	21%	29%	25%	12%	14%

About 49% of Americans have used a BNPL loan. (LendingTree)
In 2025, about 72% of Americans said they planned to use BNPL in 2026. (Numerator)
As of 2025, about two in five adults (42%) in the UK (or roughly 22.6M people) have used BNPL, up from 36% in 2023. (Finder)

BNPL usage in the UK	Response rate
I've used BNPL	42%
I haven't used BNPL and am unsure about future use	35%
I haven't used BNPL and don’t intend to use it	14%
I haven't used BNPL, but I might use it	9%

About one in 10 Brits (9%) say they plan to use BNPL in the future, which would raise total use to about half the population (51%). (Finder)
About one in three Brits (31%) used BNPL in the year leading up to January 2025, and 13% were first-time users. (Finder)
The UK BNPL market is expected to grow from about £29.85B ($38.76B) in 2024 to about £47.27B ($61.39B) by 2029. (Finder)

3. BNPL demographics

BNPL use is strongest among younger adults, lower-income earners, and certain ethnic groups, showing that adoption isn't evenly spread.

As of 2025, about 17% of Gen Z adults (ages 18 to 28) have used BNPL. (The Motley Fool)
Men are more likely than women to use BNPL: 53% vs. 46%. (LendingTree)
BNPL use is most common among Gen Z and Millennials. (Numerator)

BNPL demographics by generation	BNPL users	Non-users
Gen Z (born > 1996)	5%	2%
Millennials (1982-1995)	27%	18%
Gen X (1965-1981)	33%	31%
Boomers+ (born < 1965)	36%	48%

BNPL users are most likely to earn less than $60,000 a year. (Numerator)

BNPL demographics by income	BNPL users	Non-users
Under $20,000	11%	7%
$20,000-40,000	15%	12%
$40,000-60,000	15%	14%
$60,000-80,000	13%	12%
$80,000-100,000	11%	11%
$100,000-125,000	8%	13%
$125,000+	27%	31%

BNPL users are most often White or Caucasian (61%). (Numerator)

BNPL demographics by ethnicity	BNPL users	Non-users
White/Caucasian	61%	81%
Black or African American	15%	7%
Hispanic/Latino	15%	7%
Asian	7%	4%
Other	2%	1%

In the UK, BNPL is most popular among Millennials ages 28 to 43, with about 63% having used it. (Finder)

Generation	BNPL usage in the UK
Generation Z	56%
Millennials	63%
Generation X	40%
Baby Boomers	20%
Silent generation	10%

BNPL use is highest in London, where about 53% of residents have used it, and lowest in the East of England at about 31%. (Finder)

BNPL usage in the UK by region	Percentage using BNPL
Greater London	52.7%
Northern Ireland	50.9%
West Midlands	45.4%
South West	44.9%
Scotland	44.0%
North West	42.5%
Wales	40.8%
East of England	39.1%
East Midlands	38.9%
Yorkshire and the Humber	38.3%
South East	37.5%
North East	30.9%

4. Spending categories and purchase behavior

BNPL is becoming a preferred payment method for everyday buying, especially online, where people use it for everything from clothes to electronics to groceries. Younger shoppers lean on it the most, and many turn to it for bigger purchases or experiences they want to spread out over time.

A little over half of Gen Z and Millennials (53%) prefer BNPL over credit cards when they shop. (The Motley Fool)

Respondents	I use BNPL more often	I use credit cards more often
Total	48%	52%
Gen Z	51%	49%
Millennials	54%	46%
Gen X	41%	59%
Baby Boomers	37%	63%
$5,000 to $49,999	62%	38%
$50,000 to $74,999	47%	53%
$75,000 to $99,999	36%	64%
$100,000 to $149,999	35%	65%
$150,000 to $199,999	38%	62%
$200,000 and more	35%	65%

Online shopping is the leading BNPL category, making up about 63% of spending. (The Motley Fool)

Top categories for BNPL spending	Repsonse rate
Online shopping	63%
Electronics	54%
Clothing and fashion	41%
Furniture and appliances	36%
Groceries	27%
Food delivery	27%

About 25% of BNPL users say they’ve used it to buy groceries. (LendingTree)
Gen Z and Millennials are around 50% more likely than average to use BNPL for experiences like concerts and festivals, and they’re also more likely to finance travel and exercise gear. (Numerator)
Nearly half of Americans (48%) consider BNPL for purchases over $200. (Numerator)

Pie chart showing that 48% of Americans consider using BNPL for purchases over $200 — 48% of Americans consider BNPL for purchases over $200.

BNPL users are 82% more likely to enjoy online shopping, 49% more likely to research products online, and 42% more likely to place weekly online orders. (Numerator)
BNPL users are also 51% more likely than non-users to shop at Nike, both in-store and online. (Numerator)

5. Financial behavior, budgeting, and payment issues

BNPL helps people manage short-term cash flow, but many struggle to stay on top of payments and budgeting. Missed bills, misunderstandings about credit impact, and multiple active loans show that the system can easily create financial stress.

About 24% of BNPL users have missed payments. (The Motley Fool)

Who uses and misses payments on BNPL	Paid late (%)
Overall	18%
Income < $25,000	31%
$25,000-49,999	21%
$50,000-99,999	17%
$100,000 or more	9%
Age 18-29	23%
Age 30-44	20%
Age 45-59	19%
Age 60+	8%

Nearly 60% of BNPL users say they’ve used it to buy something they couldn't afford otherwise. (The Motley Fool)

Generation	Used BNPL beyond their means (%)
Gen Z	55%
Millennials	55%
Gen X	48%
Baby Boomers	51%

Nearly 70% of BNPL users say they use it to spread out payments, and about 41% do it to avoid interest. (The Motley Fool)

Respondents	Spread payments over time	Afford purchase upfront	No interest or fees	More convenient than a credit card	Build or improve credit	Other
Total	69%	57%	41%	29%	21%	0%
Gen Z	50%	60%	30%	23%	21%	0%
Millennials	76%	56%	41%	31%	24%	0%
Gen X	74%	56%	45%	31%	18%	0%
Baby Boomers	67%	63%	50%	25%	13%	2%

About 19% of BNPL users have lost track of their payments. (The Motley Fool)

BNPL users	Lost track of payments
Total	19%
Gen Z	13%
Millennials	25%
Gen X	16%
Baby Boomers	16%

Only about 47% of Americans budget for their BNPL payments. (The Motley Fool)

Group	Budget for all BNPL payments	Track BNPL payments loosely	Often lose track
Gen Z	38%	54%	8%
Millennials	47%	43%	10%
Gen X	49%	44%	7%
Baby Boomers	62%	29%	9%
Total	47%	44%	8%

Most BNPL users (56%) keep their monthly payments under $100. (The Motley Fool)

BNPL purchase size distribution	Percentage
$50 or less	27%
$51 to $100	29%
$101 to $250	28%
$251 to $500	13%
Over $500	4%

About 32% of BNPL users have run into issues, with returns being the top problem at 21%. (The Motley Fool)
In 2025, about 41% of BNPL users said they paid late on at least one loan in the past year, up from 34% the year before. (LendingTree)
Nearly one in four BNPL users (23%) say they’ve had three or more active BNPL loans at once. (LendingTree)
About 62% of BNPL users wrongly think that paying BNPL loans on time boosts their credit score. (LendingTree)
Managing cash flow is the main reason people choose BNPL at 36%, followed by making big purchases more affordable at 28%. (Numerator)

6. BNPL providers and market landscape

A few major players dominate the BNPL market, with PayPal leading by a wide margin. As the sector grows, BNPL is taking a larger share of online spending, and average loan sizes continue to rise.

PayPal is the most widely used BNPL provider, with about 56% of users choosing it. (LendingTree)

BNPL services	Usage percentage
PayPal	56%
Klarna	38%
Affirm	38%
Afterpay	38%
Zip	15%
Sezzle	11%
Splitit	6%
Other	6%

The average BNPL loan balance in the US was about $760 in 2025. (Morgan Stanley)
BNPL financed about 6% of US e-commerce sales in 2024, up from 2% in 2020. (Morgan Stanley)

7. Perceptions, risks, and attitudes toward BNPL

Many people see BNPL as convenient but worry about overspending, hidden costs, and losing track of payments.

Over 25% of Americans regret using BNPL because of unexpected costs. (The Motley Fool)

Generation	Regretted using BNPL
Gen Z	27%
Millennials	30%
Gen X	22%
Baby Boomers	18%

About 41% of consumers avoid BNPL because they worry about interest or late fees, 32% fear overspending, and 13% worry about losing track of payments. (Numerator)
While 54% of Americans see BNPL as somewhat risky, only about 16% view it as very risky, and 30% don't see any risk. (Numerator)
About 35% of Americans say they’d be more open to BNPL if companies offered on-time payment guarantees, flexible terms, and clear disclosures. (Numerator)
Over half of Americans (51%) believe BNPL leads to more debt. (Numerator)