Glossary/Retail Media & Commerce/Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)
Retail Media & Commerce
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)
Point-of-sale financing, from providers like Klarna, Afterpay, or Affirm, that splits a purchase into installments, often interest-free.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is point-of-sale financing that splits a purchase into several installments, often interest-free, from providers such as Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm. Retailers offer it to raise conversion rates and average order values. The provider typically pays the merchant upfront, charges a merchant fee and assumes the repayment risk.