A recent survey by Lending Tree found that 25% of buy now, pay later users are using loans to fund grocery purchases, up from 14% in 2024 and 21% in 2023. This increase suggests that some consumers are struggling to afford essentials like groceries due to high prices and interest rates.
The survey also revealed that 41% of respondents made a late payment on a BNPL loan in the past year, up from 34% in the previous year. Lending Tree’s chief consumer finance analyst, Matt Schulz, attributed this trend to consumers looking for ways to extend their budgets due to inflation and high interest rates.
According to Schulz, “Inflation is still a problem. Interest rates are still really high… For an awful lot of people, that’s going to mean leaning on buy now, pay later loans.” He warned that the situation may worsen in the short term before improving.
The survey found that 60% of BNPL users have had multiple loans at once, with nearly a quarter saying they have held three or more. Schulz emphasized the importance of caution when using these services, as there is risk involved if consumers mismanage their debt.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/26/americans-groceries-buy-now-pay-later-loans.html