Credit, collections & insolvency news
Regulation of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) credit retail products could prevent up to 876,000 consumers from getting into unmanageable debt this year, according to new research from Barclays and StepChange. The study shows that the rising cost of living is having a direct impact on the popularity of BNPL purchases – over a third…
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The Government has announced new plans for the regulation of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL). Under the new rules lenders will be required to ensure loans are affordable and rules will be amended to ensure advertisements are fair, clear and not misleading. The Government will expand rules to cover other forms of unsecured short-term credit…
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Apple has announced that it will launch its own Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) option. The iPhone maker’s Apple Pay Later service will allow users in the US to pay for purchases in four instalments over six weeks without being charged interest or other fees. The service will be available anywhere that accepts Apple Pay…
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Growth in consumer credit lending is being rapidly outpaced by the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) market according new research by Freedom Finance. Industry figures estimate that BNPL lending is likely to increase by 52% to well over £20 billion in 2022 compared to the previous year. The FCA estimates that the industry was worth £2.7…
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Buy now, pay later (BNPL) specialist, Klarna has announced that it will start reporting UK customer debts to credit agencies for the first time next month, in a move that could affect shoppers’ credit ratings from 2023. The move is understood to be the result of two years of talks with the credit reference companies…
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Instagram influencers who were paid to endorse buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) fuelled more than £652 million in borrowing amongst followers trying to replicate their lifestyles according to research by Credit Karma. The company reviewed buy-now, pay-later sponsored posts by the UK’s biggest influencers finding that an individual would need to spend an average of £1.8K to…
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Consumer demand for credit products has grown since the onset of the pandemic, according to TransUnion’s Consumer Credit 2022 white paper, which reveals changing consumer preferences and affirms the growing demand for buy now, pay later (BNPL) finance. The research reveals significant growth in the credit market when compared with pre-pandemic figures with more consumers…
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New research has found that 81% of borrowers are unaware that Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) schemes are unregulated, placing them at major risk of falling into debt. The research by Creditspring found that more than half of UK adults (53%) don’t know that BNPL schemes can lead to debt if scheduled payments are missed…
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One in twelve people turned to Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) to cover basic costs such as food and toiletries in the last six months research by Citizens Advice has found. The charity discovered young people, those in debt and those claiming Universal Credit, are at least twice as likely to have used BNPL for…
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Consumers using Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) are much more likely to be struggling according to latest research by debt charity StepChange. In response to the HM Treasury’s consultation on how to regulate BNPL StepChange is pointing to clear evidence that BNPL products are being widely used by people experiencing financial difficulty. For example, consumers…
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Which? is calling for stronger safeguards to stop online shoppers from choosing Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) to pay for products without knowing the risks, as new research from the consumer champion reveals many people do not think that they are taking on debt when using this payment method. Buy Now Pay Later has soared…
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Amazon customers will have the option of using a buy now, pay later (BNPL) service after the online retailer teamed up with Barclays to launch a new flexible payment method. Instalments by Barclays will enable Amazon shoppers to finance purchases of £100 of more via their account. The reusable credit account can be used on…
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New research by Scottish Friendly has indicated that households set to spend £1.3 billion this Christmas using buy-now pay-later (BNPL) schemes. The survey of 2,000 UK adults found that nearly three in ten (28%) are likely to make Christmas-related purchases using BNPL schemes this year. On average they will spend £162 using BNPL payment options,…
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