Half of shoppers plan to use buy now, pay later this season. Here's how to split or charge gifts without paying extra.
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Roughly half of shoppers in a new TSG survey say they'll use buy now, pay later this holiday season, and lots more will swipe a credit card. Both can work, but only if every payment fits your budget before you tap "buy." The takeaway: stick to one payment plan, put every due date on your calendar, and pay the card bill in full so interest never touches your gifts.
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Dude Fact #1 Dale's did-you-know
Card interest is still steep. Credit card accounts that were charged interest paid an average rate of 22.15% in the second quarter of 2026 (Federal Reserve ).
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More Dude Facts Dude Fact #2 Dex can't believe it
Late payments keep climbing. 47% of buy now, pay later users say they paid late in the past year, up from 41% in 2025 and 34% in 2024 (LendingTree ).
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Groceries are going on installments too. 29% of buy now, pay later users have split a grocery bill, more than double the 14% who said so two years ago (LendingTree ).
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Bottom line
Before you split or charge a gift, add up every payment you already owe and only buy what you can fully pay off by its due date.
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