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The ve Accenture researchers noted that U.S. BNPL adoption has
The very point of salery point of sale
grown by more than 300 percent since 2018, with 45 million
active users in 2021 spending over $20.8 billion annually.
"This is equivalent to 2.4 percent of US online retail and 12
percent of US online fashion retail," researchers wrote. "It
is estimated that BNPL users in the US will gain $1.6 billion
in surplus value from using BNPL services in 2021."

BNPL's dynamic, shape-shifting nature can take people by
surprise. I initially viewed BNPL as a vehicle for high-ticket
BNPL: No time like now purchases, then heard about the Door Dash and Afterpay
partnership that enables Australian consumers to pay for
By Dale S. Laszig their DoorDash orders and DashPass subscriptions in four
installments. Afterpay is now a checkout option on the
DSL Direct LLC DoorDash app, and customers who sign up for Afterpay
can receive a free three-month subscription to DashPass.
ears ago, a blue Schwinn bike rolled out of a
stockroom, and my brother rode away, trium- Share the BNPL love
phant that, at last, he'd paid for the bike in full.
Y Buy now, pay later (BNPL) has been compared I'm researching leading-edge BNPL solutions for an
to layaway, but the customer experience is completely upcoming panel discussion to be held April 7, 2022, during
different. If my brother had paid by BNPL instead of by the annual Northeast Acquirers Association conference
layaway, the bike would have been his at checkout, with in Philadelphia. Slated panelists and their areas of focus
no wait time or extra fees. include:

Layaway was once a popular alternative to revolving store • Anytime, anywhere: Eric Lookhoff, CEO and board
credit, loans, cash advances and installment plans. Millions member at QuickFee, will discuss how BNPL and other
finance offerings help merchants get paid anytime and
of baby boomers still recall how good it felt to make that
last payment and walk away with an earned reward. But anywhere while providing more payment options at
checkout and helping boost conversion and approval
everything about the layaway model, from its tedious
contracts to its onsite weekly or monthly visits, makes it ratings.
seem like yesterday's POS. • Consolidated options: Ashley Korody, vice president,

On-demand economy business development, ChargeAfter, will underscore
BNPL's abundant choices for consumers. "One of
In today's world of real-time payments, instant customer the hot buttons is consolidation – there are so many
onboarding and order-ahead espresso, we want to get our options out there," she said.
stuff now and pay for it later. Later has often meant 30 days
away when a credit card payment or subscription service • Improved cash flow: Silvana Hernandez, senior
fee is due. BNPL changes the game, with payment times vice president, digital payments, Mastercard, will
from 30 to 90 days, along with a tantalizing array of choices highlight Mastercard’s new Mastercard Installment
that pop up just when you're about to buy something. As an solution, a cost-effective alternative to personal lines
upsell, BNPL is about as smooth as you can get, as smooth of credit and non-bank lenders that entrepreneurs can
as saying, Would you like fries with that? use to finance their operations.
• Fast approvals: T.T. Gambrell, sales director, PAX
BNPL, the next iteration of the credit journey, reflects our Technology, will share insights on commercial-grade
changing mood in so many ways. Unlike the 10 pages of technology and hardware, with responsive screens
fine print in my brother's layaway agreement, BNPL is and high-speed processing that facilitate fast response
not a one-size-fits-all contract with uniform terms. It's an times and a seamless customer experience.
agile solution, personalized for each customer, that helps
merchants get paid sooner, financial analysts have noted.
This discussion will be geared to help payment professionals
Consumer, merchant benefits navigate available options and create a best-in-class BNPL
experience.
An Accenture study titled The Economic Impact of Buy Now,
Pay Later in the U.S., commissioned by BNPL provider Dale S. Laszig, senior staff writer at The Green Sheet and managing
Afterpay and published in September 2021, found growing
U.S. demand for BNPL, citing "consumption smoothing," director at DSL Direct LLC, is a payments industry journalist and content
budgeting support, access to online store directories and an strategist. Connect via email dale@dsldirectllc.com, LinkedIn www.
alternative to traditional credit as key consumer benefits. linkedin.com/in/dalelaszig/ and Twitter @DSLdirect.
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