Apple announces ‘buy now, pay later’ program, called Apple Pay Later

Monitoring Desk

CALIFORNIA: Apple is launching a new feature for Apple Pay to let you pay for purchases in four installments over time without interest, called Apple Pay Later. It’s Apple’s take on a buy now, pay later (BNPL) service, built right into Apple Pay and coming with iOS 16.

Buy now, pay later services have been on the rise. You’ve probably seen names like Affirm or Klarna while shopping on the web, and Block (formerly Square) jumped into the space in a big way with its acquisition of Afterpay. Apple has been rumored to be working on its own service for some time, and it seems like what was announced Monday at WWDC will be a natural extension of the company’s strategy to encourage people to buy things using Apple Pay.

You’ll be able to pay for installments over six weeks. You’ll pay the first payment up front and the other three every two weeks. Payments are managed in the Wallet app, and you can pay them in advance if you want.

“Users can apply for Apple Pay Later when they are checking out with Apple Pay, or in Wallet,” Apple said in a press release. “Apple Pay Later is available everywhere Apple Pay is accepted online or in-app, using the Mastercard network.”

Apple Pay Later is one of many announcements already revealed at WWDC for iOS 16, including order tracking, editable texts, and a revamped lock screen.