Sunday, February 22, 2026

Is purchase now, pay later a street to extra debt?

How Expedia and Affirm will work collectively

Launched within the mid-Nineties, Expedia is a well-established journey portal the place you may e book flights, lodges, packages, cruises, rental automobiles, and extra. Generally, individuals pay for reservations utilizing a bank card, however in line with the corporate’s current press launch, there’s a requirement for extra cost choices and transparency.

Enter Affirm. As a companion, Affirm will provide Expedia clients the choice to purchase choose bookings and pay for them over time on a month-to-month cost plan.

The positive print

Not all Expedia choices are eligible for the BNPL cost possibility. In Canada, it can apply to pick out lodging and packages on Expedia, and on properties discovered on Resorts.com and VRBO.

When you choose an eligible reserving, you’ll have the choice to pay with Affirm on a customizable month-to-month cost plan. You’ll be capable to select:

  • Time period of reimbursement (as much as 24 months)
  • Frequency of reimbursement (bi-weekly or month-to-month)
  • Rate of interest (from 0–32% APR, topic to provincial regulatory limitations)

Affirm approves the plan immediately by doing a smooth credit score test, that means it is not going to have an effect on your credit score rating.

Is it price it?

Lodging are often a top-line merchandise in any journey price range, and plenty of Canadians don’t have the money up entrance. That is the place bank cards might are available. If you spend on a bank card, you may repay the steadiness over time. Plus, many playing cards—notably journey bank cards—include perks and extras like included journey insurance coverage, factors, or precedence boarding.

Featured journey bank cards

Nevertheless, common bank cards cost an rate of interest of between 19.99% and 24.99%, making each month of reimbursement delay much more pricey.

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With Affirm’s BNPL possibility, you select the size, frequency, and price of your plan and the funds are withdrawn routinely out of your account. Some plans provide 0% curiosity, and also you see all the things up entrance earlier than you approve. There aren’t any hidden charges, late charges, or compounding curiosity.

Notice: If you use Affirm, you received’t obtain any relevant factors or different advantages supplied by your bank card.

The risks of BNPL

In response to the Monetary Shopper Company of Canada (FCAC), there are some dangers to concentrate on earlier than you employ purchase now, pay later. Specifically, that you just may over-borrow and/or get into extra debt than you may deal with. Let’s have a look at why this is likely to be.

Purchase now, pay later has a psychological attraction. It gives the joys of a purchase order whereas pushing the truth of reimbursement to the longer term. This may increasingly additionally account for why purchasers utilizing BNPL usually purchase greater than they meant to (between 10% and 40% extra), which might result in ballooning debt.

There’s additionally a demographic dimension to BNPL companies in that they could attraction most to people who find themselves the least financially steady. It’s because, not like with bank cards, customers can entry a BNPL mortgage with solely a smooth credit score test, which is a decrease barrier to borrowing.

Reserving journey with BNPL

Purchase now, pay later could make journey really feel extra accessible, versatile, and inside attain—and that’s precisely the place the chance lies. By permitting you to interrupt massive bills into smaller installments, BNPL blurs the road between what a reserving prices and what it feels prefer it prices. And when the upfront price feels smaller, it’s simpler to improve.

Used deliberately, BNPL is usually a useful software. Used impulsively, it might amplify overspending and remorse. Earlier than you click on “Guide Now,” be sure you’re planning not only for the journey, however for the funds that observe.

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About Keph Senett

About Keph Senett

Keph Senett writes about private finance by means of a community-building lens. She seeks to clarify and actionable data out there to everybody.

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