More travelers are using ‘buy now, pay later’ plans to pay for trips. Here's when it may make sense

Monica Pitrelli,Bella Stoddart - CNBC - 05:53
The BNPL model — which allows buyers to pay in installments, sometimes with no interest or late fees — is gaining traction among young, cash-strapped travelers.

Kristin Herman said using a "buy now, pay later" service to pay for a last-minute trip to Miami felt like a lifesaver.

She said the approval was quick, and there were no upfront costs — but she accidentally skipped a scheduled payment.

"One missed reminder turned into fees," she told CNBC Travel.

Rane Teo, however, said he used a buy now, pay later — or BNPL — plan to break up the cost of a weekend stay for his family on the Indonesian island of Batam.

His experience with splitting the cost into three monthly installments? "Easy and convenient," he said.

Both Herman and Teo are part of the growing number of travelers who are using BNPL services to pay for flights, hotels and cruises in installments, in some cases with no interest or late fees.

BNPL company Klarna in September announced that the value of travel bookings it processed increased 50% in the past year, while Affirm reported its travel and ticketing volume rose 38% year on year in the final quarter of 2024, crossing the $1...
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