- BNPL providers by market and plan length
- Ten buy now, pay later providers for merchants
- Country and order size decide most of this choice
- Pay in 4, monthly plans or card-based instalments
- Questions to ask a BNPL provider before you sign
- My plain advice on adding buy now, pay later
- Frequently asked questions
BNPL providers let a merchant offer buy now, pay later at checkout: the shopper splits a purchase into instalments while the provider takes on the credit and settles with you. Pick by the countries you sell in and your typical order size, because providers differ far more on those than on anything else. Ten options follow in no particular order.
Instalments at checkout are now expected in many markets. A shopper picks buy now, pay later, gets a quick decision, and splits the purchase into a few payments or a longer plan. You get the order, and the provider handles the instalments and the risk of the shopper not paying.
This list is for merchants adding financing at checkout, not for shoppers comparing apps, and it isn't about taking card payments. The ten providers below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from each provider's own website, read as of Oct 2026. If you still need the card side, my guide to payment gateways covers it.
BNPL providers by market and plan length
I checked the free plan column on each vendor's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the page names a free plan, a free version or an open source edition. Trial only means it names a time-limited free trial. Not stated means the page I read named neither, so check the vendor's own site before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affirm | BNPL and customer financing | Short instalments to long financing in the US | Not stated |
| Alma | Instalment payments (Europe) | Guaranteed instalments online and in store | Not stated |
| Flexiti | Point-of-sale financing | Big purchases on monthly or pay-later plans | Not stated |
| PayPal Pay Later | Instalments inside PayPal | Pay in 4 and Pay Monthly at checkout | Not stated |
| Scalapay | Pay in 3 (Europe) | Three interest-free instalments for shoppers | Not stated |
| Sezzle | Pay in 4 provider | Pay in 4 with shopper rewards | Not stated |
| Splitit | Card-based instalments | Splitting purchases on the shopper's own card | Not stated |
| Tamara | BNPL (Saudi Arabia) | Sharia compliant instalments up to 24 months | Not stated |
| Uplift | Monthly payments (Flex Pay by Upgrade) | Fixed monthly payments for bigger purchases | Not stated |
| Wisetack | Financing for home services | Job financing for trades and services | Not stated |
Ten buy now, pay later providers for merchants
Affirm
Best for: US merchants offering anything from 4 interest-free payments every 2 weeks to longer instalment plans up to 36 months, including through digital wallets.
Alma
Best for: Shops in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and other European markets offering 2, 3 or 4 instalments, or 10 to 12, online and at the point of sale.
Flexiti
Best for: Store-based retailers selling big-ticket items, with equal monthly payments or pay-later plans and 0% interest on promotional plans.
PayPal Pay Later
Best for: US businesses already taking PayPal that want to offer Pay in 4 and Pay Monthly at checkout without adding another provider.
Scalapay
Best for: European online shops offering three interest-free instalments, with integration handled by its own team or yours.
Sezzle
Best for: Merchants wanting a Pay in 4 option whose shoppers can also earn rewards and build credit history through its shopper app.
Splitit
Best for: Merchants whose customers want instalments on their existing credit card limit instead of a new loan, including through digital wallets.
Tamara
Best for: Saudi merchants offering Sharia compliant instalments over up to 24 months, with no late fees for shoppers.
Uplift
Best for: Partner brands wanting simple, surprise-free monthly payments with no Flex Pay fees, now sold under the Upgrade name.
Wisetack
Best for: Home service businesses such as HVAC, plumbing, roofing and auto repair offering extended 0% APR financing up to 24 months.
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Country and order size decide most of this choice
Here's what struck me reading the provider pages. The Uplift address now opens a page titled Flex Pay by Upgrade. Splitit's title explains its whole model, Using Your Own Credit Card, so shoppers spread a purchase over their existing card limit rather than taking a new loan. Tamara's page is about paying over 24 months in Saudi Arabia, and Wisetack says it's built for home service businesses.
Those four pages tell you how specialised this category is. A provider that's strong for fashion baskets in Italy may not serve a plumbing firm or a retailer in Riyadh at all. So start with where your shoppers are and how much a typical order is worth, then compare only the providers built for that.
Pay in 4, monthly plans or card-based instalments
- Short instalments. Pay in 3 or Pay in 4 over a few weeks, usually interest-free for the shopper. It suits everyday online orders in fashion, beauty and similar baskets.
- Monthly financing. Plans over many months for furniture, travel, home improvement and other larger purchases, sometimes with promotional 0% plans.
- Card-based instalments. The shopper uses headroom on a credit card they already have, so there's no new credit application for them.
Questions to ask a BNPL provider before you sign
- Markets. Is the product live in every country you sell in, online and in store?
- Order range. What's the smallest and largest basket it will finance?
- Settlement. When do you receive the money, and who carries the risk if a shopper stops paying?
- Integration. Is there a plugin for your platform, or does it run through a digital wallet you already accept?
- Shopper terms. Late fees, interest and credit checks differ by provider, and your customers will blame you if they're unhappy.
Instalment checkouts attract their own kind of fraud, from stolen identities to first-party abuse. My roundup of fraud detection software covers how to screen those orders.
Do you make a BNPL product for merchants? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on adding buy now, pay later
Look at your own order data before you talk to anyone. If most orders are small and online, a Pay in 4 provider that's strong in your country is the obvious test. If you sell big-ticket items or services, monthly financing will matter more to your customers than speed.
Then run one provider for a full season and compare conversion and average order value against the months before. One well-chosen option at checkout beats three logos that confuse shoppers.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What does a BNPL provider do for a merchant?
It offers your shoppers instalments at checkout, makes the credit decision, settles the order with you and collects the instalments from the shopper.
What's the difference between Pay in 4 and monthly financing?
Pay in 4 splits a purchase into four payments over a few weeks, usually interest-free. Monthly financing spreads larger purchases over many months, sometimes with interest.
Can I offer BNPL in more than one country?
Yes, but providers are often regional. Several on this list focus on one country or region, so you may need a different provider for each market.
Is BNPL only for online shops?
No. Several providers here also work at the point of sale in physical stores, and some are built for service businesses such as home repairs.
Does BNPL work with credit cards?
One provider on this list lets shoppers split purchases on their own existing credit card instead of opening a new loan.
