pay for travel with affirm

Buy now, pay later with KAYAK and Affirm

Don’t let budget get in your way – enjoy monthly installments for select flights, stays and rental cars booked on KAYAK.

What is Affirm?

Book today and pay over time.

Feel good about what you book and how you pay for it. With Affirm, you can make thoughtful purchases and pay over time while staying on budget. See here for additional details .

Affirm benefits

Quick and easy

Select Affirm as your payment method when booking and choose the payment plan that works for you.

No hidden fees

Affirm helps you break up payments with no fees or surprises, so you’ll know exactly how much you owe.

Real-time eligibility check

Answer a few questions to check your eligibility -or prequalify to see how much you can spend without affecting your credit score.

Images below are for illustrative purposes only

How to use Affirm on KAYAK

Step 1 – look for the kayak logo **.

Once you find the flight, stay or rental car perfect for you, look for the KAYAK logo when choosing which provider to book with.

**Applicable bookings may be labeled with “Instant booking” and/or a thunderbolt icon.

Step 2 – Select “Affirm” as your method of payment

When choosing your payment option, select Affirm as the method of payment for your booking.

Step 3 – Check your eligibility on Affirm

Simply enter your mobile number to confirm your account and answer a few questions to check your eligibility. Don’t stress–this won’t affect your credit score.

Step 4 – Compare your payment plan options

Quickly and easily compare the payment plan options available for your booking.

Step 5 – Review your final payment plan

Review the payment options for your booking and complete your reservation by paying with Affirm.

*Rates from 10–36% APR. For example, a $800 purchase might cost $72.21/mo over 12 months at 15% APR. Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders . Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required. CA residents: Loans by Affirm Loan Services, LLC are made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lenders Law license. For licenses and disclosures, see affirm.com/licenses .

Search now and pay with Affirm

Frequently asked questions.

Yes! There’s no penalty for paying early.

You can make or schedule payments at affirm.com  or in the Affirm app
 for iOS or Android. Affirm will send you email and text reminders before payments are due.

No—your credit score won’t be affected when you create an Affirm account or check your eligibility. If you decide to buy with Affirm, this may impact your credit score. You can find more information in Affirm’s Help Center.

Yes, your travel booking must be $150 or greater.

For any cancellation or change requests, please reach out directly to the merchant via customer support service number provided in your booking confirmation emails.

Yes, you’ll need a mobile phone number from the U.S. or U.S. territories. This helps Affirm verify it’s really you who is creating your account and signing in.

You can visit their website at affirm.com .

California consumers have the right to opt out of the sale * of their personal information. For more information on how we securely process personal information, please see our Privacy Policy .

Do not sell my info ON

* The definition of "sale" under the California Consumer Privacy Act is applicable only to California consumers.

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Delta Vacations is offering customers a new way to pay for travel. With Affirm, you can choose to make easy monthly payments to go on your vacation without having to pay for it all up front.

How Affirm Works:

• When paying for your travel, select Affirm, provide five simple pieces of information 1  and receive a credit decision in seconds.
• Once approved, you have the option to spread out the cost of your trip over 6, 12, 18 or 24 monthly installments, 2  with any interest shown in simple dollars rather than as a hard-to-calculate interest rate.
• There are no late or hidden fees, so you will never pay a dollar more than you agreed to upfront.
• Upon successful completion of your Affirm loan process, you will receive payment information directly from Affirm. You will also receive an email confirmation from Affirm.
• If you’re unsuccessful obtaining an Affirm loan, you can speak to a Delta Vacations Specialist or call 1-800-800-1504 about other payment options.

For additional information, visit  affirm.com , opens in a new window .

Experience everything an island paradise offers with a Delta Vacations Caribbean getaway, from sandy white beaches and breathtaking all-inclusive resorts to every water sport imaginable.

Terms & Conditions

• Your rate will be 10-36% APR based on credit, and is subject to an eligibility check. Payment options through Affirm are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders . Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required.
• Affirm only needs five pieces of information for most credit decisions: name, phone number, email address, date of birth and the last four digits of your social security number.
• For example, a $2,000 purchase might cost $124.77/mo over 18 months at 15% APR.

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Explore > Company > News > Book your flight and hotel now, pay later

Book your flight and hotel now, pay later

We are always looking ahead at new payment options and technologies to help alleviate the stress of booking your dream vacation. Are you on a tight budget, or perhaps you just prefer to pay for big purchases over time? Great news, we now have you covered!

Expedia recognizes there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to budgeting for vacation so next time you’ve caught the wanderlust bug or need to get home for Christmas but are struggling to pay for those flight and hotel reservations upfront, you can now breathe a sigh of relief. We’ve recently expanded our partnership with online lender Affirm to give you the flexibility of spreading out the cost of your flight and hotel package booking over numerous payments instead of paying the full amount of your trip upfront.

Our team is incredibly passionate about making travel accessible for all—everyone deserves a vacation! We’ve received positive feedback from our customers who have used Affirm to book and pay for hotels on Expedia , and now we are excited to bring this payment offering to Expedia customers shopping for flight and hotel packages as well.

Ready to take advantage of more payment flexibility when you travel? Here’s how you can use Affirm on Expedia to book your next hotel and flight package.

1) Visit expedia.com , search for and select a flight and hotel.

Upon selecting your package, select the Monthly Payments tab .

2) Click on “Continue to Affirm”

3) Create an account or sign in to Affirm

You will be transferred to a secure Affirm sign-in page. Shoppers apply using top-of-mind information about themselves and receive a real-time decision at checkout.

4) Complete your reservation with Affirm

Now you’re ready to jet set!

Expedia also offers exclusive Book Now, Pay Later hotel deals , so there’s no reason to let the cost of accommodation keep you from your travel plans.

What’s holding you back? Plan and book your next dream vacation today!

More Articles With Company

Book now, pay later

Vacation financing through Affirm is available for U.S. stays with a total rent of at least $250. Select "Pay later with Affirm"* at checkout.

How Affirm works

See if you’re eligible by providing some basic information. You’ll get a real-time decision (and your credit score won’t be affected).

Know exactly what you’ll owe before you commit. No hidden costs, no surprises.

Choose to pay in installments over 3, 6, 12, or 18 months*—even after the date of your trip.

Your trip, your way

When you finance your vacation with Affirm, your payment schedule is just one of the things you won't have to worry about.

Our professional property management includes 24/7 guest support, premium cleaning, and seamless check-in for your most relaxing vacation yet.

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Affirm travel FAQ

Who is eligible to apply for affirm financing on a vacasa stay.

While Affirm requires you to be at least 18 years old, you must be at least 21 to book a Vacasa home. (Some of our homes and destinations require a higher minimum age to rent the property—you'll see that specified on the property listing, if applicable.)

You must also be a U.S. resident booking a home within the U.S.

Does Affirm do a credit check, and how does it impact my credit score?

If you choose to pay with Affirm, we ask for some basic personal information to see if you're eligible. You'll get a real-time decision on whether you prequalify for a vacation loan. This process includes a quick credit check—but it does not affect your credit score.

How do I make my payments?

After you complete your Vacasa trip purchase, look out for an email directly from Affirm about your vacation payment plan. You can make secure payments on Affirm's website, or through their app. Visit Affirm's help center for more details on making loan payments.

Can I amend my order after my purchase has been processed?

If you need to adjust your reservation after purchase, you can do so in your Trip Manager . For any changes that come with additional fees (such as adding pets or pool heat), you'll need to pay for those with a credit card. Those charges cannot be added to your existing loan through Affirm.

And, if you end up needing to change dates or cancel your reservation, good news—trips paid for with Affirm still fall under our worry-free booking policy . You'll also see your change and cancellation options in your Trip Manager.

Can you make payments on a trip to Hawaii?

Yes, you can. We offer vacation payment plans through Affirm on U.S. stays, including those in Hawaii (as long as the rent totals at least $250).

Where to next?

Rates from 0–36% APR. For example, a $700 purchase might cost $63.18/mo over 12 months at 15% APR. Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders . Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required. See affirm.com/licenses for important info on state licenses and notifications.

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'buy now, pay later' can help fund your next trip but here's what you need to know about these loans, select walks you through what you need to know if you're considering a point-of-sale loan to finance your next trip.

With summer in full swing, and many countries easing travel restrictions, you might be eager to plan a post-pandemic trip. Even if you managed to save some money ahead of time, travel expenses can quickly add up, and you might be tempted to choose the 'buy now, pay later' option that's offered at checkout on many travel websites, including Carnival or Expedia.

These point-of-sale loans are seductive to consumers who don't want to pay for their post-pandemic vacations with one lump-sum payment, allowing people to make payments over a fixed period of time, sometimes without high interest rates.

But is using the 'buy now, pay later' option to pay for your flights or hotel stays too good to be true?

Select explores some of the benefits and drawbacks of using 'buy now, pay later' for travel.

What are point-of-sale loans?

How do point-of-sale loans work, should you use point-of-sale loans for travel, bottom line.

'Buy now, pay later' providers (also known as point-of-sale loans) offer consumers the option to sign up for a payment plan either when they're buying something on a retailer's website or directly through the loan provider's website ahead of purchase

Point-of-sale loans give consumers the ability to make installment payments over a fixed period of time until they completely pay off their purchase. This means that you'll make payments toward your purchases bi-monthly or monthly depending on the plan and/ or provider.

These payments can typically be automated by providing your debit card or bank account information. While many providers boast 0% interest rates, some point-of-sale loans can have interest rates upwards of 30%, higher than the APRs on many credit cards.

Some of the most popular providers are Afterpay , Affirm , Klarna and Uplift . Klarna offers point-of-sale loans, some with 0% APR, that allow you to make four payments every two weeks and require a deposit at checkout, while Afterpay allows you to pay over six weeks. Afterpay, Uplift, Klarna and Affirm also offer consumers longer payment periods of up to one, two or even three years.

When you purchase a flight or an item, you're given different financing options at checkout, such as the opportunity to pay with a credit card, gift card or point-of-sale loan . You'll be redirected to the POS provider website where you can enter your personal information. 

Some companies won't perform a credit check while others will perform either a soft or hard credit inquiry . Soft credit checks don't negatively impact your credit score , but hard inquiries will temporarily decrease your score. Based on the information you enter, you'll either be approved or denied for the loan.

Afterpay doesn't do any credit checks while Klarna does soft and hard credit checks, depending on the loan.

The impact a point-of-sale one has on your credit score depends on whether the provider reports your payment history to the credit bureaus . For example, Affirm only reports your credit history to Experian for some loans and not others. For the loans that Affirm does report to Experian, your payment history, the length of your credit history with Affirm, the amount of your loan and your late payments can all show up on your credit report.

Make sure to read the terms and conditions of your POS loan to see if your negative payment history is reported to the credit bureaus.

Travel expenses might seem like the perfect opportunity to use a point-of-sale loan because it's oftentimes a big purchase that you might not have the immediate cash on hand to cover.

Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm and Uplift all offer 'buy now, pay later' option for certain travel partners. Affirm has partnerships with Delta Vacations, Priceline, StubHub and Alternative Airlines, a flight booking website. Uplift is exclusively focused on providing point-of-sale loans for travel, with around 200 travel partners , including United Airlines, Kayak , Southwest Airlines and Royal Caribbean. 

Uplift will help you cover transactions costing anywhere from $100 to $25,000. Interest rates range from 7% to 30%, but there are a few travel partners such as Carnival Cruise Line and Atlantis that have a 0% APR, according to Tom Botts, chief commercial officer at Uplift. The average APR for an Uplift point-of-sale loan is 15%, which is similar to the average APR for credit cards .

"We use a variety of factors to determine eligibility," Botts says. "Interest rates are based on a number of factors including credit history, transaction amount and time to travel."

Uplift also only performs a soft credit check which won't negatively impact your credit score.

If you're able to secure a loan with 0% APR and make your payments on time, a point-of-sale loan could be a good choice for funding a trip. But if those monthly payments won't easily fit within your budget, be wary of a POS loan and read the fine print beforehand to determine how much you'll end up paying in interest.

For example, if you use Affirm to finance your purchases on Alternative Airlines , you can only get a 0% APR on your point-of-sale loan if you buy a flight that costs less than $500. If your ticket costs more than $500 , you could incur an interest rate of up to 30%, depending on your creditworthiness.

If you spend $1,000 on a flight and choose a 12-month payment plan with Affirm, you'll have to cough up nearly $100 in interest if you have a 20% APR on your loan. One perk of using Affirm over a credit card is that you'll have a longer payment period (of 3, 6, 12 or 18 months) which helps to spread the expenses over time into more manageable payments. And with an installment loan from Affirm or Uplift, the interest doesn't compound month over month, so your payment stays the same over the loan's term.

But a big drawback of using point-of-sale loans for travel is having to deal with unexpected problems, like trip cancellations or delays, says Priya Malani, the CEO and founder of Stash Wealth.

"If a trip is canceled or delayed with unexpected fees, your loan is still due. You're on the hook for the agreed upon total. Even though you may have checked out in one fluid process, you're still working with two separate entities — the travel provider and the POS loan provider," Malani says.

When it comes to funding your resort stay in Cancun or your flight to the Maldives, there are other options for financing your trip.

Travel rewards credit cards offer higher rewards rates for money spent on travel and the points you earn can go toward booking flights or hotels. While travel credit cards typically come with an annual fee, some offer a 0% introductory period, so you won't have to worry about high interest rates kicking in for 12 months or longer. If you go the 0% APR route, make sure you set up a repayment plan and pay the minimum each month so you don't end up paying late fees or big interest charges.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is currently offering a welcome bonus offer where new cardholders can earn 60,000 points after they spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Points can be redeemed for $750 worth of travel when booked through Chase Travel℠.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Regular APR

21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee

Credit needed.

Excellent/Good

Terms apply.

Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review .

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees ) is also a solid choice but comes with a smaller welcome bonus and higher rewards rate than the Preferred, giving 2X miles per dollar on every purchase and a welcome offer of 75,000 bonus miles if you spend $4,000 within three months of account opening.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

5 Miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase

Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

N/A for purchases and balance transfers

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you

See rates and fees . Terms apply.

Travel cards also often come with additional perks such as car rental insurance, trip cancellation insurance and purchase protection. You won't get any of these perks when you use a POS loan for travel.

If you worry about putting a big expense on your credit card or you're only eligible for a POS loan with high APR, you should also consider creating a travel fund instead.

By saving your money in a high-yield savings account , you'll be earning more (thanks to compound interest ) than you would be if you put your money in either a checking account or a traditional savings account. Creating a separate fund for travel can also give you a money goal to strive for and setting up automatic monthly transfers can help you avoid spending money on other short-term, more frivolous purchases.

Point-of-sale loans are attractive because of how easy they are to use — you simply provide some basic information about yourself to the loan provider before checking out and you can instantaneously get a loan that will allow you to spread the cost of your trip over a few months. If you're not diligent about reading the fine print, however, there can be a lot of caveats to using the 'buy now, pay later' option, including high interest rates and late fees.

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Fly now, pay later. how to buy plane tickets with uplift, affirm and paypal pay in 4.

Give yourself some breathing room when booking a vacation with "fly now, pay later" options.

Buy now, pay later options are popping up everywhere. And if you haven't bought flight tickets since before the pandemic, you may not know that you can buy tickets now and repay the balance later using BNPL apps .  Paying for flights with  travel and airline credit cards can earn you miles and rewards points -- but credit cards also come along with high, compounding interest rates, which are steadily rising as inflation continues to surge . Also, unlike credit cards which charge  compound interest  (which means interest accrues on the balance and any previous interest charges), many BNPL services are interest-free and those that aren't often only charge simple interest on the balance borrowed. Though debit cards eliminate the interest rate issue, if you need more space to pay for a trip, using a BNPL service to book your flight may make sense.

Here's everything you need to know about fly now, pay later options.

How to book a plane ticket with BNPL

Many airlines are incorporating BNPL services as a payment method at checkout. But there are also other ways to take advantage of BNPL services when booking flights. We'll run you through the four best strategies below.

1. Buy tickets directly from airlines with BNPL plans

Several airlines have direct partnerships with BNPL services. We recommend thoroughly reviewing the terms of each service before selecting one as your payment method. Some BNPL services have late fees, charge high interest rates or require your first payment at the time of purchase. Many services offer different installment plan options, like four payments every two weeks at 0% interest; a pay-in-30-days strategy (where the entire balance is due 30 days after making the purchase); or longer financing terms of three, six, 12 or even 36 months at a higher interest rate. It's important to review each installment plan closely to avoid high interest when possible and be sure that you can make payments on schedule.

Airlines with BNPL partnerships ( Uplift , Affirm and MarcusPay ) currently include:

• Aeromexico - Uplift
• Air Canada - Uplift
• Alaska Airlines - Uplift
• Allegiant Air - Uplift 
• American Airlines - Affirm
• Frontier Airlines - Uplift 
• JetBlue - MarcusPay
• Lufthansa - Uplift
• Southwest Airlines - Uplift
• Spirit Airlines - Uplift
• TAP Air Portugal - Uplift
• United Airlines - Uplift

To buy tickets using a BNPL service, you'll visit the airline's website, select your tickets and click the BNPL option at checkout. You'll then be redirected to the BNPL website or app where you'll either enter your login or create an account. From there, the BNPL service may offer different options for splitting up your payments, should explain the interest rate you qualify for (if applicable) and may require your first payment at the time of purchase.

2. Avoid interest with PayPal Pay in 4

PayPal, an online payment service, can be used as a payment method for most airline tickets. And now you can select PayPal's Pay in 4 service, which lets you divide your payment into four biweekly (automatic) installments at 0% interest. While the first installment is due at the time of purchase, you'll have around 45 days to pay off the remaining balance.

3. Book via a third-party travel site

Some third-party flight booking services -- including Kayak, Priceline, Expedia and Travelocity -- offer BNPL options for any airline. If the airline you prefer to fly with is not offering a direct BNPL payment option, you can search for tickets on one of these third-party sites instead.

4. Use a virtual BNPL card

Do you already have a BNPL service you like to use? Many buy now, pay later companies offer virtual cards , which allow you to purchase items online at websites that don't offer BNPL payment options.

Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, ZIP (formerly QuadPay) and most other major BNPL services offer this option. To get started, you'll need to know the final cost of your purchase, including tax. Log in to your BNPL account and apply for a virtual card, inputting the full purchase amount when prompted. It's helpful to round up to ensure that the card is issued for an amount that fully covers your purchase. Once approved, you'll be given a virtual card number, expiration date and CVV (card verification value), which you can use as a payment method when ordering airline tickets online.

The amount you spend on the virtual card will then be applied to your BNPL account to be repaid in installments.

5. Alternatively, consider a 0% APR credit card

If the BNPL methods you qualify for have high interest rates or if you need more time to repay your purchase, there is another option -- a  0% APR credit card . This type of credit card offers no interest for an introductory period, usually between 15 and 20 months. Just be sure you can repay the total balance within the introductory period, otherwise interest will begin accruing and piling on to your debt.

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The Guide to Pay Later Travel

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Pay later is becoming a popular travel tool. In 2019, $10 million was spent on travel-related " buy now, pay later ." However, by 2021, $800 million was spent on travel-related buy now, pay later.

With pay later becoming more widely available and used for travel expenses, we'll dive into what you need to know to see whether this financing option is a smart money move for you.

There are different types of pay later travel options

“Pay later” travel is a broad term, but it generally falls into one of two categories:

Buy now, pay later services where you pay for your travel in equal installments, sometimes with added interest. Examples include travel booked using Affirm and Uplift.

Travel that you book in advance but don’t pay for until later. An example is Hotels.com, which will sometimes let you reserve a room and pay for it at check-in.

Basically, as long as you’re not paying in full for the travel upfront, it qualifies as pay later travel.

Some travel companies offer pay later travel options directly

There are several ways to book pay later travel, including booking directly with certain airlines, hotels and other travel companies that offer pay later at checkout, including:

Alaska Airlines.

Southwest Airlines.

United Airlines.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Some of these companies offer pay later travel through a partner, and others offer buy now, pay later travel directly.

For instance, Southwest offers buy now, pay later through Uplift, whereas Hilton allows you to book certain reservations by putting a credit card down and then paying in full when you check out.

» Learn more: Are buy now, pay later flights worth it?

There are companies that specialize in pay later that you can use for travel

If you want to use pay later travel for your trip and the airline, hotel or travel company doesn’t offer pay later travel directly, you may be able to pay for your travel later by using a company that specializes in that option — companies like Affirm , Zip , Uplift and Afterpay .

You may also be able to use your credit card for pay later travel. For instance, Chase has a service called My Chase Plan where you can split a purchase of $100 or more into equal monthly installments for a fixed monthly fee instead of credit card interest.

» Learn more: Buy now, pay later already comes standard on many credit cards

Pay later travel may cost you more

Using a pay later service may cost you more money overall, so be sure to read the fine print before opting for pay later travel.

Do the math to compare how much you’ll pay over time versus how much you’ll pay if you pay for the travel upfront.

For example, CheapOair — which offers buy now, pay later travel through Affirm — has a disclaimer:

"Rates from 10–36% APR. For example, a $800 purchase might cost $72.21/mo over 12 months at 15% APR. Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required."

In CheapOair’s example, you would either:

Pay $800 by paying for your travel upfront.

Pay $866.52 by using pay later travel ($72.21 per month times 12 months).

Because paying later on travel can end up costing you more, unless you’re able to get pay later travel at a 0% interest rate, you should use it only occasionally and stick to paying upfront when you can.

» Learn more: How to make a flight payment plan with no credit check

Your credit may be affected by paying later

Deferring payments on travel may affect your credit score — another reason that this shouldn’t be your go-to option. Affirm, one of the major players in pay later travel, says this about whether using the company will affect your credit:

"Creating an Affirm account and seeing if you prequalify will not affect your credit score. If you decide to buy with Affirm, these things may affect your credit score: making a purchase with Affirm, your payment history with Affirm, how much credit you've used, and how long you’ve had credit."

When using pay later travel companies like Affirm, Zip and Uplift, you should consider it as a loan that can help and hurt your credit score, and it should not be taken out lightly.

» Learn more: Could a buy now, pay later loan affect my credit?

The bottom line

When it comes to travel expenses, these installment loan options generally fall into one of two categories: buy now, pay later services where you pay in equal partial payments (sometimes with an added fee or interest rate) and travel that you book and then pay in full later, like a hotel reservation that doesn’t require payment until checkout.

Although there are travel companies that offer pay later services directly, like Alaska Airlines, Hilton and Priceline, you can also turn to other companies — like Affirm and Uplift — to pay less upfront.

Before financing travel with a pay later service, note that it may cost you more money in the long run and also may affect your credit score, so be sure to do research and read the fine print.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

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How do I pay for my cruise with Affirm?

At the end of your online booking process you will get to the  “Choose your payment amount”  window. Once there, select  “Pay the total balance"  and  “Use this payment method”  box in the Affirm section under  “How would you like to pay” .  You will make payments using the Affirm app or website.

Please refer to  helpcenter.affirm.com  for specifics regarding loan approval and payment. Payments made using Affirm are subject to the terms and conditions established by your agreement with Affirm.

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16 Airlines That Let You Book Flights Now and Pay Later

Planning a trip but don't want to pay for it all at once? These sites offer book-now, pay-later flights.

Orbon Alija/Getty Images

If you think a vacation is out of your reach, think again. Some airlines and online travel agencies have services that allow you to book a trip now and pay for it over time.

Affirm, PayPal, Uplift, and Klarna are among the book-now, pay-later services travel companies and airlines offer. Here, we break down the basics of these and airlines' own "BNPL" options so you can secure flights when the prices are lowest, even if you don't want to pay for them in full upfront.

Airlines Offering Book-now, Pay-later Flights

AeroMexico connects major U.S. cities to Latin American destinations like Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. The airline partners with Uplift to provide a monthly payment option. When you go to book a flight, you'll see an option to pay in monthly installments. Click through and you'll be asked for any personal information Uplift needs to process the loan.

You can also pay in installments through Klarna. Download the Klarna extension for Chrome or the app and you should see a pink "K" icon that will show you financing options. AeroMexico takes PayPal, which means you can use PayPal Credit to split up payments if you're approved.

Pay monthly for Air Canada flights and Air Canada Vacations packages with Uplift or PayPal Credit.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines partners with Uplift and Klarna to offer financing for flights.

Allegiant also uses Uplift and Klarna to provide payment plans. Select the Allegiant Pay option at checkout to choose financing through Uplift.

American Airlines

American Airlines offers several ways to buy now and pay later, including Klarna; PayPal Credit; Citi Flex Pay for select Citi cardholders; and Affirm, which has biweekly, monthly, and interest-free options but doesn't cover the cost of any flight extras, like luggage. American Airlines Vacations also gives you the option to pay monthly with Uplift.

Azul Airlines is a low-cost Brazilian airline that accepts payments through Uplift and PayPal.

Delta Air Lines

Delta offers PayPal Credit as a payment option, and you can pay using Affirm if you book your trip through Delta Vacations , a service for SkyMiles members that bundles flights, hotels, transportation, and activities.

One of the United Arab Emirates' two flag carriers, this airline partners with financing institutions Uplift and Klarna. You can also pay with PayPal Credit.

Frontier Airlines

Budget carrier Frontier Airlines lets you pay monthly installments through Uplift on purchases of $49 or more. If eligible, you will see the option at checkout. Frontier is also a Klarna retail partner.

KLM offers customers the option of holding a fare for 72 hours for a non-refundable fee. This is great if you find a fare that you want to book but need a few days to think about it. In addition, the airline takes PayPal Credit. This service is shown on the payment page as a "Bill Me Later" option, but directs you to your PayPal wallet.

Lufthansa has a list of payment methods on its website . Some monthly payment options are available specifically for residents of Brazil and Colombia. U.S. residents may pay monthly through PayPal Credit.

Porter Airlines

Porter , a Canadian airline, allows customers to use Uplift and PayPal to purchase flights across the U.S. and Canada.

Qatar Airways

Unless you're flying from Brazil, Brunei, or Kazakhstan, you can hold any Qatar Airways booking for up to 72 hours. How long prospective travelers can hold their Qatar flights depends on where they intend to fly to and from. The "Hold My Booking" option, available on the payment page, requires a non-refundable fee that doesn't go toward the price of your ticket. In most cases, you can also use PayPal Credit.

Southwest Airlines uses Uplift to break the cost of the flight up into fixed monthly payments. It also accepts PayPal Credit and Klarna.

Sunwing connects Canadian cities with destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. You can pay for plane tickets in monthly installments through Uplift.

United Airlines

Use Uplift, PayPal Credit, or Klarna to pay for United Airlines flights in monthly installments. The company also has a program called FareLock that allows you to pay a fee to hold a fare for three, seven, or 14 days before paying for it in full. If you decide not to buy the ticket, you forfeit the fee. This service is offered only on itineraries wholly operated by United Airlines and/or United Express.

Online Travel Agencies Offering Monthly Payment Options

Alternative airlines.

Any ticket booked through Alternative Airlines can be paid for in weekly, biweekly, or monthly installments with Uplift. The online travel agency markets itineraries by more than 600 airlines, and Uplift financing can be used for all of them. You can also split payments through Klarna.

CheapOair.com

CheapOair uses Affirm to offer customers a monthly payment option.

Funjet Vacations

Funjet Vacations uses Uplift to offer monthly payments for its flights and vacation packages.

Priceline uses Affirm to handle monthly payments. Select the "monthly payments" option on the secure billing step of the booking process and choose from three-, six-, or 12-month options. Alternatively, break it up into four payments over six weeks using Klarna.

How Buy-now, Pay-later Services Work

Airlines and travel agencies partner with BNPL services like the travel-specific Uplift or the more broadly available Affirm to offer monthly payment options. Some take payments through PayPal Credit and/or Klarna. Learn about the differences between these services and how they work.

Affirm allows customers to pay monthly or every two weeks. Terms can last up to 48 months for the largest loans, but more typically, they last up to a year. Interest rates vary by person, ranging from 0% to 36% APR, and are determined at the time of sign-up. A down payment and credit check might be required when you apply for a loan.

To use Affirm, you will need a phone number to use as an account login. The service is available only in the U.S. and Canada. Once you've created your account and gotten approved for a loan amount, you can set up auto-pay or pay each month via the app or website. You can find a full list of Affirm's travel partners, including airlines and accommodations, on its website .

PayPal Credit

This is a monthly payment option provided by travel companies that take PayPal. Typically, you'll choose PayPal as your payment method, and once you sign into your PayPal account, you can choose PayPal Credit . As of 2023, the variable purchase APR is about 28% for new accounts, but you can avoid paying interest altogether if you pay the loan off within six months. Loan applications are subject to credit approval.

Uplift is the leading pay-over-time financing service in the travel space, partnering with cruise lines, hotel chains, airlines, and more. Once you have selected a product, like your flight, you are shown a per-month rate based on the price of the items in your shopping cart. When you get to the payment page and choose monthly payment as your option, you will be asked for some personal details, and once you click "check rate," you will be told whether you've been approved. Uplift offers an APR of 0% to 36% based on your credit. You won't be penalized for paying late or early, and you can set up autopay so the money comes out of your account automatically.

Klarna breaks up the price of your ticket into monthly payments or four equal payments to be made two weeks apart. Add the Klarna extension to your Chrome browser or download the app on your phone, then book your flight as usual, selecting Klarna at checkout. The first payment will be due upfront. Klarna offers an APR of 0% to about 30%.

Uplift is the leader in Buy Now, Pay Later for travel .

When you pay monthly for a flight, a cruise, a hotel, or vacation package – you’re giving yourself the freedom to travel farther and explore more enjoyably. Millions of consumers choose Buy Now, Pay Later options for vacation and travel so that they can say “yes” to all those bucket-list items and pay over time.

Paying monthly with Uplift helps you avoid late fees or annual fees you may incur using a credit card. Not to mention you’ll never have to worry about prepayment penalties, debt traps, or compound interest using Uplift.

Whether you’re traveling for work, to visit family or friends, or simply taking that trip you’ve always been dreaming of, using Uplift to pay for flights in installments or spread the cost of your hotel into monthly payments is the perfect option.

Unlike other Buy Now, Pay Later companies, Uplift’s Customer Service Squad is available 24/7 and provides unparalleled service from purchase to final payment.

A few of our partners:

Uplift knows just how much thought, care, and planning goes into creating the most memorable experiences. Lump-sum costs shouldn’t hold you back from booking.

When it comes to paying monthly for your vacation purchases, rest easy knowing that Uplift is the original Buy Now, Pay Later for travel.

Take a look at what our valued travelers have been saying lately.

My daughter just moved from CA to TX and was not able to come home for Thanksgiving. I thought I would surprise her with a visit from myself, her brother and his wife. She will be very happy.

So excited this will be my first trip to Las Vegas an I can take it off my bucket list thanks to Uplift.

Was a great option to pre-book flights without having to pay the entire amount! We travel with a family of 5 so everything is always expensive!

Need more answers to your questions about Uplift? Start here.

Why choose Uplift?

Uplift gives you the freedom to purchase what you want now and pay with fixed monthly payments. Uplift is often a better alternative to credit cards because Uplift charges only simple interest while some credit cards charge interest on interest. Uplift also makes budgeting easy so you can manage your expenses over time rather than paying one large sum all at once.

What kind of products and services can I purchase using Uplift?

Uplift can be used to purchase a wide range of products and services from our travel partners and retailers. Click here to see a full list of our current partners who offer Uplift. Click here to see a full list of our current partners who offer Uplift.

Get the app

What is the advantage of using Uplift vs a credit card?

While some credit cards charge interest on interest, Uplift charges only simple interest. If you carry a balance on a credit card, it can be hard to understand what it will cost you. With Uplift, the cost is clear at the time of purchase, with simple interest, predictable payments, and no fees.

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Focus: Buy now, pay later lender Affirm pushes into elective medical procedures

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Hannah Lang covers financial technology and cryptocurrency, including the businesses that drive the industry and policy developments that govern the sector. Hannah previously worked at American Banker where she covered bank regulation and the Federal Reserve. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park and lives in Washington, DC.

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Computer parts maker logitech q4 sales rise; first positive qtr in over 2 years.

Logitech International increased its sales during its fourth quarter, the computer peripherals maker said on Tuesday, snapping two-and-a-half years of sales downturns after a pandemic-driven boom.

Now you can put your Botox on Affirm

• Buy now, pay later company Affirm is starting to offer loans for elective cosmetic procedures.
• BNPL works differently from a credit card — critics say it can encourage people to pile on debt. 
• It's not just available for Botox, though. Dental and vet bills can be paid this way, too.

"Buy now, pay later" company Affirm has identified a new category for growth, according to a new report from Reuters : elective medical procedures like Botox, nose jobs, and even dental treatments.

Buy now, pay later options like Klarna and Affirm have become ubiquitous at checkouts on e-commerce retail sites for some time. Klarna even had a Super Bowl ad. But until recently, these companies have largely focused on retail purchases.

Related stories

Now, BNPL is moving into the medical arena — a first for a major buy now, pay later company, according to the Reuters report:

Over the past year, Affirm has more than doubled the number of elective medical merchants on its network, reaching around 130 at of the end of 2023. The San Francisco-based company is hoping to tap growing consumer demand for financing for cosmetic treatments, dental services, medical devices and veterinary procedures. "A lot of these price points are about $2,000 and above, so that suits our installment product ... really well," Pat Suh, Affirm's senior vice president of revenue, said in an interview.

On one hand, financing cosmetic procedures is nothing new. A plastic surgeon or dentist may offer their own financing plans, and certainly, people use personal credit cards or other personal loan products for these things.

BNPL can appeal to people who don't have a credit card, perhaps because they're young and don't have a credit history or have bad credit. This can be a good thing, giving purchasing power to those who wouldn't otherwise have it. But BNPL apps typically don't help people build credit. They don't send positive payment information to the credit bureaus, but if your account goes into collections, it can negatively affect your credit score.

They can also trip those same people up. In 2022, a LendingTree report found that 42% of people who had used BNPL had at least one late payment. And those late payment fees can start to add up.

The services can also lead young people down a bad road, encouraging overspending with the allure of a seemingly low monthly payment. Business Insider reported recently how BNPL loans grew by 10 times between 2019 and 2023, creating a significant amount of "phantom debt" in the US economy since it's not typically reported to credit bureaus.

I know: It can be hard to sympathize with someone who's using lip filler they can't afford by putting it on Affirm. But go back to what it's actually being used for: "cosmetic treatments, dental services, medical devices, and veterinary procedures."

That means it's not just lip filler and Botox.

People who might need a root canal or a crown for a chipped tooth — the kind of necessary care that can be very expensive even with dental insurance — might be using Affirm. Or veterinary bills: any pet owner knows the horrible choice they face if their dog or cat needs an expensive surgery.

Watch: The fake doctors behind Asia's cosmetic surgery boom

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Walmart backed startup fintech launches buy now, pay later option

Walmart has already been using affirm to help customers pay over time.

Buy now, pay later is adding more pain to people's budgets: George Kamel

Ramsey Solutions personal finance expert and 'The Ramsey Show' co-host George Kamel discusses the 'buy now, pay later' craze and the trend that celebrates the financial benefits of being childless.

The Walmart-backed financial technology company, One, is helping customers to buy now and pay later. 

The payment option is being used in some of Walmart's stores. The Arkansas-based retailer has over 4,000 stores around the U.S. but it didn't specify which stores are using One. 

One declined to comment. 

AMERICANS USING BUY NOW, PAY LATER TO AFFORD GROCERIES, OTHER NECESSITIES

According to One’s website, the pay over time feature applies to purchases between $100 and $3,000. It also comes with an annual percentage rate (APR) between 9.99% and 35.99%, which depends on your creditworthiness.

One's system rivals that of Affirm, which Walmart already uses to help customers purchase products across its stores and online. 

Buy now, pay later services, which let customers pay for purchases over time, have been growing in interest in recent years, especially at a time when Americans are contending with persisting inflation , high interest rates and student loan payments. 

A Walmart location in Chicago on April 12, 2023. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)

Over the holiday season, for instance, online spending during Cyber Week was driven in large part by "Buy Now Pay Later" options, according to Adobe. 

CYBER MONDAY SALES REACH $12.4B DRIVEN BY 'BUY NOW, PAY LATER'

Usage of such services hit an all-time high on Cyber Monday, accounting for $940 million, an increase of 42.5% year over year. Cart sizes also rose 11% annually as shoppers leaned on the service. 

While they help consumers with flexibility, financial experts warn that there are pitfalls. 

A woman loads groceries into her car at a Walmart Supercenter in Coal Township, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 12, 2022. (Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via / Getty Images)

For one, customers need to ensure they have the money to cover the payments when due. If a consumer keeps missing payments, they could very easily be handed over to a debt collector, Martha Callahan, certified financial planner at Maryland-based FBB Capital Partners, previously told FOX Business. 

"It's similar to using a credit card where you make the purchase now, but when it comes time to pay that debt, if you don't have the cash on hand to make the payment. You're just digging yourself into a deeper financial hole," Callahan said.  

Not all payments are interest free either. 

For instance, Walmart noted on its website that Affirm may offer special financing as low as 0% APR but only on select Walmart.com products. 

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Walmart continued saying on its website that "0% APR is a promotional financing offer that is specific to certain Walmart.com products for a limited time."

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When it comes to government planes and political trips, who pays for a president’s campaign travel?

FILE - President Joe Biden boards Air Force One, March 11, 2024, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The White House and the Democratic National Committee are splitting the cost of Biden’s travel while he runs for a second term. It’s part of a longstanding arrangement that prevents taxpayers from being stuck with the full bill for political trips. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden, center right, and first lady Jill Biden, center left, walk off Air Force One, March 29, 2024, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The White House and the Democratic National Committee are splitting the cost of Biden’s travel while he runs for a second term. It’s part of a longstanding arrangement that prevents taxpayers from being stuck with the full bill for political trips. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, March 21, 2024, in Dallas, en route to Houston. The White House and the Democratic National Committee are splitting the cost of Biden’s travel while he runs for a second term. It’s part of a longstanding arrangement that prevents taxpayers from being stuck with the full bill for political trips. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden boards Air Force One, March 13, 2024, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. en route to Milwaukee. The White House and the Democratic National Committee are splitting the cost of Biden’s travel while he runs for a second term. It’s part of a longstanding arrangement that prevents taxpayers from being stuck with the full bill for political trips. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., March 11, 2024, to travel to Manchester, N.H. The White House and the Democratic National Committee are splitting the cost of Biden’s travel while he runs for a second term. It’s part of a longstanding arrangement that prevents taxpayers from being stuck with the full bill for political trips. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., April 12, 2024, enroute to New Castle, Del. The White House and the Democratic National Committee are splitting the cost of Biden’s travel while he runs for a second term. It’s part of a longstanding arrangement that prevents taxpayers from being stuck with the full bill for political trips. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden, second from left, boards Air Force One, March 28, 2024, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Biden is headed to New York for a fundraiser. The White House and the Democratic National Committee are splitting the cost of Biden’s travel while he runs for a second term. It’s part of a longstanding arrangement that prevents taxpayers from being stuck with the full bill for political trips. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s no simple matter to move the commander in chief from point A to B, and it’s even more complicated when the president is seeking a second term.

President Joe Biden recently spent three days in Pennsylvania , a pivotal state in the 2024 campaign, and he plans to be in Virginia and Florida this coming week. The Democratic incumbent is seeking an edge over Republican Donald Trump as he ramps up his travels around the country.

Here’s a look at how much it costs and who pays the bill during the campaign season.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

It’s not cheap to fly the president’s fleet.

The White House uses Sikorsky helicopters known as Marine One when the president is aboard, as well as custom Boeing 747s that are immediately recognizable as the iconic humpback Air Force One. (Sometimes the president uses a more modest modified 757 if his destination is nearby or if a runway isn’t long enough to accommodate the bigger plane.)

Marine One costs between $16,700 and almost $20,000 per hour to operate, according to Pentagon data for the 2022 budget year. Air Force One is even more expensive: roughly $200,000 per hour.

But those figures only scratch the surface of the real cost. There also are military cargo planes that travel ahead of the president to make sure his armored limousines are in place, not to mention the enormous security apparatus that follows the president everywhere.

New aircraft are in the works because the current versions are decades old. Sikorsky is producing 23 updated helicopters to serve as Marine One. Boeing is building two new Air Force One planes , and they are scheduled to be finished by 2028. According to the Pentagon, the planes will come with all enhancements, including “a mission communication system,” a “self-defense system” and even “autonomous baggage loading.”

WHO PAYS FOR THE TRAVEL?

When the president flies for political purposes, the campaign is supposed to pay the bill. But during an election year, the line between governing and campaigning can be fuzzy.

For example, Biden held an official event Wednesday in Pittsburgh, where he announced his proposal for higher tariffs on steel imported from China. The event, however, was a not-so-subtle opportunity for the president to rub shoulders with union members who are critical to his reelection, and he jabbed at Trump in his remarks. (At one point Biden joked that the former president was “busy right now,” a reference to the hush money trial that recently got underway in New York.)

It’s up to the White House counsel’s office to figure out what percentage of the president’s travels are campaign related. That determines how much the federal government should be reimbursed by the Biden campaign. Sometimes the calculations aren’t straightforward, such as when the White House adds an official event to an otherwise political trip.

Norm Eisen, a White House ethics lawyer under President Barack Obama, said both Republicans and Democrats have usually hewed closely to regulations.

“We had a set of rules on how to do the allocations,” he said. “They’re intricate, and we stuck to them.”

No matter what, taxpayers end up on the hook for most of the cost. Campaigns do not pay for all the Secret Service agents and the rest of the security apparatus. In fact, they usually only cover the cost of Air Force One passengers who are flying for explicitly political purposes — sort of like buying a ticket on a particularly exclusive private jet.

President Joe Biden, second from left, boards Air Force One, March 28, 2024, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

HOW MUCH HAS BIDEN PAID?

Biden’s campaign and his joint fundraising committee have been stockpiling travel cash in an escrow account maintained by the Democratic National Committee. From January 2023 until the end of last month, they deposited nearly $6.5 million.

Some of that money goes to general campaign logistics, such as staff expenses and advance work. The account is also used to reimburse the federal government for official aircraft used to transport the president, the first lady, the vice president and the second gentleman when they travel for the reelection effort.

So far, not much money has found its way back to the U.S. Treasury. As of the latest data available, just $300,000 has been provided.

It’s safe to assume that Biden’s campaign will end up forking over much more than that once the campaign is over. Trump’s team reimbursed the federal government nearly $4.7 million for travel expenses during the 2020 race.

But Biden probably won’t have trouble covering his bills. His campaign and the DNC had more than $192 million in cash on hand at the end of March.

AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

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‘Pay Later’ Lenders Have an Issue With Credit Bureaus

Firms like Experian and TransUnion say it is time for “buy now, pay later” loans to appear on consumer credit reports. The lenders aren’t ready to sign on.

Credit... Monica Garwood

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By Jordyn Holman and Ben Casselman

• April 23, 2024

Shoppers in recent years have embraced “buy now, pay later” loans as an easy, interest-free way to purchase everything from sweaters to concert tickets.

The loans typically are not reported on consumers’ credit reports, however, or reflected in their credit scores. That has stoked concerns that users might be taking on an outsize amount of debt that is invisible to both lenders and financial regulators.

So in February, when Apple announced it would start reporting loans made through its Apple Pay Later program to Experian, one of the three major U.S. credit bureaus, it looked like a watershed moment for the fast-growing “buy now, pay later” category.

But none of the other major pay-later providers have followed Apple’s lead. And while credit bureaus and lenders say they are interested in finding a way to work together, the gulf between the two sides remains wide — so much so that some pay-later firms are exploring creating an alternative credit bureau to handle their loans.

“I haven’t seen really meaningful progress,” said David Sykes, chief commercial officer of Klarna, one of the largest pay-later firms.

“Buy now, pay later” loans allow consumers to pay for purchases over time, often in four installments over six weeks, interest free. They surged in popularity during the pandemic, when they helped fuel an online-shopping boom. The rapid growth has continued: The retail industry attributed its record-setting holiday sales in part to the popularity of pay-later products.

But economists at Wells Fargo warned last year that “phantom debt” from pay-later loans “could create substantial problems for the consumer and the broader economy.”

The credit bureaus argue that incorporating pay-later loans into the reporting system would benefit consumers, who could build credit by repaying the loans on time, and lenders, who would gain fuller insight into consumers’ borrowing.

The pay-later providers agree — in theory. But they worry that reporting the loans would end up hurting their customers. Existing scoring models penalize borrowers who take out many loans in a short period. That could be a problem for the pay-later industry because, unlike credit card purchases, each pay-later transaction is treated as a loan.

Some consumer advocates share that concern.

“The credit reporting system is a system that assumes monthly payments, it assumes longer-term loans, and it just isn’t really cut out to handle ‘buy now, pay later,’” said Chi Chi Wu, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. “It’s a square-peg, round-hole kind of thing.”

The consumer reporting industry in the United States has evolved over the decades to become a complex web of independent and sometimes competing players. Financial institutions — banks, mortgage brokers, auto lenders and others — report information on loans to three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Those bureaus compile the data and provide it to lenders and consumers, and also to companies like FICO and VantageScore, which use it to produce credit scores.

The major credit bureaus say they addressed the pay-later industry’s concerns more than two years ago when they created a category for the loans. That should allow FICO and VantageScore to adjust their models to account for those loans’ unique characteristics — and ultimately to incorporate them into credit scores without penalizing users. (For now, the loans would be included on consumers’ credit reports but not visible to lenders or incorporated into scoring models.)

“It’s been a long road, but I think that we are finally hitting a turning point in the momentum toward getting the data reported,” said Liz Pagel, a senior vice president at TransUnion who oversees the company’s consumer lending business.

The pay-later industry, however, argues that the credit-reporting system still isn’t ready. For one thing, the credit bureaus primarily receive data from lenders monthly, whereas pay-later loans are typically paid biweekly. (All three major credit bureaus said that while monthly reporting was the default, lenders could report more frequently if they wish.)

“It’s just not fit-for-purpose yet,” Mr. Sykes of Klarna said. “And we haven’t seen anything from the bureaus that suggest it’s about to be.”

Klarna reports loans to TransUnion and Experian in Britain, where the system works somewhat differently. A rival, Affirm, reports some longer-term loans to Experian in the United States and says it hopes to report shorter-term loans “eventually.”

Other major pay-later providers, like Afterpay, PayPal and Zip, said their concerns with the credit reporting system’s handling of pay-later loans had not been resolved.

“Our members continue to say it’s still inadequate,” said Penny Lee, president of the Financial Technology Association, which represents many of the largest pay-later companies.

That argument took a hit in February, however, when Apple announced that it would begin reporting loans made through its “Apple Pay Later” product — essentially a copy of the pay-in-four loans offered by Klarna, Afterpay and similar firms — to Experian.

Apple declined to comment, but in an earlier news release said that while the loans would not immediately be incorporated into credit scores, it saw the move as a step toward “providing users with the opportunity to further build their credit.”

Silvio Tavares, chief executive of VantageScore, said in an interview that Apple’s announcement showed the credit-reporting system’s ability to handle pay-later loans.

“It’s tough to be more sophisticated than Apple,” he said.

Far from joining Apple, however, pay-later providers appear to be exploring a system outside the traditional credit reporting infrastructure. Last year, two former industry executives founded Qlarifi, a data-aggregation platform specifically for pay-later loans. (Mr. Sykes of Klarna is an investor.)

Alex Naughton, who left Klarna last year to help found Qlarifi and is now its chief executive, portrays the company as a nimble, more tech-savvy credit-reporting approach. It will be able to collect and share data in real time rather than monthly, the standard for the major credit bureaus.

“I don’t think the existing infrastructure is able to adapt as quickly,” he said.

The lenders and the credit agencies agree that pay-later loans are unlikely to remain outside the credit scoring system forever. But it is unclear what will break the logjam. Ultimately, industry experts said, it will probably boil down to one of two things: Either regulators will force pay-later firms to start reporting or market forces will.

“Either it’s going to be a market shift or it’s going to be a regulatory shift,” said Shane Foster, a lawyer at Greenberg Traurig who specializes in financial regulation.

Regulatory action seems unlikely soon, at least at the federal level. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has hinted that it would like to see pay-later loans incorporated into the credit reporting system. But while the agency oversees the credit reporting industry — enforcing policies to ensure that the data is accurate and that consumer rights are protected — it hasn’t tried to require private companies to provide data to the bureaus.

Several states, including California, have taken action to regulate the pay-later industry, and others, including New York, are considering doing so. But those efforts wouldn’t immediately require the loans to be reported to credit bureaus.

Banks and other traditional lenders report to the credit bureaus because the data is helpful in lending decisions and because it provides a stick to encourage borrowers to repay: If they don’t, their credit scores will suffer.

Pay-later providers may not feel much pressure to begin reporting because their business is growing and most consumers are making their payments, said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate. But if the economy slows and more consumers start falling behind on payments, lenders might decide they need to join the credit reporting system to judge borrowers’ reliability.

“Delinquencies are pretty low, the job market’s been solid, so maybe that’s not created the same urgency,” he said. “‘Buy now, pay later’ has yet to have its real delinquency reckoning. People keep warning about it. Maybe that will ultimately be what spurs change here.”

Jordyn Holman is a business reporter for The Times, covering the retail industry and consumer behavior. More about Jordyn Holman

Ben Casselman writes about economics with a particular focus on stories involving data. He has covered the economy for nearly 20 years, and his recent work has focused on how trends in labor, politics, technology and demographics have shaped the way we live and work. More about Ben Casselman

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