IPSOS DATA DROPS:
Boycotts in America
March 2025
Key Takeaways:
According to the Ipsos Consumer Tracker, a majority of Americans say they’ve paid in installments for a purchase — a 12-point gain since early 2023. That increase is particularly pronounced among older Americans and high earners.
But younger shoppers pay in installments for a wider range of purposes. For instance, one in four 18- to 34-year-olds who have paid in installments say they’ve used these services to pay for groceries. That’s five times more likely than shoppers aged 55+ who have used these services.
Yet fewer shoppers say they’re using actual “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) apps. Both credit cards and loans have gained ground since 2023.
Older Americans are getting on board with buying now and paying later…
Over the last two years, the percentage of Americans who have bought now and paid later has grown steadily: 57% now say they’ve paid for a purchase in installments. The demographics driving this go against conventional narratives.
Americans over 55 have overtaken 18- to 34-year-olds with a 20-point gain since March 2023.
61% of shoppers 55+ now say they’ve paid for a purchase in installments at some point.
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When we look at Americans in aggregate, the mix of BNPL spending has hardly changed since 2023. But younger Americans use these services for a wider variety of purchases. In June 2025, they were twice as likely as those 55+ to say they’ve paid in installments for clothing, and five times as likely to have paid in installments for groceries.
… But younger Americans use these services for a wider range of purchases
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Over the last two years, higher earners have been more likely to get on board with paying in installments.
More Americans say they’ve paid for a purchase in installments — especially high earners
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Half (56%) of Americans with a household income over $100k now say they’ve paid for a purchase in installments, a 16-point increase since 2023. Among those earning $50-$100k, there’s a 13% increase.
Over that same period, responses from Americans earning under $50k have stayed essentially unchanged.
What's Next
Most Americans now say they’ve paid for purchases in installments. Financial services providers should reconsider their notions about this being limited to younger and lower-income shoppers.
TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT: Kevin Hung Senior Vice President Kevin.Hung@ipsos.com Or visit the Ipsos Consumer Tracker archive and the Ipsos Top Topics page.
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IPSOS DATA DROPS:
Boycotts in America
March 2025
IPSOS DATA DROPs
How americans are buying now, paying later
June 2025
Check out our other DATA DROPS for more compelling data & insights
Source: Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded June 3-4, 2025 among 1,080 U.S. adults
Source: Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded June 3-4, 2025 among 1,080 U.S. adults
Source: Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded June 3-4, 2025 among 1,080 U.S. adults
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However, fewer American shoppers say they’re using “Buy Now, Pay Later” apps themselves: The portion of Americans saying they most recently used a BNPL app has decreased by 10 percentage points since 2023.
Over that same period, reported usage of credit cards and loans has trended upwards.
Source: Ipsos Consumer Tracker, fielded June 3-4, 2025 among 1,080 U.S. adults
Fewer Americans say they’re using actual BNPL apps
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While older Americans are increasingly likely to have tried paying for purchases in installments, they use it for a narrower range of occasions. Financial services providers have the opportunity to shift this behavior.
But more Americans say they’ve most recently used credit cards for these occasions. It’s clear that BNPL apps need to compete directly with them on utility, whether in the form of rewards, points, or convenience.
The announcement that new FICO scores will take BNPL app spending into account could change these attitudes. Some users will benefit, but others may reconsider their reliance on these services.
Jonathan Stinnett Senior Vice President Jonathan.Stinnett@ipsos.com
In recent months, social conversations about BNPL rose substantially. That could owe in part to a DoorDash & Klarna deal (March, +122% YoY) and a widely shared CNBC report on Americans using BNPL to finance groceries (April, +110% YoY).
Conversation by individuals identifying as BPNL users is also on the rise, with monthly average conversations up +102% in early 2025). Some shared strategies on their approach to using these services.
Conversations about — and by — BNPL users spiked in early 2025
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“I use [Affirm] when I wanna get something a little more expensive than I can afford right now and enjoy that I can pay it back over several months. Could I save instead and buy it later? Sometimes. But especially for Christmas I love my Affirm.” – Reddit, 05/22/25
“The BNPL option with DoorDash $DASH and Klarna $KLAR is just crazy. I just can't believe it's real. But then I remember that America is the land of dreams, opportunities, and debt—so it's possible. Future Americans will have burrito debt and burrito-backed bonds (BBB).” – X, 03/21/25
“Since when AND why are grocers offering BNPL options???” – Reddit, 04/26/25
“Financing groceries and paying for them later, and then paying those loans late. This is not going to end well.” – X, 04/26/25
“Taking out a loan to buy a burrito is ‘end state capitalism’.” – Reddit, 03/21/25
“Sometimes merchants would give discounts... These are the situations where I would use the interest-free installment. – Reddit, 04/14/25
