Internal data shows member credit card balances are up more than 50% for Gen Z and millennial members since March 2022, when the Fed started raising interest rates.

Summary

Gen Z is increasingly relying on “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) services for holiday shopping, with spending projected to rise 11.4% this year, totaling $18.5 billion.

These services appeal to younger consumers with limited credit histories but can lead to overextension, as they lack centralized reporting and encourage overspending.

Experts warn of accumulating fees, particularly when BNPL plans are tied to credit cards.

With inflation and rising credit card debt already burdening Gen Z, consumer advocates caution that these services may worsen financial instability despite their convenience.

  • Laser
    2·
    2 hours ago

    It’s something I don’t understand. Writing this on a 5 year old phone that cost me 130 euros back then. I do have the money to buy any reasonable phone on the market (not some vanity ones for rich people to show off, but like the top of the line iPhone or Pixel, whatever).

    But why would I when the old one still works and does everything I need? Why would I order food when I can just make something myself? If I want to treat myself, I go to a restaurant that I actually like and spend like 30 euros tops. That’s once every one or two months. Why do people overspend on this?

    If you have kids and actually struggle with basic goods, that is something completely different. But I get the point you’re trying to make - some people just feel entitled to a standard of living that they can’t afford, and corporations gladly exploit that. And honestly, they’d be stupid not to. A sucker is born every minute. It’s up to the legislative to stop this predatory behavior because the market won’t regulate itself in this regard.

    And you’re right, it’s not up to school to teach this - I wanted to comment on this one as well - school is supposed to turn you into a person that can think for yourself and realize that a high interest rate is something to your disadvantage. Not to exactly tell you what to do in situation X should you ever encounter it. Because society and its problems change and then suddenly what you learned no longer applies.

    In the end, I can’t tell people how to spend their money. But once might make the case that with BNPL, people spend money that’s not not actually theirs yet. And once these people need help, is going to be society to foot bills, not the corporations who made money off it.