• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, August 3, 2026

Here’s one possible indicator of how the economy is really doing: 72% of shoppers are using Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) for purchases, a 20% hike YOY, according to a study by PartnerCentric.

Moreover, they are using BNPL even for smaller purchases, including groceries. Of those who are relying more on this payment method, 24% say it is because of the cost of living. 

Worse, 24% have missed a payment in the past year. Indeed, 10% have missed five. And, of those who did not always make payments, 28% say it negatively affected their credit score. 

But don’t think consumers are spending only on the bare necessities. The top BNPL purchase categories are: 

• Electronics—65%
• Clothing—39%
• Furniture—31%
• Home Goods—31%
• Groceries—18%

And 39% are applying BNPL for their upcoming holiday shopping. 

Here, consumers say, are the main benefits of BNPL: 

• Easier to budget—78%
• Helps make paychecks go farther—44%
• Feels less scary for big purchases—37%
• Keeps my credit balance lower—30%
• Only way to afford necessities—19%

Millennials are now the biggest users of BNPL—76%, vs. 69% of Gen X, 68% of Gen Z and 55% of boomers. Gen Z-ers were the biggest utilizers in 2025. 

Of the millennials surveyed, 21% make 3+ BNPL purchases per month and 35% say they are spending more due to BNPL. 

All this spells opportunity for email teams offering BNPL plans. 

Oddly, while 60% of shoppers prefer BNPL to credit cards, BNPL ranks far down the list of payment mechanisms:

• Debit card—45%
• Credit—39%
• Paypal/Venmo/Cashapp—9%
• BNPL—4%
• Cash—3%

PartnerCentric surveyed 1,004 consumers ages 18-74 in June 26. Of these, 48% were men, 50% women and 2% nonbinary or chose not to disclose. 

The full study can be accessed here.