Does Amazon Accept Afterpay In 2023? (Try This Instead)

The short answer is no – Amazon does not currently accept Afterpay as a payment method in 2024.

As a savvy shopper always looking for deals, I was curious if I could use Afterpay‘s "buy now, pay later" service on Amazon. After doing some research, I learned that Amazon has not yet partnered with Afterpay.

This means we can‘t split purchases into 4 installment payments when checking out on Amazon. But don‘t worry, I‘ve got you covered – in this guide I‘ll explain why Amazon doesn‘t take Afterpay and suggest some solid alternative options. I‘ll also highlight some of the top retailers that do accept Afterpay in case you want to take advantage of paying over time.

Let‘s dive in!

Why Hasn‘t Amazon Adopted Afterpay?

As one of the largest ecommerce retailers worldwide, Amazon chooses payment partners carefully. Here are the main reasons Amazon hasn‘t integrated Afterpay yet:

1. Amazon Already Has a Loyal Customer Base

With over 150 million Prime members alone, Amazon doesn‘t struggle to attract shoppers to its platform. Offering Afterpay likely wouldn‘t move the needle much in terms of new customer acquisition for Amazon.

2. Other Financing Options Are Already Available

For example, the Amazon Store Card provides:

• Equal monthly payments – Prime members can split eligible purchases $50+ over 5, 12, 18 or 24 months.

• Special financing offers – Promotional 6-12 month financing on select Amazon products.

These functions as Amazon‘s version of "buy now, pay later" for its cardholders.

3. Afterpay Charges Retailers a Fee

When shoppers use Afterpay, the retailer is charged a fee. Amazon probably doesn‘t want to hand over a cut of sales to Afterpay when its own programs like the Amazon Store Card already drive financing revenue.

4. Significant Development Resources Required

Integrating a new payment option takes months of development work across teams. Amazon likely feels its tech resources are better spent on other initiatives.

So in summary – Amazon doesn‘t "need" Afterpay at this point to drive growth or financing income. The costs of integrating likely outweigh the benefits for Amazon right now. But the landscape could certainly shift in coming years as buy now, pay later gains momentum.

What Buy Now, Pay Later Alternatives Exist on Amazon?

Although Amazon hasn‘t directly teamed up with Afterpay, buyers do have some options to pay over time or in installments:

Monthly Payment Plans On Select Amazon Devices

You can spread out payments over 3-12 months on:

• Kindle e-readers
• Fire tablets
• Echo/Alexa smart devices
• Fire TVs
• Blink security cameras

During checkout on eligible devices, you‘ll see the "Monthly Payments" option. This allows you to select a payment schedule and receive the item now while paying monthly.

Pay In 4 With Klarna

By using the Klarna app or adding the Klarna virtual card to your Amazon account, you can pay in 4 interest-free installments.

Here‘s how it works:

1. Add Klarna as payment method on Amazon.
2. Make a purchase – Klarna fronts the full amount.
3. You are charged 1/4 of the total every 2 weeks (over 8 weeks).

Pay in 4 With Zip

Similarly, Zip lets you generate a virtual card that‘s loaded into your Amazon account.

You checkout with Zip on Amazon, then Zip charges you 1/4 of the purchase every 2 weeks until it‘s paid off. Just like Klarna, there‘s 0 interest and no fees.

The major downside to Klarna and Zip is you need to proactively sign up for each service and manually add it as a payment method on Amazon. So it‘s a bit more inconvenient compared to if Afterpay was directly integrated into Amazon‘s checkout process.

But these services do currently let you split payments on Amazon purchases over 8 weeks in 4 installments. It provides a pseudo "buy now pay later" experience on Amazon.

How Does Amazon Financing Work?

As mentioned earlier, one option for pay over time purchasing on Amazon is using the Amazon Prime Store Card. Here are more details on how the key financing offers work for cardholders:

Equal Monthly Payments

With Equal Monthly Payments, Prime members can elect to divide eligible purchases $50+ into 5, 12, 18 or 24 month payment schedules.

For example, that $600 TV can be split into 12 monthly payments of $50 instead of paying the full amount upfront. One key advantage is:

• 0% APR – No interest is charged on the split payments

There‘s no application or additional credit check needed. You simply select monthly payments during checkout if eligible.

One downside is that returns get a bit tricky – any returned portion is credited back to the remaining monthly balance, not back to your original payment source.

Special Financing Offers

Special financing promotions offer 6-12 month 0% APR financing on select Amazon products like Echo devices, Fire tablets, and more.

For these deals, you need to specifically add the item to your cart and proceed to checkout to see if special financing is available.

The deals vary, but may look like:

• 0% APR for 12 months on Echo devices
• 6 months 0% APR on Fire TV purchase

Special financing provides a way to pay off more expensive Amazon devices over a 6-12 month schedule without interest.

One thing to note is if the full balance isn‘t paid within the promo period, deferred interest kicks in from the original purchase date.

Overall though, these financing options allow Amazon Store Card holders to enjoy some "buy now pay later" flexibility. It‘s not as seamless as true Afterpay integration, but provides an alternative solution for paying over time.

Top Online Retailers That Accept Afterpay

Clearly Amazon isn‘t hopping on the Afterpay train…at least not yet! But thankfully, there are thousands of other major retailers that do accept Afterpay if you want to give it a try.

Afterpay is most popular in categories like apparel, beauty, home goods, and more. Here are some of the top stores accepting Afterpay online:

Brick-and-mortar stores like Forever 21, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Sephora also accept Afterpay in-store for a seamless omni-channel experience.

You can find the full list of all 7,400+ retailers that accept Afterpay on their website.

According to Afterpay, over 17 million U.S. customers have used the service to date. Research from C+R also found:

• 75% of Afterpay users say it encouraged them spend more online
• 62% of Afterpay transactions are from repeat customers

So offering Afterpay clearly provides a competitive sales advantage that Amazon is missing out on currently.

Given how quickly consumers have embraced buy now pay later services, I personally suspect it‘s only a matter of time until Amazon eventually partners with Afterpay or launches its own version.

But until then, retailers like Sephora, Urban Outfitters, and Wayfair are reaping the benefits and capturing buy now pay later market share.

Should You Use Amazon Financing Options?

As a budget-savvy shopper, I‘m always weighing the pros and cons of financing options closely. Here are a few things to consider with Amazon‘s programs:

Pros

• 0% APR and no interest with Equal Monthly Payments and Special Financing deals
• More manageable monthly costs for larger purchases
• Instant access to the product instead of saving up

Cons

• Need an Amazon Prime Store Card
• Monthly payments are rigid, not flexible like Afterpay
• Returns get credited back to remaining balance, not your original payment source

One of my personal financial ground rules is to avoid taking on debt for depreciating assets that won‘t grow in value. For essential big-ticket items like a fridge or laptop where I know I can manage the monthly payments, financing can make sense.

But for non-essential purchases, I try to save up first instead of paying monthly installments over time. Financing feels easier in the moment, but those small monthly charges add up!

Ultimately, the choice comes down to your unique financial situation. Make sure to factor in the total repayment period and your budget before opting into financing.

Afterpay and Other Buy Now, Pay Later Services: A Breakdown

If you‘re new to buy now pay later services, here‘s a quick overview of how Afterpay and its competitors work:

Afterpay, Klarna, Quadpay and PayPal‘s Pay in 4 offer the most flexibility in my opinion – with 4 installment payments over a 6 week time frame and no interest or fees (for qualifying applicants).

Services like Affirm offer longer repayment terms (up to a year) but do charge interest in many cases.

One key advantage of Afterpay is no hard credit check. They only do a soft credit inquiry when you first create an account, which doesn‘t impact your credit score.

However, fees can kick in if you miss an Afterpay payment, so make sure you have the budget to cover the 4 installments on schedule every 2 weeks. Overall though, Afterpay provides a nice interest and fee-free way to spread out payments on a 6 week timeline.

Should You Use Afterpay and Buy Now, Pay Later Services?

Here are a few pros and cons to weigh:

Pros

• Pay for purchases over time instead of 100% upfront
• Avoid credit card interest and debt
• No Afterpay fees if payments made on time
• Simple and easy to use at checkout

Cons

• Can overspend without thinking about total cost
• Possible late fees if payments missed
• Not building credit history like with credit card

One tip I have is to treat the 4 Afterpay payments like a budget – don‘t take on more than you can afford split over 6 weeks.

I also avoid using Afterpay for trivial or impulse purchases. But it can provide breathing room for a bigger necessary expense like a computer or furniture item.

Overall, use buy now pay later judiciously – but it can be an affordable financing alternative if used responsibly!

Final Thoughts: Afterpay on Amazon?

At the end of the day, I‘m surprised Amazon hasn‘t jumped on the Afterpay train yet. But the buy now, pay later space changes quickly. If consumer adoption keeps accelerating, I wouldn‘t be shocked if Amazon partners with Afterpay down the road.

In the meantime, Amazon does offer its own financing options like monthly payments and special financing on approved credit for cardholders. And you can leverage Klarna or Zip to split purchases into 4 installments.

But for the true Afterpay experience, check out retailers like Sephora, Bed Bath & Beyond, Urban Outfitters, and more. Afterpay continues gaining momentum across categories like fashion, beauty, homewares and tech.

Hopefully this guide provided some clarity on whether Amazon takes Afterpay currently, alternatives for financing on Amazon, and which major retailers enable that popular buy now, pay later option at checkout.

Happy savvy shopping!