Which buy now, pay later provider should your store offer in 2026?
The right pick depends on your order value, your margin and the platform you sell on.
A shopper stares at a $300 cart and leaves. Pay in 4 might have closed that sale, but every provider takes a cut, and on a 10 to 15% margin that cut hurts. You want to know which one to install, what it really costs per order, and what to do when the numbers don't work.
The short answer. Affirm is the best all-round pick for US stores, with pay-in-4 and longer monthly plans: 6% + 30¢ per order through Stripe. Klarna is the brand shoppers know, at 5.99% + 30¢. Afterpay fits fashion and beauty at 6% + 30¢. PayPal Pay Later needs no new contract if you already take PayPal, at 4.99% + 49¢. Zip is the cheapest per order for you, at 4.5% + 30¢, because the shopper pays a fee.
What other roundups skip: the price of the same order. We worked out what each provider costs on one $300 sale, using official fee pages only. A card payment through Stripe costs $9.00. Pay in 4 costs $13.80 to $18.30.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best buy now, pay later option for your store
Pay in 4 and monthly plans
Best-known brandOn Stripe and most platforms
For fashion and beauty6% + 30¢ through Stripe
No new contractInside PayPal Checkout
Lowest merchant fee4.5% + 30¢, shopper pays a fee
Your own planCard fee only, risk on you
5 buy now, pay later providers compared
The ranking targets a US merchant selling online to consumers. It scores what you pay per order, how easy it is to get approved, how the option plugs into your store, what the shopper sees, and who carries the default risk.
| Best for | Cost on a $300 order | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Affirm | Best overall | $18.30 (Standard) | 3.6/5 | 6% + 30¢ Standard via Stripe | — | US online stores | Visit → |
| 2 | Klarna | Best-known brand | $18.27 | 3.5/5 | 5.99% + 30¢ via Stripe (US) | — | Stores on Stripe or Shopify | Visit → |
| 3 | Afterpay | For fashion and beauty | $18.30 | 3.5/5 | 6% + 30¢ via Stripe | — | Fashion, beauty, lifestyle | Visit → |
| 4 | PayPal Pay Later | No new contract | $15.46 | 3.4/5 | 4.99% + 49¢ (PayPal Pay Later rate) | — | Stores already on PayPal | Visit → |
| 5 | Zip | Lowest merchant fee | $13.80 | 3.4/5 | 4.5% + 30¢ via Stripe, with a shopper fee | — | Thin-margin stores | Visit → |
Scores on five weighted criteria, explained in the method. Fees taken in 2026 from Stripe's official US pricing page and PayPal's official US merchant fees page. Costs exclude your e-commerce platform's own fees.
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
How we compared and scored
This page is for the store owner who wants to offer pay over time: a Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce store, a brand with a website and a shop, or a seller of courses and services. It does not cover long consumer loans or personal lending apps.
The first filter is price. A provider gets ranked when an official page publishes its merchant fee. Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay and Zip don't post a simple public rate card for every merchant, but Stripe sells all four and publishes the fee. We say so each time, because a direct contract can be priced differently. PayPal publishes its own Pay Later rate on its US merchant fees page.
The weighting follows your margin. Merchant cost weighs 30%, measured on a $300 order. Access and approval weigh 20%: will the provider accept your store and your shoppers? Integrations count for 20%, the shopper experience for 15%, risk and payouts for 15%: who eats the default, and when the money lands.
We then read merchant feedback on Shopify Community threads and app reviews. Two points came up again and again: the fee is charged once per order, not per installment, and on Shopify a third-party gateway can add a platform fee of up to 2% on top. One merchant summed up the problem: 6% plus 2% on a 10 to 15% margin.
- Merchant costOfficial fee, fixed fee, cost on a $300 order, shopper-paid fees.30%
- Access and approvalStore approval, excluded industries, order range, shopper declines.20%
- IntegrationsAvailability on Stripe and major platforms, apps, in-store options.20%
- Shopper experiencePlan lengths, shopper fees, checkout flow.15%
- Risk and payoutsWho carries fraud and default, upfront payout, refunds and disputes.15%
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
BNPL fees change every year. Get the updates
Affirm
Affirm is the most complete option for a US store. It covers pay-in-4 for everyday orders and longer monthly plans for big tickets, which suits furniture, electronics, fitness gear or high-ticket courses. It also powers Shop Pay Installments on Shopify.
Through Stripe, the Standard fee is 6% + 30¢ per order: $18.30 on a $300 sale. The Enhanced tier costs 7.99% + 30¢, or $24.27 on the same sale. Stripe sometimes offers a reduced rate of 2.9% + 30¢ for at least one month to some accounts, a good window to measure what Affirm adds to your sales before paying full price.
On Shopify Community threads, merchants confirm one useful detail: the Affirm fee applies once per order, not once per installment, and no card fee is added on top. The same threads show the downside: some store owners see 5.9% or 7.99% plus 30¢ on their statements and switch it off when margins are thin.
Its limit: the fee. At 6% and up, Affirm costs you twice a card payment. On a 10% margin, that's more than half your profit on the order.
Tip: show Affirm only above a minimum order value. On a $40 cart, few shoppers need pay over time, and you pay the same percentage.
- Pay-in-4 and monthly plans
- Fee charged once per order
- Powers Shop Pay Installments
- ✓Strong fit for high-ticket orders
- ✓Available through Stripe
- ✓Temporary reduced rate for some accounts
- ✗6% + 30¢ minimum through Stripe
- ✗Enhanced tier costs 7.99%
- ✗Hard on thin margins
The best range of plans for a US store. Worth it on high-ticket orders, too expensive on small carts.
Klarna
Klarna is the name shoppers know, and one of the easiest to switch on. It's built into Stripe and into Shopify Payments: you tick a box and it shows at checkout.
Klarna doesn't publish a simple US merchant rate card, but Stripe does: 5.99% + 30¢ per order, $18.27 on a $300 sale. International cards add 1.5%, currency conversion 1%, and a lost dispute costs $15. Like Affirm, Klarna sometimes gets a reduced rate of 2.9% + 30¢ for at least one month on some Stripe accounts.
That puts Klarna at the same level as Affirm and Afterpay on price. The choice between them comes down to brand fit and plan lengths, not cost. If you already run Klarna and want out, our Klarna alternatives page covers the options and the migration steps.
Its limit: refunds and disputes run through Klarna as well as your store, which adds one more tool for your support team. Selling abroad also adds fees fast.
Tip: on Shopify, turn Klarna on inside Shopify Payments rather than as a separate app. You avoid the platform fee Shopify charges on third-party gateways.
- Built into Stripe and Shopify Payments
- Well-known shopper brand
- Reduced rate for some accounts
- ✓Fastest setup in the ranking
- ✓No separate contract through Stripe
- ✗5.99% + 30¢ in the US
- ✗Extra fees on international orders
- ✗$15 per lost dispute
The safest brand to add first. Same price band as Affirm, so pick it for reach, not savings.
Afterpay
Afterpay focuses on pay-in-4 for everyday shopping. It sits alongside Cash App and is a familiar name at fashion and beauty checkouts.
Through Stripe, the fee is 6% + 30¢ per order, $18.30 on $300, the same as Affirm Standard. International orders add 1.5%, currency conversion 1%.
The best-known Shopify Community thread on Afterpay fees sums up the issue. A merchant pays 6% to Afterpay plus 2% to Shopify for using an outside gateway, so 8% on a 10 to 15% margin. The answer in the thread: merchant fees can't be negotiated. Adding a surcharge for shoppers isn't allowed either. The workaround the merchant found was routing Afterpay through Stripe Checkout.
Its limit: no price edge on Klarna or Affirm, and no long monthly plans for big tickets.
Tip: check how Afterpay connects to your store before you go live. Through a gateway already covered by your platform plan, you skip the extra platform fee.
- Pay-in-4 for everyday orders
- Popular in fashion and beauty
- Available through Stripe
- ✓Simple plan shoppers understand
- ✓No separate contract via Stripe
- ✗6% + 30¢, no cheaper than Affirm
- ✗Fees not negotiable for small stores
- ✗No long monthly plans
A good fit for style-led stores. On price, it's a tie with Affirm and Klarna.
PayPal Pay Later
PayPal Pay Later lives inside PayPal Checkout. If you already accept PayPal, there's nothing new to sign. PayPal's US fee page lists Pay Later at 4.99% + 49¢ per order, against 3.49% + 49¢ for a standard Checkout payment, with no setup fee and no monthly fee. On a $300 order, that's $15.46. You get the full amount upfront, and PayPal collects the installments.
That puts it below Klarna, Affirm and Afterpay through Stripe ($18.27 to $18.30), and above Zip ($13.80), with a fee-free plan for the shopper. Seller protection applies to eligible purchases.
The catch is access. Availability depends on your business status, your industry and your integration, and each shopper goes through PayPal's own approval. A declined shopper simply doesn't see the offer, and you can't control who does. Account holds are also a common PayPal complaint, covered on our PayPal alternatives page.
Its limit: you depend on PayPal's decisions, for your store and for each shopper.
Tip: if PayPal is already on your checkout, turn on Pay Later messaging first and track how many orders use it for a month before adding a second provider.
- 4.99% + 49¢, no setup fee
- Full amount paid upfront
- No setup or monthly fee
- ✓Nothing new to sign if you use PayPal
- ✓Cheaper than Klarna, Affirm and Afterpay via Stripe
- ✗Not available to every merchant
- ✗PayPal approves each shopper
- ✗Account hold risk
The cheapest fee-free plan here if PayPal lets you in. Keep a second option for shoppers it declines.
Zip
Zip is the cheapest BNPL fee in this ranking for you. Through Stripe, Pay in 4 costs 4.5% + 30¢, $13.80 on a $300 order, against $18.30 for Affirm or Afterpay. A dispute costs $3.
The trade-off is on the shopper side. Stripe lists Zip's Pay in 4 with a customer fee. Your margin improves, but the offer is less attractive than a fee-free plan from Klarna or Afterpay.
For stores selling everyday goods on thin margins, that trade can make sense: you get a pay-over-time option for $4.50 less per $300 order.
Its limit: a shopper who compares will prefer a free plan, and Zip is a less familiar brand than Klarna or Afterpay.
Tip: pair Zip with PayPal Pay Later. You offer two options, and neither costs you more than $15.46 on a $300 order.
- 4.5% + 30¢ via Stripe
- $3 per dispute
- Pay in 4
- ✓Lowest BNPL fee in the ranking
- ✓Cheap disputes
- ✗Shopper pays a fee
- ✗Less known than Klarna or Afterpay
The pick when margin comes first. Shoppers pay a little, you pay less.
What a $300 order costs you with each provider
Roundups list percentages. Your margin is in dollars. Here's what one $300 order costs at official 2026 fees, through Stripe. A US card payment through Stripe costs $9.00 (2.9% + 30¢) for comparison.
Under $14: Zip
Zip Pay in 4: $13.80, with a fee on the shopper side. PayPal Pay Later: $15.46 at 4.99% + 49¢, fee-free for the shopper.
$18 to $19: Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay
Klarna: $18.27. Affirm Standard: $18.30. Afterpay: $18.30. Reduced rates of 2.9% + 30¢ for at least one month bring Klarna and Affirm down to $9.00 on some accounts.
Over $24: Affirm Enhanced and Shopify add-ons
Affirm Enhanced: $24.27. On Shopify Basic with a third-party gateway, add $6.00 of Shopify transaction fee to any line above.
- Is the fee published by the provider or only by a gateway?
- Is it charged per order or per installment?
- Does the shopper pay a fee?
- Who carries fraud and default?
- Does your platform add a transaction fee?
- What happens to the fee when you refund?
Other options worth knowing
These come up often in merchant searches. They're not ranked because they work differently or don't publish a merchant fee we could check.
Shop Pay Installments: Affirm inside Shopify
ShopifyOn Shopify, Shop Pay Installments is powered by Affirm. Merchants on Shopify Community report that the fee comes once per order and is not refunded when you refund the order. Check the rate shown in your own Shopify payment settings before you switch it on.
- Powered by
- Affirm
- Check
- your Shopify payment settings
Billie: pay later for business buyers in the EU
B2B, EUIf you sell to businesses in Europe, Billie lets them pay on invoice while you get paid right away. Through Stripe it costs 3.5% + €0.30 per successful payment. It's useless for US consumers.
- Via Stripe
- 3.5% + €0.30
- For
- business buyers in the EU
In-house installments
ServicesFor a course or a service, you can bill in installments yourself with scheduled payments on your gateway. You pay a card fee ($9.00 on $300 through Stripe), but you carry the default and chase late payments.
- Cost
- a card payment
- Risk
- on you
What costs more than you planned
These come straight from merchant threads and provider terms. None shows on a provider's home page.
Shopify's third-party gateway fee
CostWhen you take payments through an outside gateway, Shopify adds its own transaction fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, 0.2% on Plus. On Basic, a 6% BNPL becomes 8%. Run BNPL through Shopify Payments when you can.
- Extra on Basic
- 2% per order
Refunds that keep the fee
CostMerchants report that some BNPL fees are not returned when you refund an order. Read the refund terms before you launch, and always process refunds inside the provider's portal so the shopper stops being charged.
- Check
- fee returned on refund?
Judging cost on a reduced rate
CostStripe's 2.9% + 30¢ rate on Klarna and Affirm lasts at least one month, not forever. Budget on the standard 5.99% and 6% fees.
- Standard after
- 5.99% to 6% + 30¢
International orders
CostKlarna and Afterpay through Stripe add 1.5% on international orders and 1% for currency conversion. A 6% fee turns into 8.5% on a cross-border sale.
- Extra
- up to 2.5%
Passing the fee to shoppers
TermsMerchants who tried to add a BNPL surcharge were told it's not allowed. Build the fee into your prices or set a minimum order value instead.
- Alternative
- minimum order value
Assuming federal BNPL rules are settled
LegalThe CFPB withdrew its 2024 interpretive rule on buy now, pay later in 2025. Check with your provider what applies to your checkout messaging.
- CFPB rule
- withdrawn in 2025
Sell more with BNPL without paying more
Settings that work with every provider in the ranking.
Set a minimum order value
MarginOn small carts, the fee eats your margin for few extra sales. Show BNPL only above a threshold that matches your average order.
- Where
- provider or app settings
Measure before you keep it
TrackingSome merchants see bigger orders, others see under 10% of orders on BNPL and no lift in conversion. Compare conversion and order value for two months with and without the option. No lift, no BNPL.
- Test window
- two months
Offer two options, not four
CheckoutOne main provider, the cheapest for you, and one backup for declined shoppers. Zip plus PayPal Pay Later is the low-cost pair; Klarna plus Affirm is the high-reach pair.
- Low-cost pair
- Zip and PayPal
Want BNPL orders to sync to your books and CRM with no manual entry? Get our automation guides
Shopping with buy now, pay later?
This page helps store owners choose. If you just want to pay over time: pay-in-4 with Klarna, Afterpay or Affirm is usually free for you, while Zip charges a small fee. Each provider can decline you through an automatic decision, even when your card is fine.
- Check the total cost before you confirm
- Note the date of each payment
- Keep enough in your account for every installment
- Follow refunds with the provider, not only the store
Go further
These pages pick up where this one stops.
Your questions about buy now, pay later
Which buy now, pay later has the lowest merchant fee?
Zip, at 4.5% + 30¢ per order through Stripe, because the shopper pays a fee. Among fee-free plans, Klarna is at 5.99% + 30¢ and Affirm and Afterpay at 6% + 30¢. PayPal Pay Later costs 4.99% + 49¢, the cheapest fee-free plan for the shopper.
Is BNPL worth it for a small business?
Only if it lifts conversion or order value enough to cover a fee two times higher than a card. On a $300 order, Affirm costs $18.30 versus $9.00 for a card. Test it for two months and keep it only if the numbers move.
Is the fee charged per installment or per order?
Per order. Merchants using Shop Pay Installments confirm the fee applies once on the full order, not on each installment, and no separate card fee is added.
Can I pass the BNPL fee on to the shopper?
Merchants who asked were told surcharges aren't allowed. The legal options are built-in pricing, a minimum order value, or a provider like Zip where the shopper fee is part of the product.
Affirm or Klarna: which should I add first?
Affirm if you sell high-ticket items that need longer monthly plans. Klarna if you want the brand shoppers recognize on everyday orders. Their fees through Stripe are almost the same: 6% versus 5.99%, plus 30¢.
Is buy now, pay later regulated in the US?
The CFPB withdrew its 2024 interpretive rule treating BNPL like credit cards in 2025, so that rule no longer applies. Ask your provider what it handles for you.
Do I get paid upfront with BNPL?
Yes, with the providers in this ranking the provider pays you and collects the installments. PayPal says it pays the full amount at purchase. Your usual gateway payout schedule then applies.