If you don’t already know the BNPL acronym, you will soon.
Buy Now, Pay Later is a trend that’s sweeping the e-commerce space, offering people either low, or no interest ways to spread purchases out over time, rather than in lump sums.
And now, Delta and Amex are the first to bring the American Express version of this new finance trend to a website out of the Amex ecosystem, with a direct option to use the service on Delta.com.
People can now book flights and spread out payments with this new partnership, so here’s everything you need to know…
Delta & Amex Launch Buy Now, Pay Later
For any flight purchases of $100 or more, US American Express cardmembers will be able to break up payments into installments, via ‘Plan It’. The service is already live.
Rather than charge interest, a fixed fee is involved and allows cardmembers to select how many payments they’d like to break the flights up into. A $1200 Delta flight could be split up into 6 equal monthly payments of $200, allowing people to trade up for a nicer experience on board, or just space out their monthly expenditures.
Obviously, people shouldn’t use this service to purchase trips they can’t afford, but for people who simply want flexibility and control over the monthly flow of their finances, it’s a dynamic new feature which can help unlock travel without the sting.
How It Works
A customer can now search for flights on Delta.com just like normal, select seats and all that stuff, and then when they reach the payment page, US Amex consumers can enter their card or login details to open up the ‘Plan It’ options for the purchase.
As Amex puts it, on the payment page you select ‘Plan It’, choose your ‘Plan It’ plan and then complete your purchase right there. The first installment would be charged and your ticket would be issued immediately.
Functionality like being able to use increments of 5,000 miles for $50 off flights will also exist for Delta Amex cardholders, but the functionality of ‘Plan It’ will be available to all US Amex consumer customers, regardless of whether they hold a Delta Amex.
BNPL Coming To A Travel Check Out Near You
Many airlines have partnered with third party offerings which require financing approval to split purchases over time, but Amex and Delta are the first to do so in a clear and concise way, without the need to fill out applications.
According to American Express, more than 68% of Gen X and Millennial customers have expressed interest and desire in using Buy Now, Pay Later options and Amex is the first to bring this functionality directly into the website of a merchant, rather than as a selectable after a purchase has been made (and charged) in full.
Expect to see a continued emergence of ways to spread out payments for flights and travel as a whole as 2022 relaunches the world back into travel.
BNPL is going to bankrupt this country. So much consumer debt being accumulated because people kick the can down the road with paying off their credit card. Not a fan.
I understand the appeal of spreading out payments over time, preferably with no interest and no fees. But in this case, a monthly fee is charged and I have to wonder who the target market is? People who don’t have a credit card AND do not have enough cash on hand to buy a ticket outright AND who don’t mind paying a monthly surcharge?
I’ll admit to having used PayPal to buy computer components with a 12-24 month repayment period. But the transaction had no interest and no fee associated with it, so it was literally just spreading out the base cost over that many months. But this- I don’t get the appeal. Oh well… it must be a money maker or the corporations wouldn’t be so obviously in favor of it.
Here in Brazil there has always been interest-free installment payments. In fact, it is the most common payment method I believe. The person goes and buys an iphone, notebook or anything and installment in 6, 10 12 x interest free most of the time.
It’s kind of strange for me to see this coming to American cards only now.