Does Chewy Take Afterpay and Other Buy Now Pay Later Services In 2024?
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services have exploded in adoption recently. According to statistics from Juniper Research, the total value of BNPL transactions is expected to exceed $516 billion globally by 2026, up from just $120 billion in 2021.
With BNPL‘s rising popularity, many shoppers wonder: does Chewy take Afterpay and other deferred payment options? Let‘s take a deep dive on the state of buy now pay later at Chewy.
Chewy Still Does Not Offer Afterpay Directly
The short answer is no – as of January 2023, Chewy still does not directly integrate or offer Afterpay as a payment method on their website or mobile apps.
Afterpay requires explicit partnerships with retailers to activate and accept their service. Without this direct integration, customers cannot use Afterpay on Chewy currently.
Back in January 2020, Chewy even responded to a customer‘s inquiry about Afterpay on Twitter saying they were "optimistic for the future". However, 3 years later in 2024, Afterpay still hasn‘t arrived.
So why hasn‘t Chewy gotten onboard with Afterpay yet? Industry experts point to a few potential factors:
Chewy is still a young, high-growth company: Founded in 2011 and launched in 2013, Chewy has seen massive growth but still likely has priorities and resources focused on their core operations. Integrating new payment systems takes time and people.
Coordinating partnerships takes effort: Even if Chewy wants to offer Afterpay, the two companies still need to coordinate their engineering teams to build and test the connections. This takes time and effort from both sides.
Afterpay may prefer larger retailers first: With only so many resources, Afterpay could be focused on integrating with giant retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target before addressing smaller players like Chewy.
So in summary, while Chewy seems open to supporting Afterpay down the road, the integration work simply hasn‘t happened yet. But other options exist…
BNPL Services That Do Work on Chewy
While Afterpay isn‘t directly offered yet, Chewy shoppers can still leverage other popular buy now pay later services:
| BNPL Service | Description |
|---|---|
| Klarna | Customers report successfully using Klarna Pay in 4 on Chewy in 2022 and 2023. Klarna‘s integration means it works directly at Chewy checkout. |
| Zip | Formerly known as Quadpay, Zip allows customers to create a virtual card to use at retailers like Chewy. Purchases are split into 4 interest-free payments. |
The key takeaway – if you want to buy now, pay later at Chewy currently, go with Klarna or Zip.
Chewy‘s Other Payment Methods
Aside from deferred payment plans, Chewy offers a variety of traditional payment options:
- Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
- Debit cards
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Chewy gift cards
One downside is that Chewy does not offer their own branded financing or credit card. But they do integrate with PayPal Credit, which offers 6 months special financing on purchases over $99.
Expert Recommendations for Using BNPL
If you do want to use buy now pay later services at Chewy or other retailers, here are some expert tips:
Stick to reputable BNPL companies like Klarna, Afterpay, Zip, and Affirm. Avoid lesser known providers.
Understand the terms – know payment dates, any fees if you miss installments, impact on your credit, etc.
Don‘t overextend yourself – only use BNPL for purchases you can truly afford to pay off over time.
Use BNPL as a budgeting tool for larger purchases, not as free money.
Have a backup payment method on file in case an installment gets declined or missed.
Other Pet Retailers Offering BNPL
If Chewy‘s limited BNPL options don‘t work for you, several other major pet retailers integrate installment payment services:
Petco – Partners with Klarna for Pay in 4 plans at checkout.
PetSmart – Directly offers Afterpay as a payment method on their website.
Walmart – Accepts Affirm deferred payment plans on pet supplies.
Target – Also works with Affirm for buy now pay later.
The Bottom Line
The buy now pay later industry still has lots of room for growth. While Chewy unfortunately doesn‘t offer Afterpay yet, alternatives like Klarna and Zip fill the gap.
As BNPL continues gaining mainstream adoption, hopefully Chewy and other pet retailers will expand options. But for now, existing providers deliver workable pay later functionality.
When using deferred payment services, just be careful to stick to your budgets and read all policies closely! With some prudent planning, BNPL can be an affordable option for financing major pet purchases.
