Shoppers might find it tricky using Afterpay on Amazon, but they can defer transactions or repay them in installments through thousands of top vendors, including Target, Home Depot, and Nordstrom.
Streamlined accounting processes, inventory management systems, and online storefronts have boosted uptake in US retailers introducing ‘buy now, pay later’ options for their customers. Let’s look at Afterpay’s availability in the U.S. and where you can make larger purchases without an immediate hit on your bank balance!
Are you a business owner providing Afterpay as a payment option? Learn how to streamline managing transactions in one source of truth – see how the process works.
Can You Shop In-Store With Afterpay?
Afterpay was originally an online payment method, but it’s expanded to allow customers to use their (free) credit account in-store at numerous locations. Repayments work the same, so if you think you’re going to miss an Afterpay payment related to an in-store transaction, you need to log into your account and reschedule the payment or request a deferral.
Brands that have introduced Afterpay in their physical outlets, as well as in online shopping catalogs, include:
- Levis;
- Skechers;
- DSW Stores (in some locations);
- American Eagle;
- MAC Cosmetics;
- Michael Kors;
- Finish Line;
- Forever 21.
That’s far from an exhaustive list (it’d take pages and pages!) but gives you a flavor of how many retailers have adopted Afterpay as a ‘buy now, pay later’ solution in their outlets.
How Do You Use Afterpay In A Store?
Your first step is to double-check that the retailer accepts Afterpay. Some vendors have an Afterpay checkout option online but have more limited payment options in-store.
Next, you must ensure the Afterpay app is downloaded to your mobile. Set up an Afterpay Card in your profile, and you’ve got a one-tap solution that will charge your transaction directly to your Afterpay account.
Afterpay works with the tech we use to pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay, so you use a contactless payment device and tap your mobile to connect the Afterpay QR code. Before you head off for a day of retail therapy, you can check your ‘pre-approved spend’ limit in your Afterpay account so you’re confident when you reach the checkout, your transaction will go through.
There’s a separate tab called ‘In-Store’ which is worth verifying since you might have a higher general account limit but a lower value available to allocate to physical purchases. Visit the ‘In-Store’ tab, and you’ll get a full list of all the retailers in your local area that will happily accept Afterpay at the checkout.
Check if you can buy groceries with AfterPay.
What Are the Benefits of Accepting Afterpay?
‘Buy now, pay later’ might be a relatively new concept, but it’s taking the retail sector by storm, especially when costs are rising. Customers want the convenience of buying what they want when they want, but might not have the funds to pay immediately.
Afterpay is one of several solutions and allows customers to check out online or in-store, up to their account limit, and pay the balance in regular installments. Because Afterpay isn’t a credit card, you don’t pay any interest, fees, or other charges to use it unless you’re late with a repayment, in which case you receive a small fine.
For businesses, the benefit is that consumers can use their services with the assurance that they can spread the cost of higher-cost items or larger shops into manageable amounts, such as when wondering does Walmart take Afterpay for their holiday shopping. Common scenarios include holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, where households tend to spend more and enjoy the option of splitting their bigger spending into chunks. The drawback is that late payments attract penalties, starting at 8%, but capped at 25% of the order value.
How Do Afterpay Returns Work?
Anything purchased via Afterpay is eligible for the standard return policies of the specific vendor. The process is the same as long as the item has been bought within the eligible return period – you need to open the Afterpay app and tap the ‘How it Works’ button, which you’ll find in the top-left corner.
In this section, you’ll see the ‘Make an Afterpay Card return’ button, which allows you to select the relevant transaction and ask for the cost to be refunded to your Afterpay account. It’s best to do this in-store if your order wasn’t placed online – you can tap your digital wallet against the retailer’s card reader, transferring the purchase value back to your account.
Some returns take about ten days to show, but you can track your account history and ensure everything is up to date.
