How to get help with Buy Now Pay Later loans
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) can be useful to pay bills, but falling behind on monthly payments creates financial stress. This guide explains what the major providers offer in the U.S., how to reach them, and where to get outside help with BNPL that’s free or low-cost. Learn more on various BNPL companies and assistance programs available. Below you will find references and official contacts as well as tips on what to do when struggling with a BNPL loan or payment. Contact information is also included so you can act right away.
How to frame your request when you contact BNPL support
When you reach out to the BNPL lender (see below) through chat or phone, explain the cause of your hardship (job loss, medical issue, disaster), your next reliable pay date, and the specific type of help you’re seeking. With PayPal and Affirm , ask about a short-term hardship plan without fees.
With Afterpay
, ask to enter the official Financial Hardship program they offer and to reschedule or pause payments
With Klarna
, use the app to extend the due date and, if applicable, report a problem to pause the schedule while you sort things out. Also be thorough too. Keep screenshots and confirmation emails for your records.
PayPal “Pay in 4” and “Pay Monthly”
Hardship options and limits . PayPal’s U.S. help pages make two things clear. First, for Pay in 4 , you cannot pause or suspend weekly repayments, even during a dispute or if you are struggling to pay it. The best you can do is change the payment method or pay early to avoid a failed draft. Second, for the BNPL option of Pay Monthly loans , you cannot change the due date. Note WebBank (a separate company) partners with Paypal on the BNPL loan. If you are struggling, missed payments are added to the next bill and may be reported to credit bureaus, with charge-off possible at 120 days past due. What can be an option in these cases is to get another debt consolidation loan to pay off (refi ) the Paypal Pay in 4 loan. There are still no late fees on the Paypal Pay in 4 or Pay Monthly , but your bank that you withdraw the payments from could charge NSF fees if a payment bounces. If your Pay Monthly loan is becoming a struggling to pay, call the issuing bank (WebBank) directly to discuss options. Where to start
. Use PayPal’s Help Center (website:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cshelp/personal ) or contact support from your account; for Pay Monthly hardship on the loan itself, WebBank’s BNPL line is 844-629-9108.
Affirm
Customer service and self-help tools . You can’t change due dates on the loan once a schedule is set, but you can set up or edit autopay and choose the draft date for it on some plans. Affirm publishes a “Support during difficult times” page and also posts targeted disaster-relief notices (for example, during a hurricane, flood, fire, etc) with instructions to contact them for individualized help. Phone support is available as listed on Affirm’s “Contact us” page with the numbers of 888-484-4282 or (855) 423-3729. Affirm loan hardship options and what to ask for . When you reach out, ask specifically about payment assistance for financial hardship. Options can be interest rate refis, temporary payment rescheduling, short-term forbearance, or lowering a monthly payment where possible under your loan terms. Affirm’s public guidance emphasizes they won’t add fees and encourages early contact if you’re impacted by job loss, natural disasters, or other emergencies.
Afterpay
Hardship options and self-serve relief . Afterpay runs an official Financial Hardship program
for their BNPL customers. The Help Center (website here:
https://help.afterpay.com/hc/en-us ) shows you can move due dates of your next payment within limits and, in hardship cases, reschedule or pause payments after contacting support. However the company does need to be notified and options worked out with Afterpay. Most customers are assessed on a one-off basis. For example, Afterpay’s hardship team can also waive late fees and tailor a repayment plan based on your situation; your spending limit may be reduced or your account paused to help you stabilize.
Klarna
Customer service and fast routes to help . Klarna provides 24/7 chat and in-app support, with the option to request a phone call. Use the app or web portal to get live help quickly. Hardship options you can trigger yourself . Klarna allows many shoppers to extend the next due date of their BNPL transaction from inside the app - often once per order. This makes is a flexible assistance programs as it can be used multiple times. Klarna also offers a Financial support section (website: https://www.klarna.com/us/customer-service/what-happens-if-i-cant-pay-on-time/ ) if you can’t pay on time. Also, if there’s a problem with your order or you’ve reported a return, Klarna will pause your payment plan while it’s investigated, buying you time to resolve the issue. Availability and any fees can vary by product and country, but the extension and pause features are standard starting points.
Other ways to get help with a BNPL loan or your provider
Talk to a nonprofit credit counselor . A certified counselor can review your whole budget, prioritize debts and loan payments (including Buy Now Pay Later), and, if appropriate, set up a Debt Management Plan (DMP). They can also explore other forms of assistance ranging from hardship plans to bankruptcy, settlement and others. The goal is to help you have one affordable monthly payment and relief from high-interest rates, whether from a BNPL loan like Affirm or Paypal or other debt. Use our site listing non-profit credit counseling , the NFCC.org’s national network agency finder (website: https://www.nfcc.org/agency-finder ) or the U.S. Department of Justice’s list of approved agencies to find reputable help in your state. Consider consolidation or a balance transfer, but carefully . If your main pressure is credit card debt alongside BNPL, a personal loan or a 0% APR balance-transfer card can free up cash flow for the Buy Now Pay LAter and other bills. The CFPB explains that introductory balance-transfer rates must last at least six months, but new purchases can still accrue interest immediately if you carry a balance. Always read the fine print of a new loan or balance transfer. Compare options and timelines before you move debt. Use legal aid and state consumer protection when needed . If a dispute escalates with the BNPL company or you’re facing collections, your state attorney general or consumer protection office can help. There are also free Legal Services Corporation–funded programs, with legal aid lawyers listed here by state , provide low- or no-cost civil legal help for income-eligible households. File a complaint if you can’t resolve an issue . If a BNPL company won’t address billing errors, unauthorized charges, or abusive collection tactics, you can file a complaint with the CFPB online (website: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ ) or by calling 855-411-2372. The Bureau routes your complaint to the company and tracks the response.
Conclusion
BNPL companies are far more flexible when you contact them before missing a payment - before your struggles become too much. Start with the website or in-app tools (move a date, extend a due date, pause during a dispute), then escalate to the hardship or loan servicer teams if you need a custom arrangement. If that still isn’t enough, loop in a nonprofit counselor, and know you can escalate unresolved issues to your state consumer office or the CFPB.