Usage of the flexible payment method hit an all-time high on Cyber Monday, driving $1.03 billion in online spend (up 4.2% YoY), as consumers looked for greater flexibility in managing their holiday budgets. The vast majority of BNPL transactions are happening on a mobile device as well, at 79.4% share on Cyber Monday (vs. desktop). In an Adobe survey of over 1,000 U.S. consumers (conducted Nov. 2025), respondents said they were most likely to use BNPL for electronics, apparel, toys, and furniture purchases.
Source: Adobe Analytics.
I’m glad at least some countries are taking notice.
The Dutch national Financial Authority, for example, has a good explanation on why this is problematic and what exactly will happen per November 2026: https://www.afm.nl/en/sector/actueel/2025/juli/pb-marktupdate-BNPL-2025
Wait, it’s legal to put minors into debt in the Netherlands? In Sweden, a minor wouldn’t be liable to pay any such invoice, as minors can’t sign any legally-binding agreements without their guardian’s consent.
Not the minor as I understand it, but the unknowing parents, yes. Do consult your international lawyers before setting up a Klarna or something.
No it’s not legal. Currently BNPL just doesn’t fall under the same strict rules as normal debt. So the KYC rules are pretty lax. Minors can easily circumvent the checks.