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The title identifies a historical ZDNET comparison by Erin Gobler, but the available source material does not establish which six apps it selected, how it ranked them, or what its category winners were. It would be misleading to invent that list. What can be established is how to assess a BNPL service safely—and why a 2022 recommendation should not be treated as a current one.
What is known about the 2022 “six best” list
Search results identify Erin Gobler’s ZDNET article, “The 6 Best Buy Now, Pay Later Apps of 2022.” They do not provide the full article, its complete app list, its methodology, or its category winners. A secondary summary is not reliable enough to fill those gaps, so no provider is named here as one of ZDNET’s six picks. Source information
That distinction matters because the title is explicitly a 2022 comparison. Fees, eligibility rules, repayment options, credit inquiries, limits, and availability can change. The available material does not verify current provider terms, so it cannot support a current ranking or identify which app has the lowest fees.
How to compare a BNPL service before using it
Review the provider’s official terms for your country and the date you plan to use it. Compare the entire obligation—not just the installment amount—and check how the service handles problems after purchase.
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- Repayment schedule: Confirm the number of payments, their intervals, the first due date, and whether the provider also offers longer-term credit.
- Total cost: Check interest and every disclosed fee, then calculate the full amount due for the purchase. A small installment does not establish that the transaction is inexpensive.
- Missed payments: Find out whether a late fee may apply, whether your account can be restricted, and what collection steps the provider discloses.
- Eligibility and credit checks: Read the exact application language. A soft inquiry and a hard inquiry are different; neither guarantees approval or establishes that a product will build credit.
- Returns and billing disputes: Check how to report a problem, whether payments continue while a merchant return is processed, and how refunds or disputes are handled.
- Where it works: Verify country availability and whether the service can be used online, in stores, or both.
- Payment tracking: Make sure you can see upcoming due dates and balances. Also account for obligations with other BNPL providers, which may not appear together in one place.
Why repeated BNPL borrowing deserves attention
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s January 2025 report examined matched application and origination data from six large firms: Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, PayPal, Sezzle, and Zip. Its underlying usage figures describe 2022, not current use.
- 21 percent of consumers with a credit record financed at least one purchase with one of those six firms in 2022, according to the CFPB’s 2025 report. This is not a rate for all U.S. adults or all app users. CFPB report
- The average number of annual originations per borrower rose from 8.5 in 2021 to 9.5 in 2022, according to the CFPB’s 2025 report. CFPB report
- The CFPB also reported that more than one-fifth of consumers with a credit record used BNPL loans in 2022, and most of those consumers had subprime or deep-subprime credit scores. CFPB report summary
These are aggregate historical findings, not evidence that any particular borrower will take out multiple loans or that an individual provider’s terms are suitable. They do reinforce a practical rule: list every active BNPL balance and due date alongside other bills before agreeing to another payment plan.
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Regulatory context is not a substitute for checking the terms
The CFPB says it withdrew several guidance documents on May 12, 2025, including its 2024 BNPL Interpretive Rule. Do not treat that interpretive rule as current operative CFPB guidance. The withdrawal does not establish that all federal or state requirements disappeared; legal obligations depend on jurisdiction and require jurisdiction-specific verification. CFPB BNPL resource page
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this means if you are choosing an app now
A 2022 “best” label is not a present-day recommendation. Before signing up, compare official disclosures for your location, work through the total repayment amount and calendar dates, and consider whether the purchase fits your budget without relying on a new loan to cover another one. The available evidence supports those checks; it does not support naming a current winner or reconstructing ZDNET’s six historical selections.
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