66% of Shoppers Say They'd Likely Abandon Cart Without Their Preferred BNPL Option, Survey Finds

More than one-third of the surveyed BNPL users in the paycheck-to-paycheck subgroup reported a prior decline by a BNPL service.

Rhea-AI Summary

Sezzle (SEZL) reported that 66% of surveyed shoppers said they would likely abandon a purchase without their preferred buy now, pay later option. That finding came from 388 buy now, pay later (BNPL) users in a paycheck-to-paycheck subgroup, rather than the full survey of 2,090 U.S. adults. Another 82% of that subgroup said BNPL had enabled a purchase they would otherwise have postponed or skipped.

Across the survey, 57% said they always or often compare payment options before shopping. In separate samples of past-year BNPL users, 72% of Gen Z respondents and 27% of Baby Boomers reported using BNPL at least twice a month.

Key Figures

Likely cart abandonment without preferred BNPL: 66% Compare payment options before shopping: 57% Gen Z BNPL shoppers using multiple providers: 85% +4 more

Likely cart abandonment without preferred BNPL

66%

Shoppers surveyed

Compare payment options before shopping

57%

Shoppers surveyed

Gen Z BNPL shoppers using multiple providers

85%

Gen Z BNPL shoppers

Use BNPL at least twice monthly

72%

Gen Z; compared with 27% of Boomers

Previously declined by a BNPL service

More than a third

Shoppers surveyed

Applicant approval rate

More than 90%

Sezzle internal data, unique applicants approved YTD 2026

BNPL enabled a purchase otherwise postponed or skipped

82%

Shoppers surveyed

Key Terms

buy now, pay later, point-of-sale financing

2 terms

buy now, pay later financial

"their preferred Buy Now, Pay Later option wasn't available at checkout"

A payment option that lets a buyer take a purchase immediately and split the cost into a few smaller, scheduled payments instead of paying the full amount up front. For investors, it matters because it can boost sales and customer loyalty for merchants, create fee and interest income for the lender, and introduce credit, default and regulatory risks that can affect revenue and valuation much like a change in a company’s loan book or consumer demand would.

point-of-sale financing financial

"By offering point-of-sale financing and digital payment services"

Point-of-sale financing is a payment option offered to buyers at the moment they check out, letting them split a purchase into installments or get short-term credit instead of paying the full amount upfront. For investors, it matters because it can boost sales, raise average order size and customer conversion rates for merchants, while creating fee and interest revenue — but it also introduces credit risk and reliance on consumer spending patterns.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a new survey from Sezzle and Morning Consult finds checkout flexibility is closely linked to whether shoppers complete a purchase or abandon their cart.

Minneapolis, MN, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sezzle, a leader in flexible payments, today released new survey findings that carry a clear message for retailers heading into Black Friday and Cyber Monday: offering the right payment option at checkout can be the difference between a completed sale and an abandoned cart.

The survey, conducted in partnership with Morning Consult, found that 66% of shoppers said they were likely to abandon a purchase entirely if their preferred Buy Now, Pay Later option wasn't available at checkout. More than half, 57%, say they always or often compare payment options before they even start shopping, meaning the decision to buy is often made before a shopper ever reaches the cart.

"Retailers spend all year building toward this shopping season," said Paul Paradis, President and co-founder of Sezzle. "The last thing they want is to lose a sale at the final step because checkout didn't offer the payment option a shopper needed. If it isn't there, the cart just gets abandoned, and the shopper will often not come back to try again."

The stakes are especially high with Gen Z, a generation that already shops around for payment options more than any other. 85% of Gen Z BNPL shoppers have used more than one provider, and they use BNPL more often than any other generation, with 72% using the tool two or more times a month, compared with 27% of Boomers. Retailers who offer only one BNPL option risk losing this audience to a competitor who offers the one they actually use.

The findings echo a pattern retailers have seen before. Merchants once routinely refused American Express over its higher fees, but by the end of 2019, 99% of U.S. merchants that already accepted credit cards accepted Amex as well.² In Sezzle's view, that shift reflects a simple trade-off: the cost of turning away a customer's preferred payment method eventually outweighed the cost of accepting it. Buy Now, Pay Later may be heading down the same road: more than a third of shoppers surveyed say they've been declined by a BNPL service before.

For a retailer offering only one BNPL option, a decline isn't just a lost approval — it can be a lost sale entirely. Sezzle approves more than 90% of applicants¹, making it a provider retailers can add specifically to capture the shoppers other options turn away. Offering more than one provider gives retailers a second shot at that same sale. And the upside isn't small: 82% say BNPL has let them make a purchase they would have otherwise postponed or skipped altogether, meaning the option at checkout can be the deciding factor in whether a sale happens at all.

Want to reach more shoppers ahead of the holiday season? See how Sezzle can help.

¹ Based on Sezzle internal data; reflects the percentage of unique applicants approved, YTD 2026.

² Source: CNBC Select, "99% of merchants in the U.S. who accept credit cards now take American Express," citing The Nilson Report (data as of year-end 2019). https://www.cnbc.com/select/american-express-merchant-acceptance/

Methodology: Survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Sezzle from July 29 to August 5, 2026, among 2,090 U.S. general population adults. Of these, 1,245 respondents meet a Federal Reserve-based paycheck-to-paycheck definition; findings on cart abandonment, BNPL declines, and postponed purchases are based on the subset of that group who have used a BNPL service (n=388). Generational comparisons on BNPL usage frequency (Gen Z vs. Baby Boomers) are drawn from a separate sample of past-12-month BNPL users (n=223 Gen Z, n=186 Baby Boomers). Results are weighted to be nationally representative within each sample.

About Sezzle Inc.

Sezzle is a forward-thinking fintech company committed to financially empowering the next generation. Designed to support users throughout every stage of their financial journey, Sezzle’s all-in-one app enables users to shop, earn, and learn in a seamless experience. By offering point-of-sale financing and digital payment services, Sezzle enhances purchasing power while connecting millions of consumers with its global network of merchants. Centered on transparency, inclusivity, and ease of use, Sezzle empowers consumers to manage spending responsibly and build lasting financial independence.

For additional assets and news on Sezzle please visit https://sezzle.com/news/. 

Follow Sezzle on social media: LinkedIn | Instagram | X 

Sezzle Media Contact:

Erin Foran

Tel: (651) 403-2184

Email: erin.foran@sezzle.com

Attachment

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Erin Foran
Sezzle
6514032184
erin.foran@sezzle.com

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

How was Sezzle's BNPL shopper survey conducted?

Morning Consult surveyed 2,090 U.S. adults for Sezzle from July 29 to August 5, 2026. The cart-abandonment and postponed-purchase findings came from 388 BNPL users in a paycheck-to-paycheck subgroup. The generational usage comparisons used separate samples of 223 Gen Z and 186 Baby Boomer past-year BNPL users. Results were weighted to be nationally representative within each sample.