Consumer spending behaviors are continuing to shift in 2025, with more consumers seeking flexible payment options to better manage cash flow amid rising costs and economic uncertainty. Buy Now, Pay La...
Consumer spending behaviors are continuing to shift in 2025, with more consumers seeking flexible payment options to better manage cash flow amid rising costs and economic uncertainty. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) has quickly become a mainstream solution, with monthly BNPL spending rising nearly 21% from June 2024 to June 2025 and more than half of BNPL users under age 35—an indication of strong adoption among younger demographics.
A recent 2025 VALUECOM study reinforces this trend, showing BNPL’s growing influence across a broad range of retail sectors as merchants increasingly integrate installment-based payment tools into their checkout experiences.
For businesses, adapting to the rise of BNPL isn’t just timely. It’s a strategic move that aligns with shifting consumer expectations and strengthens long‑term competitiveness in an increasingly flexible payments landscape.
Why Traditional BNPL Falls Short for Credit Unions
Despite BNPL’s popularity, most solutions are offered at checkout by third-party providers. While these services are convenient for consumers, they often bypass the credit union entirely. This creates several challenges.
First, engagement suffers because members interact with external providers instead of their trusted financial institution. Second, visibility into member spending behaviors is lost, making it harder for credit unions to offer personalized financial guidance. Finally, consumers view BNPL as a tool to help with cash flow and budgeting throughout the shopping process. Having BNPL available only during parts of the member’s purchasing journey, such as only during post-purchase, makes it so that the members' needs are only partially met.
Credit unions need a comprehensive BNPL solution that integrates seamlessly into their digital banking experience and serves the entire consumer journey. This is where adding pre-purchase BNPL to post-purchase BNPL becomes a game-changer.
equipifi’s Plan Your Purchase: A Smarter BNPL Approach
equipifi, in partnership with SWBC, offers Plan Your Purchase, a pre-purchase BNPL solution designed specifically for financial institutions. This feature allows members to access funds before making a purchase, directly through their debit card or checking account. The proactive approach helps members manage holiday expenses with confidence and positions the credit union as a trusted financial partner.
There’s no credit check and no new accounts—members receive personalized, pre-qualified offers based on eligibility parameters set by your institution. Second, the experience is fast and intuitive: members can view and accept offers in seconds and receive funds almost immediately.
Finally, integration is seamless. No additional technology is required because the feature works within your existing digital banking platform.
By offering BNPL earlier in the shopping journey, credit unions can help members avoid financial stress, maintain loyalty, and enjoy a competitive edge.
The Business Case for Credit Unions
BNPL isn’t just a consumer trend; it’s a strategic growth lever for financial institutions. Launching an in-house BNPL product with equipifi delivers measurable benefits. Institutions partnered with equipifi’s BNPL have seen up to 18% more digital banking engagement after launch, proving that members value flexibility when it’s offered by their trusted credit union. Credit unions with post-purchase BNPL saw their engagement more than double after expanding the offering to include pre-purchase BNPL as well.
Revenue growth is another advantage. Adding purchase financing to debit cards and improving cash flow management for the checking account create new fee income opportunities for the credit union.
With both Plan Your Purchase (pre-purchase) and Split Your Payments (post-purchase) available in one platform, credit unions can serve the entire purchase-to-payment journey. This dual approach ensures members have options that fit their financial needs, whether they want to plan ahead or manage expenses after the fact. In a competitive market where financial institutions are aggressively courting consumers, these capabilities help credit unions stand out.
BNPL as a Strategic Move
Capital One reports BNPL usage grew 47% year-over-year, highlighting the urgency for credit unions to act now. By integrating BNPL into your own digital banking experience, you position your institution as a trusted partner in financial wellness, not just a transaction processor.
equipifi’s solution ensures you stay competitive while maintaining control over the member relationship. Acting now means your credit union can build lasting loyalty with members.
Ready to Supercharge Your Banking Experience?
equipifi makes it easy to launch your own embedded BNPL with no extra accounts and a simple setup process.
Learn more about equipifi’s Plan Your Purchase and Split Your Payments solutions here.
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LendingRonni Martinez
In her latest role as Vice President of Product Management – Product Innovation, Ronni Martinez identifies industry partners that bring fresh ideas, concepts, and products to the financial institution space. With a goal to Partner with a Purpose, Ronni is dedicated to collaborating with industry leaders to develop modern, relevant, and empowering solutions that create value for SWBC clients.
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