Executive Summary

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) fintechs are facing doom-and-gloom predictions that they’ll falter or shutter altogether. But we expect that growing merchant acceptance and cross-generational usage growth in the coming years—paired with the BNPL industry’s shift to a super app model—will help them surmount this negative outlook.

Key Question: What factors will drive growth in the number of US BNPL users and payment value through 2026?

KEY STAT: By 2026, almost 40% of US internet users will use a BNPL solution, highlighting how the payment method is edging further into the mainstream.