As Shoppers spread out their Holiday purchases amid ongoing concerns about Covid, more consumers are tapping so-called buy now, pay later services. As many as 56% of shoppers have made a purchase with “buy now, pay later” services they couldn’t pay off, according to one recent survey. CNBC reports:

Americans are spending a little less this holiday season — but still more than they can afford.

Total spending on Black Friday, both in stores and online, fell slightly from a year ago — the first decline on record — in part because holiday shoppers started their shopping earlier in face of supply chain setbacks and shipping delays.

All in, consumers plan to spend $997.73 on average for themselves and their families this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey, down from the pre-pandemic high of $1,047.83 hit in 2019.

And for the first time, about 45%, of shoppers plan to use “buy now, pay later,” or BNPL, services for their holiday shopping to spread out their expenses, according to a recent report by Cardify, which polled more than 2,000 adults.

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