The “buy now, pay later” service from Apple that some analysts predicted would “wallop” the competition, has been quietly discontinued with immediate effect.
The news – which was revealed in a statement to 9to5Mac – means that no new customers will be able to use Apple Pay Later. This is confirmed on Apple’s support website, which states: “Apple Pay Later is no longer offering new loans. Existing Apple Pay Later loans and purchases are not affected.”
Meanwhile, anybody with an outstanding loan through Apple Pay Later can continue to make and manage payments via Apples’ Wallet app.
“Flexible” Options Preferred to Apple Pay
Originally announced at WWDC22 and launched in March 2023, Apple Pay Later got its official US roll out last October. The service offered eligible users the freedom to pay for purchases made through Apple Pay through four equal installments over six weeks with 0% interest.
Built into Apple Wallet, the company said that Apple Pay Later would provide users with “a seamless and secure way to split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase” using the Mastercard network.
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But now Apple has cited consumers’ wider forthcoming access to installment loans through credit and debit card providers, which – Apple hastens to add – will be a facility integrated into Apple Pay. Unlike Apple Pay Later, which was limited to the US, this functionality will also be available in the UK, Australia and Spain when rolled out.
“Our focus continues to be on providing our users with access to easy, secure and private payment options with Apple Pay, and this solution will enable us to bring flexible payments to more users, in more places across the globe, in collaboration with Apple Pay enabled banks and lenders.” – Apple statement
What To Do If You Use Apple Pay Later
There’s no need to panic if you’re an Apple Pay Later user who has an outstanding loan through the service – Apple isn’t about to try and call in the full payback of your loan right away.
On the company’s support page, it sets out what you need to know in several use cases:
If you have an active loan – Continue to make loan payments by the due date, either via autopay or manually.
If you’ve made a purchase that hasn’t been shipped – There will be no changes to purchases previously made with Apple Pay Later. Apple says that: “When the merchant processes your order, your down payment is debited from the debit card that you selected when you applied for Apple Pay Later and your payment schedule starts.” Then, the remaining three payments are due every two weeks.
If you’ve returned an item or you’re waiting for a refund – Again, there will be no changes to the existing process. But if you do end up having any issues with your refund, Apple says that you should contact Apple Support to seek a resolution.
“If you experience an issue with an order, contact the merchant first to see what they can do. If you’ve contacted the merchant and they haven’t resolved your issue, contact an Apple Pay Later Specialist to report an issue.”
