Afterpay is a popular tech company, most well-known for its ‘buy now, pay later’ service. The Australian-based option has quickly spread to New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. You may be wondering if your favorite stores, including Target, offer this option.
Target does accept Afterpay in the United States, but only online. This makes it easy to shop now and finish your payments later, especially with big purchases. Those big grocery trips may not cause as much of a dent in your wallet with this service. Customers can utilize Afterpay in both the Target app and on Target online.
If you are hoping to learn a little more about Afterpay, and how it can be utilized within Target, you’re in the right place! We’ll explain the system, it’s limits, pros and cons of using the service, as well as other popular stores that use Afterpay.
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What is Afterpay?
Let’s first discuss what Afterpay actually is. This popular tech company does many things, but is most well-known for its service, that tends to be associated with the name Afterpay.
The Afterpay service is a digital payment method that allows users to buy a product without paying in full up-front. Essentially, it is a ‘buy now, pay later’ option that can be utilized across a range of different businesses.
Users can set up the Afterpay app and connect it to their Apple or Google Pay accounts to make purchases even easier. The total amount of your purchase is broken up in 4 even installments, that are paid overtime.
How Do I Use Afterpay?
Afterpay works best with large purchases, of course, but can be used for a variety of spending.
Once you set up Afterpay on your phone and connect it to your contactless payment system, it’s quite easy to use.
As payments are broken up into 4 even parts, you’ll need to pay 25% of your purchase amount on the spot. Following that initial payment, you’ll owe the other 3 payments at 2-week intervals.
You can pay off purchases in a month and a half, or 6 weeks, in total.
Conveniently, the app itself is free as long as you make payments on time and avoid any late fees.
Does Target Use Sezzle or Afterpay?
We all know the stereotype about going to Target for one thing and leaving with an entire cart-full, right?
It seems that Target’s higher-ups were aware of this too, because there are many installments payment options now.
So, yes, Target does use both Sezzle and Afterpay. However, Afterpay is only offered online.
Shoppers can begin to choose between these different services based on if they already prefer or use a specific option.
If you don’t have one of these services already set up, you can choose from options like Afterpay, Sezzle, and Affirm. All of these ‘buy now, pay later’ services have similar models, and it really does depend on which one you prefer using.
Afterpay is separate from Target itself, whereas Sezzle and Affirm are directly connected to the store and its payment system. This means they are always accepted in-store.
What Is Target’s Afterpay Limit?
Unfortunately, there is a limit on this ‘buy now, pay later’ system of Afterpay’s through Target.
You must spend at least one dollar, which makes sense. Splitting up anything into less than 25 cents per payment would be a little absurd.
The maximum, however, is much more easily attainable depending on what kind of purchase you are making. Users can spend up to $1,000 when submitting a single Afterpay batch of payments.
A workaround to this is to make more than one purchase. This could help you from going over the limit and not being able to use the service.
Advantages of Using Afterpay
The biggest advantage is, of course, being able to buy your items in the moment without worrying about being able to afford them all.
Even if you can afford your purchase, splitting it up into installments may help as you budget or plan for other expenses.
The other perk is that Afterpay’s system is similar to a credit card. In fact, many banks and credit cards have similar installment payment options now. With Afterpay, however, you don’t need a credit check. The payments are evenly divided, and the system is easier to use.
Afterpay also does not charge interest, which is a huge advantage.
Cons of Using Afterpay
Then, is there anything bad about using Afterpay?
The cons have less to do with the service and more to do with bad habits it could potentially sustain.
Since payments are so easily broken down, this option could encourage impulse spending. It might feel balanced and spread out, but you’re still paying that money eventually.
Late payment fees will get you. You can get charged anywhere from $10 to $68 in late fees, depending on how many payments you miss. That one is sneaky and is something that could turn this into a bad system for you.
What Stores Accept Afterpay in Store?
Target is not the only store that accepts Afterpay, of course. So, what are some others?
Well, to start, Afterpay works in two ways. You can use the service online, which works anywhere and is simple. Or you can ask if Afterpay is an option as you check out in-store.
As of April of 2022, Afterpay is no longer accepted in-store at Target. This likely is meant to make space for the Sezzle and Affirm options connected to the store.
You can still use Afterpay at Target online, though!
Here are some stores that do accept Afterpay in-person:
- K-Mart
- Footlocker
- Cotton On
- BCF
- Pandora
- Lots more!
What Other Payment Methods Does Target Accept?
Since Afterpay isn’t offered in-store at Target, we’ll give you a list of what payment methods the store does accept across the board.
Based on Target’s site, they currently accept:
- Contactless Cards
- Any ApplePay, GooglePay, or Samsung Pay is accepted. (Where you tap your mobile device to the card reader.)
- Credit Cards
- Swipe, insert, or tap your card to pay.
- Debit Cards
- Swipe, insert, or tap your card to pay.
- Cash
- This one is easy enough.
- Target RedCard
- Target’s store-specific credit card.
- Gift Cards
- You can use Target gift cards along with another payment method if the card doesn’t cover the full balance.
- Target App
- This functions like contactless cards would and allows you to tap your phone to pay for your goods.
- EBT Cards
- Use your EBT card like a debit card to pay.
- WIC Program Cards
- Available in authorized stores only and can often apply to things that EBT does.
- Personal Checks
- After check verification, you can pay with a check. In-store only.
- Rebate Checks
- These generally only pay for the partial cost of an item. Plan to have another payment method available.