When the kids were little and the purse strings were tight I was a huge fan of ‘Layby’. It made shopping for new season wardrobes and pieces for the home very easy indeed. The mid year toy sales always had a huge queue at the layby counter, Mummas everywhere ensuring Christmas wishes came true all while paying off the big spend in instalments. I know a few of you are nodding 🙂 These days we have ‘Afterpay‘. We also have Zip Pay and Open Pay which are similar.
But what is Afterpay? I’ve received so many messages from you about the virtues of Afterpay and even some asking how the heck does it work?…so I’m here to help. Afterpay is similar to layby except you receive your items before they are fully paid for. You still have to pay, but you enter into a comtract to pay in agreed fortnightly payments.
Here’s how you do it
When purchasing online select Afterpay as your payment method, log in and choose which card you will pay from. Your purchase is then broken down into four equal instalment payments and the first one is deducted at the time of purchase from your selected credit or debit card. Happy days.
I remember a few years back working for a fashion label who had a system similar to Afterpay, when it launched is was hugely popular. It’s great for the retailer because there are no laybys sitting in the back room or reminder notices to send. There’s aslo no return of ‘old stock’ that’s been sitting in said packages for 6-8 weeks.
It was also fabulous for the customer because they could select the items they needed (wanted) to create their new season wardrobe ALL at once. There was no waiting, no feelings of missing out or juggling several laybys.The best bit was they could actually wear their new garments from the start of the season and get better dollar per wear value from their purchase.
So I see the good in Afterpay, but beware as with all systems you could potentially get yourself into trouble too. If you have too many Afterpay purchases on the go you could find yourself having trouble making the repayments, so my advice is to stick to a maximum of two on the go and be sure you can afford the repayments.
So who is Afterpay good for?
-Ladies returning to work and in need of a new work wardrobe
-Ladies who have had a big shift in body size (larger or smaller)
-preparing for a baby
-People who like to nab new season pieces before they sell out
-People who get paid monthly
-people preparing to undertake exercise and in need of new workout gear
-helping a child set up home
-preparing for events like Christmas, birthdays and the like.
-people who are good at keeping their bank balance and budget in check
Who is Afterpay not good for?
-people who compusively shop to fill a void in their lives
-people who are NOT good with their budget
Some of my favourite online stores with Afterpay
Adrift
Active Truth
Bohemian Traders
Frankie4 Footwear
Harlow
17 Sundays
Style Laundry
Sonsee
Mimco
Mojo Beach
Country Road
The Iconic
Trenery
Taking Shape (open pay)
Camilla
Running Bare
Adairs
Mon Purse
Uberkate (zip pay)
Have you used Afterpay (or similar)? Got any tips you would like to share in the comments or even your favourite store with Afterpay?
Til next time,
Jen
Post contains some affiliate links. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.
Darlene currY says
May 29, 2017 at 5:02 pmI’ve used Afterpay with Frankie4 and Active Truth and it’s great. I think I’ll check out a few of the other labels.
Jenni says
May 29, 2017 at 5:33 pmOh well played Darlene
Caitlin| Twist of Cait says
May 29, 2017 at 5:08 pmI love after pay, it makes sticking to my budget a lot easier. My tip is that you can also pay off the scheduled payments before the due date so if you come across a bit of cash you can get ahead. I agree with the no more than 2 at a time though, it’s so easy to get click happy!
Jenni says
May 29, 2017 at 5:35 pmThat’s a great tip Caitlyn 🙂
Beth | AlmostPosh.com says
May 29, 2017 at 6:12 pmI think Afterpay is a great thing – but like you say, if it’s managed responsibly. I’m very glad it wasn’t available when I was in my early 20s. Okay, late 20s too. Aaaand early 30s. Maybe even mid 30s. But now, I can totally be trusted ?
Jenni says
June 23, 2017 at 9:05 pmI dont think I could have been trusted with it in my 20’s
Lianne says
May 29, 2017 at 6:46 pmI love it. I have used it with Harlow, Frankie4, Mimco, Country Road, Nourished Life and Status Anxiety. I think it’s fabulous, I usually have two on the go! My son uses mine with TopMan! Best!
Jenni says
June 23, 2017 at 9:07 pmLots of great shopping in that list.
Fiona marchand says
May 29, 2017 at 8:34 pmMy new mantra is less but better quality so I’ve used it for Adrift and Harlow. Love it
Jenni says
June 23, 2017 at 9:07 pmFantastic mantra
Sharon says
May 29, 2017 at 8:37 pmI have used AfterPay to snap up a few bargains (not planned!) at Taking Shape. My tip is to pop the payment dates in your calendar the day before they are due (especially on a debit card) so as you can make sure the cash is available for the transaction ?
Jenni says
June 23, 2017 at 9:08 pmGreat tip
50inthecitY says
May 30, 2017 at 10:26 amI agree! I use it for myself only and so far have used it for Frankie4 and Little Party Dress. One thing though is that I’ve never had the payments come out straight away it’s always been scheduled 1st payment 14 days later. And another tip to help manage your money better try to use afterpay only around payday so you know you’ll have money in your account.
Jenni says
June 23, 2017 at 9:09 pmI need to take a look at little party dress.
Cheekie says
May 30, 2017 at 10:59 amMy teen daughters use it and I am hopping onboard too.
I think it’s terrific as it’s versatile and discreet and while I love going in to my favourite boutiques and shops… this allows me to have some breathing space to consider my existing wardrobe/what events I need a piece for etc,
Also, like Iconic where you get alerts re: sales on an item on your wishlist.,
Agree wholeheartedly with your guidelines, MUST stick to a budget and really think about whether something is going to get miles per wear and?or bring me joy
Jenni says
June 23, 2017 at 9:11 pmYes, do we really need it and will we get great dollar per wear? Good points.