About the Buy Now Pay Later Cost Tracker
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services like Afterpay, Zip and Klarna split a purchase into equal instalments, usually with no interest — but late fees on missed payments can add up quickly. This tracker shows your per-instalment amount and what the purchase really costs if you miss one or more payments.
It's most useful before you commit to a purchase: type in the price and the number of instalments the checkout is offering, then try a couple of "what if I miss a payment" scenarios. Seeing the extra cost as a percentage of the sticker price makes it easier to compare a BNPL split against just paying up front, or against a different provider's instalment count and fee. A $400 purchase split four ways with one missed $10 payment only adds 2.5% to the price — but stacking several BNPL plans at once, each with their own due dates, is usually where missed payments and their fees start piling up.
How it works
The instalment amount is simply the purchase price divided by the number of instalments. If you enter expected missed payments, the calculator adds a late fee for each one (capped at the number of instalments) and shows the total cost and how much extra that is as a percentage of the sticker price.
Assumptions and behaviour
- Assumes no interest is charged on the instalments themselves, matching how most Australian BNPL providers structure standard purchases.
- Late fees are a flat amount per missed payment you enter — actual providers may cap total late fees or charge per-order rather than per-instalment.
- Doesn't model account fees some providers charge if you have an outstanding balance.
Limitations
- Every BNPL provider has different fee structures — check your provider's actual terms for exact late fee amounts and caps.
- Missing BNPL payments can also affect your credit file with some providers — this calculator only tracks the dollar cost, not credit impact.
Privacy
The calculation runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
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