Many buy now, pay later services began as a way to help people make big-ticket purchases. Now, it’s also a way to finance essentials.

The CFPB says delinquencies and late fees add up and recommends tighter regulation of loans in line with the credit card industry.

These short-term credit companies are running into questions about their customers’ ability to pay them back. Regulators are paying more attention.

Despite the omicron variant, “the recovery we’re in has an awful lot of momentum,” says Visa chief Al Kelly.

Millennials are opting for plans that allow them to spread payments without accruing debt or interest.

But don’t credit cards already work this way? Not quite.

The digital payments company Square says it will buy Afterpay for $29 billion.