Citi’s ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Program Is Coming to Apple Pay

Citi Flex Pay is the bank’s “buy now, pay later” program. Rather than carrying a balance on your credit card, choosing these types of payments lets you split purchases into equal monthly payments with no interest. And soon, Citi Flex Pay will be available to users who use Apple Pay to check out.

Here’s what you need to know about this new development.

Citi Flex Pay Available Through Apple Pay

Using fixed payment plans through “buy now, pay later” programs is growing in popularity, and Citi has noticed. Those enrolled in its Citi Flex Pay program will soon have the option to set up payment plans when making purchases of $75 or more through Apple Pay. This feature will start rolling out in February.

These payment plans are available with no fees and no interest, assuming you select a 3-month plan. Choosing a plan for additional months does have a monthly fee. These Citi Flex Pay plans will allow you to make fixed monthly payments, and you’ll still earn rewards on your Citi credit card the way you normally would.

This is yet another expansion of where you’ll find Citi Flex Pay. Recently, Citi Flex Pay was added to travel purchases, available on bookings made through Citi’s in-house travel portal.

It’s also worth noting that Apple has its own “buy now, pay later” service called Apple Pay Later, which is available in the Apple Wallet.

What Is Citi Flex Pay?

Citi Flex Pay is a “buy now, pay later” payment plan that launched in 2019. It’s available on purchases of at least $75, letting cardholders choose to split their purchases into monthly payments of a fixed amount.

Instead of incurring credit card interest — which happens when you don’t pay your entire credit card balance each month — cardholders can create plans to pay off a purchase over time. The positive side of these programs is that you may avoid fees and interest. However, you will still pay more over time using “buy now, pay later” than you would if you paid for the purchase up front and in full.

That means there’s an additional cost for using “buy now, pay later.” For example, if you’re buying something that costs $100, you might wind up paying $110 (or more!) after making a monthly payment plan and paying it off over the next few months.

Would you wind up paying more in interest by carrying a balance on your credit card rather than using the payment plan? That’s the key number to check if you’re considering a “buy now, pay later” service like Citi Flex Pay.

Final Thoughts

Citi Flex Pay is coming to another place: Apple Pay. It’s launching next month, and those with a Citi credit card will start seeing options for fixed payment plans. If you can’t pay off the entire charge when the credit card bill is due, these fixed payment plans are worth considering to help you avoid credit card interest. Just be sure to check which option will cost you less in the long run.