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277 points cebert | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.458s | source
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ecshafer ◴[] No.44361731[source]
This would probably only affect the people with the worst credit scores I imagine. I just don't see a ton of 800+ credit score people deciding to spend 5 payments of $20 for a pair of $80 shoes.
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loeg ◴[] No.44361754[source]
Plenty of people with good credit use BNPL loans; they are offered on much higher cost items than $80.
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quickthrowman ◴[] No.44368511[source]
1.5% back on the purchase via CC rewards beats earning 1% over 3 months (4% yield) in a HYSA every time, anyone using BNPL is using them suboptimally.

For a 3 month BNPL loan to be worth it, HYSA rates must be over 6%, and actually a bit more due to the time value of money; you get CC reward cash after the statement period but it takes 90 days (and up to ~120 days) to get three monthly interest payments.

replies(1): >>44372432 #
loeg ◴[] No.44372432[source]
Maybe you replied in the wrong place? This isn't responsive to my comment.
replies(1): >>44376846 #
1. quickthrowman ◴[] No.44376846[source]
No, I was replying to your comment. Using a BNPL loan is less optimal than paying with a credit card due to the cash back rewards.

People with good credit may use them, but it makes zero sense to do so. You always come out ahead by using a credit card and paying it off immediately unless the high yield savings rate is 6% or higher assuming a BNPL loan term of 3 months. Beyond that, it does make sense to use them, like Apple’s 12 month no interest on Apple products with the Apple Card.

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2. loeg ◴[] No.44382935[source]
I don't think a discussion of optimality is relevant to what I wrote.

Lots of people with good credit are not maximizing credit card rewards and sign-up bonuses, either. Humans are not homo economicus. (And just as a factual matter, there are sometimes longer BNPL terms than 3 months, which changes the math on what is "optimal.")