More than a third of Americans tapped “buy now, pay later” in just 90 days, and the four-part brain trick built into every checkout screen that makes the total price feel like it barely exists

You are standing at a checkout screen, digital or physical, and a small button appears below the price. About 25% of BNPL users now report using it to buy groceries, up from 14% in 2024, according to a LendingTree survey. The number that tells you the system is working exactly as designedThe U.S. BNPL payment market is forecast to grow 19.1% year over year to $127.9 billion in 2026. It happens because monthly BNPL spending increased almost 21% from $201.60 in June 2024 to $243.90 in June 2025, according to Empower Personal Dashboard data. The answer lives in the checkout screen itself.