The first time I heard about "Afterpay" was roughly 2 years ago when I was studying abroad in Australia.
I would browse for trendy Aussie fashion online after a long day of sobbing and being homesick-- I mean studying and embracing the culture. I noticed on each site there was a banner offering "Afterpay," which up until recently, was only available in AU.
Buy Now, Pay Later?
It sounded sketchy but way too tempting not to investigate. Sadly, since I only had an American debit card, I couldn't enroll in the service.
Rude, whatever. It was probably a blessing in disguise to my study abroad loan.
ANYWAY...I digress.
Here's what the thing does.
According to Afterpay's website:
And so now, there I was two weeks ago, searching for a potential bridesmaid dress. I hate trying clothes on and I love online browsing, so I headed to one of my favorite online stores, Hello Molly (USA version). When I switched from the AU$ to the American homepage, I noticed that the Afterpay logo didn't disappear like it had in the past.
Well, sh** guys, the shopping game has officially changed for us; it is totally a blessing and a curse.
The only other online clothing stores that offer the Afterpay feature currently (besides Hello Molly) are: Urban Outfitters, Revolve, Anthropologie, and Princess Polly. Which ultimately makes sense, considering these are pricey-platforms compared to competitor sites with similar fashion. The average college girl cannot afford that ~~$180 "vintage" Champion pullover~~ all in one shot, but divide it by 4... equals... um... less trauma to the bank account at once.
Ironically, I fell in love with a dress from Hello Molly and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try out Afterpay for the first time. If I wanted to return it after trying it on, it would only cost me 1/4th of the original price until a refund If I returned it before my second installment was charged, are you picking up what I'm putting down?
It came in the mail 2-day shipping which was included (score) and I really, really am pleased with the purchase. Monday marked two weeks since I first ordered the dress, which is when my second payment was due. What I was extremely pleased about the courtesy text I received the day before:
All in all, I would genuinely recommend using Afterpay at least once in your shopping career, especially for big purchases or gifts for others when you are in a pinch. Just remember, at the end of the day, you are still spending $200 at Urban Outfitters, but spaced out justttt enough to never turn down a martini date with your BFF after you press, "confirm purchase."
