Splitit, the global leader in card-linked installment payments, today released findings from new PYMNTS Intelligence research on how artificial intelligence is shaping Pay Later decisions at checkout and across emerging commerce channels. “The Pay Later Ecosystem Report: Consumers Will Let AI Recommend Pay Later, But They Want Control,” produced in collaboration with Splitit, finds that 61% of the 2,034 U.S. consumers surveyed would allow an AI shopping assistant to recommend a Pay Later option for at least one common purchase category. Among Gen Z, that number climbs to 80%. That openness comes with clear conditions: consumers want control, transparency, and the final say.
The findings also challenge some of the assumptions that have driven the rapid growth of traditional Buy Now, Pay Later products. Consumers increasingly favor solutions that leverage existing credit relationships rather than require them to establish new ones.
“Our research makes it clear that consumer trust in AI-assisted commerce is real but conditional,” said Karen Webster, CEO, PYMNTS. “People are open to AI guidance, as long as they control the final decision. That distinction matters enormously for anyone building payment products, commerce platforms, or AI shopping tools. The companies that succeed will be the ones that use AI to simplify decisions rather than replace them.”
“The findings point to fundamental consumer requirements,” said Nandan Sheth, CEO of Splitit. “Shoppers with purchasing power are looking for more flexibility with the credit they already have. As AI becomes more integrated into buying journeys and commerce expands beyond traditional checkout, pay-later solutions that require new applications or credit decisions become friction points. Consumers want control, transparency, and affordability. Card-linked installments work within consumers’ existing financial relationships rather than asking them to create new ones.”
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