Internal data shows member credit card balances are up more than 50% for Gen Z and millennial members since March 2022, when the Fed started raising interest rates.

Summary

Gen Z is increasingly relying on “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) services for holiday shopping, with spending projected to rise 11.4% this year, totaling $18.5 billion.

These services appeal to younger consumers with limited credit histories but can lead to overextension, as they lack centralized reporting and encourage overspending.

Experts warn of accumulating fees, particularly when BNPL plans are tied to credit cards.

With inflation and rising credit card debt already burdening Gen Z, consumer advocates caution that these services may worsen financial instability despite their convenience.

  • @CheeseNoodleEnglish
    6•11 hours ago

    Pizza is not a neccesity but at the end of the day we can’t expect everyone under 30 who doesn’t have well off parents to live on beans and rice. People aren’t robots and while no individual luxury is a neccesity, luxuries as a whole are a neccesity to some degree.