Aisha Harris

So it doesn't surprise me that food delivery is a natural for using one of these services, even if we think of consumer credit as traditionally more useful for larger purchases. The way it inserts itself there right at the checkout and is able to do so really naturally in the internet landscape. That's part of the users becoming accustomed to buying things online, to shopping online.

As far as the legal protections go, it's a really interesting question, and it's one that's still up in the air. In the summer of 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Board issued an interpretation that basically said buy now, pay later providers are credit card providers. the buy now, pay later is a credit card for almost all intents and purposes.

As far as the legal protections go, it's a really interesting question, and it's one that's still up in the air. In the summer of 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Board issued an interpretation that basically said buy now, pay later providers are credit card providers. the buy now, pay later is a credit card for almost all intents and purposes.

As far as the legal protections go, it's a really interesting question, and it's one that's still up in the air. In the summer of 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Board issued an interpretation that basically said buy now, pay later providers are credit card providers. the buy now, pay later is a credit card for almost all intents and purposes.

It's not an open-ended line of credit in the same way that credit cards are because it's for specific purchases, but that the users of buy now, pay later services were entitled to some of the same protections that credit card users were entitled to, such as being able to dispute a charge and having that resolved regularly. Credit card providers don't offer all these services because they're

It's not an open-ended line of credit in the same way that credit cards are because it's for specific purchases, but that the users of buy now, pay later services were entitled to some of the same protections that credit card users were entitled to, such as being able to dispute a charge and having that resolved regularly. Credit card providers don't offer all these services because they're

It's not an open-ended line of credit in the same way that credit cards are because it's for specific purchases, but that the users of buy now, pay later services were entitled to some of the same protections that credit card users were entitled to, such as being able to dispute a charge and having that resolved regularly. Credit card providers don't offer all these services because they're

swell people or because they're competing for the most business. They do it because they're regulated by the Truth in Lending Act, which is a 1968 law that says, this is what an APR is. These are the disclosures you have to make. This is how you have to do disputed charges. So for the CFPB to come out and say, but this buy now, pay later stuff is just an internet wrapper on a credit card.

swell people or because they're competing for the most business. They do it because they're regulated by the Truth in Lending Act, which is a 1968 law that says, this is what an APR is. These are the disclosures you have to make. This is how you have to do disputed charges. So for the CFPB to come out and say, but this buy now, pay later stuff is just an internet wrapper on a credit card.

swell people or because they're competing for the most business. They do it because they're regulated by the Truth in Lending Act, which is a 1968 law that says, this is what an APR is. These are the disclosures you have to make. This is how you have to do disputed charges. So for the CFPB to come out and say, but this buy now, pay later stuff is just an internet wrapper on a credit card.

It was, I think, a blow to the industry. And we've seen now with the Trump administration's efforts to eviscerate the CFPB, they issued a new interpretation in May of 2025 saying, never mind about that other thing. We're trying to undo it. We're not going to focus on buy now, pay later providers. And in fact, we're looking at repealing that whole interpretation.

It was, I think, a blow to the industry. And we've seen now with the Trump administration's efforts to eviscerate the CFPB, they issued a new interpretation in May of 2025 saying, never mind about that other thing. We're trying to undo it. We're not going to focus on buy now, pay later providers. And in fact, we're looking at repealing that whole interpretation.

It was, I think, a blow to the industry. And we've seen now with the Trump administration's efforts to eviscerate the CFPB, they issued a new interpretation in May of 2025 saying, never mind about that other thing. We're trying to undo it. We're not going to focus on buy now, pay later providers. And in fact, we're looking at repealing that whole interpretation.

Well, and that would be in the industry's interest, right? And especially if, as we've seen in these first months of the new administration, the If they're going to take out the regulator, right, if the CFPB isn't going to exist or can't function, and they are the ones who have put themselves out there and said, we're going to look at this industry.

Well, and that would be in the industry's interest, right? And especially if, as we've seen in these first months of the new administration, the If they're going to take out the regulator, right, if the CFPB isn't going to exist or can't function, and they are the ones who have put themselves out there and said, we're going to look at this industry.

Well, and that would be in the industry's interest, right? And especially if, as we've seen in these first months of the new administration, the If they're going to take out the regulator, right, if the CFPB isn't going to exist or can't function, and they are the ones who have put themselves out there and said, we're going to look at this industry.

And the Trump administration has already come in and said, no, you're not. No, we're not. then what rules they end up following are sort of, they're on their own, right? Yeah, alarming and scary. And honestly, if I'm looking a few steps down the line and I'm thinking, what are the plans for these industries? Tech has been looking at attempts to disrupt the credit score industry for a long time.

And the Trump administration has already come in and said, no, you're not. No, we're not. then what rules they end up following are sort of, they're on their own, right? Yeah, alarming and scary. And honestly, if I'm looking a few steps down the line and I'm thinking, what are the plans for these industries? Tech has been looking at attempts to disrupt the credit score industry for a long time.

And the Trump administration has already come in and said, no, you're not. No, we're not. then what rules they end up following are sort of, they're on their own, right? Yeah, alarming and scary. And honestly, if I'm looking a few steps down the line and I'm thinking, what are the plans for these industries? Tech has been looking at attempts to disrupt the credit score industry for a long time.

And they're generating the kind of data that you would need to offer an alternative kind of credit score.