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‘Buy now, pay later’ is not dead

Key players have retreated, but BNPL remains a growth engine in large marketplaces

Claudia Chong

Claudia Chong

Published Mon, Mar 25, 2024 · 05:00 AM
    • Indonesian tech company GoTo is preparing to launch a BNPL product with social media platform TikTok.
    • Indonesian tech company GoTo is preparing to launch a BNPL product with social media platform TikTok. REUTERS

    TWO of the region’s largest e-commerce players are doubling down on “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) services, even as this short-term financing product undergoes a reckoning.

    Indonesian tech company GoTo said on Mar 19 it is preparing to launch a BNPL product with social media platform TikTok, months after it struck a deal to merge its e-commerce unit Tokopedia with TikTok Shop.

    Do these two companies know something about the sector that other players don’t?

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