According to a parliamentary statement by Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong, Malaysians made 243 million Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) transactions worth RM21.3 billion in 2025. With an average transaction size of RM91, BNPL is commonly used for everyday spending such as food, groceries, transport, and other daily services.
One plan is easy enough to track, especially when paying on time incurs no extra cost. Several plans across different apps are where it breaks down, with separate balances, separate due dates, and no single view of what you owe. That is when payments slip.
How Fees Start Stacking Up
When you miss a BNPL payment, the provider immediately charges a late fee and suspends your account until you settle. Some providers cap what they charge; others automatically convert your balance into a higher-rate instalment plan. Miss one payment on Atome and one on Grab PayLater in the same month, and you're already looking at RM33 in late fees before you've paid down a single ringgit.
Fee figures are current as of July 2026. Check your provider's app for the latest before committing to a plan.
Atome
Late fees run up to RM23 per missed payment, plus an additional RM7 in some cases depending on your funding source. Your account is suspended immediately and reinstated once you've settled all outstanding amounts and late charges.
Grab PayLater
Grab PayLater charges RM10 per missed payment for its Postpaid (monthly bill) option, or RM10 per missed instalment for its instalment plans, capped at RM30 total. Your account is suspended until you settle the overdue amount plus the late fee.
SPayLater
SPayLater charges RM10 per missed payment, or the bill principal amount, whichever is lower. If your overdue instalment is below RM10, the late charge matches that amount instead. Your SPayLater and Shopee account will be frozen until you settle.
Ryt PayLater
Ryt PayLater has no flat late fee, but a missed payment automatically converts your full outstanding balance into a 3-month instalment plan at a nominal rate of 8.87% p.a. (26.8% EIR). On a RM1,000 balance, the interest over the three-month conversion period works out to roughly RM22. Unlike a flat fee, this cost is real but spread across instalments rather than charged upfront.
What Longer Term BNPL Instalment Plans Cost
Most BNPL providers offer two types of repayment plans. The standard option splits your purchase into three equal monthly payments with no extra charge if you pay on time. Extended plans spread repayment over longer periods, depending on the provider.
SPayLater and Atome charge 1.5% per month on extended plans. Grab PayLater charges 1.5% per instalment across all instalment plans following a rate update effective 1 June 2026. The 4-instalment plan is free only at Grab's designated VIP Brands; all other merchants apply the same 1.5% fee per instalment.
For SPayLater, the 3-month 0% plan only applies to purchases made on the Shopee marketplace app. ShopeeFood, Insurance, Prepaid, Bills and Tickets, as well as in-store or third-party website payments, come with a 1.5% monthly charge even on the 3-month plan.
Seeing "interest-free" at checkout does not mean every BNPL option is free. It refers to the standard short plan, while longer repayment periods can include processing fees or charges shown in your payment summary.
Take an RM3,000 SPayLater extended plan over 6 months at 1.5% per month: the processing fee comes to RM270 on top of the purchase price. On a 12-month plan, it's RM540.
If you're already on an extended plan and the fees are higher than you expected, check your provider's app to see if early settlement is an option. Most providers allow it, though any processing fees already charged generally won't be refunded.
What Late Payments Do To Your Credit Record
How a missed BNPL payment affects your credit record depends on who issued the plan.
Ryt PayLater is issued by Ryt Bank, a licensed bank, which means missed payments are reported directly to CCRIS, the Central Credit Reference Information System maintained by Bank Negara Malaysia. CCRIS is one of the records banks check when you apply for credit facilities such as home loans, car loans, credit cards, or personal loans.
For non-bank BNPL providers like Atome, SPayLater, Grab PayLater, and others, the Consumer Credit Act 2025 requires them to report consumer credit data to licensed credit reporting agencies (private companies that compile credit histories and sell reports to lenders). While the reporting infrastructure is still being phased in, BNPL repayment behaviour will increasingly show up in your credit profile.
Check your CCRIS record for free through eCCRIS, Bank Negara Malaysia's online portal. Private credit reporting agencies also offer paid reports with credit scores, longer history windows, and public records that CCRIS does not include.
A missed payment stays on CCRIS for up to 12 months from the month it occurred. Credit reporting agencies may retain data for longer. If an overdue payment remains unsettled and keeps appearing as an arrear each month, the record compounds. Multiple late payments, even on small BNPL purchases, can affect your approval chances across any credit product.
For more on how banks read your credit record, read this guide to credit scores and loan applications, which covers the factors lenders weigh most heavily.
If late BNPL payments are already on your record, settle the outstanding amount and focus on consistent repayments from here. Keeping at least six months of clean payments before applying for new credit gives lenders a clearer picture of your current repayment behaviour.
Signs It's Time To Stop And Think
Sometimes it's hard to tell when things have shifted from manageable to a bit much. If any of these sound familiar, pause before making your next purchase:
- You're not sure how many BNPL plans you currently have open
- You've missed a payment in the last month, even once
- You're deciding which bill to skip to cover a BNPL instalment
- You've used BNPL to buy something you couldn't otherwise afford
- Your credit record shows late payment entries you didn't know about
What To Do If You're Already Behind
Before anything else, stop opening new BNPL plans while you have overdue payments. New plans add more due dates and make it harder to clear what you already owe.
Contact your provider as soon as a payment is missed and ask what repayment options are available. Ask specifically whether they can restructure your plan.
The longer a payment stays overdue, the more fees accumulate. Accounts that remain unresolved for an extended period can be passed to a third-party debt collection agency, at which point negotiating directly becomes much harder. The timeline varies by provider, so check your agreement or contact customer service to understand when this applies.
Under the Consumer Credit Act 2025, debt collection must follow fair conduct guidelines, so providers cannot use aggressive or misleading tactics. If something about how they're handling your account feels wrong, raise a complaint with the Suruhanjaya Kredit Pengguna (Consumer Credit Commission), the government body set up to oversee BNPL providers.
If you have overdue balances with multiple providers and cannot clear everything at once, compare which balance is costing you the most to leave unpaid. Ryt PayLater's conversion to an interest-bearing plan begins immediately on a missed payment. For Atome, settling the outstanding late charges reinstates your account.
How To Use BNPL Responsibly
Once your repayments are under control, these habits help keep them that way.
Limit how many active plans you have at once. Several plans across different apps means tracking multiple due dates, and that is where payments slip.
Before adding a new plan, ask whether you could afford the purchase in full this month if you had to. BNPL works best as a timing tool for purchases you already planned, not for stretching a budget beyond what it can cover. If your salary comes in on the 25th and a purchase is due on the 10th, splitting over three months can make sense. If you still cannot cover the full amount after payday, instalments only delay the problem.
The standard three-instalment plan is the lower-cost option. That is where 0% applies. Longer plans carry monthly charges that increase your total cost.
How To Keep Track of Multiple Plans
With each provider in its own app and its own billing cycle, check in at least weekly when you have more than one plan running.
Open each provider's app, note the outstanding balance and next due date, then add them up. If the combined amount due exceeds what you have left after rent, utilities, and food, work out which to prioritise before any of them go overdue.
Set a calendar reminder a few days before each due date. Each provider runs on a different schedule:
Atome
Atome splits payments monthly, with the first at checkout and the remaining two at 30-day intervals. It auto-deducts from your saved card, so make sure there's enough in the account the day before each due date.
Grab PayLater
Grab PayLater Postpaid bills arrive at the start of each month, with payment due by the 7th. Instalment plans split into 4, 8, or 12 monthly payments. Check the fee for your specific merchant before confirming. Grab auto-deducts from your linked GrabPay Wallet or payment card on the due date.
SPayLater
SPayLater has multiple billing cycles depending on your account settings. Check your SPayLater app to confirm your billing date and due date. Payment is made manually through the Shopee app.
Ryt PayLater
Payment schedules depend on your plan. Check the Ryt app for your due dates. Payments are made manually through the Ryt Bank app.
Frequently Asked Questions
My BNPL payment is overdue. What should I do right now?
Open the provider's app and pay the overdue amount as soon as you can. Most providers suspend your account the moment a payment is missed and reinstate it once you've cleared the outstanding balance and late charges.
If paying in full isn't possible right now, call their customer service line and ask about a payment arrangement. It's much easier to sort out before the account is passed to a collection agency, so the sooner you reach out, the better.
Will missed BNPL payments affect my ability to get a loan or credit card?
Yes. Under the Consumer Credit Act 2025, BNPL providers must report repayment data to credit reporting agencies, and bank-issued providers like Ryt PayLater report directly to CCRIS. Banks check both CCRIS and credit reporting agency records when reviewing any credit application: home loans, car loans, credit cards, personal loans. A pattern of late payments can get your application rejected or push the rate higher.
How long does a late payment stay on my credit record?
CCRIS records the past 12 months of repayment history. Credit reporting agencies may hold data for longer. One late payment on an otherwise clean record carries far less weight than a repeated pattern. Settle any outstanding amounts and keep your payments on time going forward.
Can I close a BNPL account if I still have an outstanding balance?
Most providers need you to settle the full balance before they close the account. Stop making new purchases, pay down what you owe, and request closure once it's cleared.
What's the difference between contacting my BNPL provider and going to AKPK?
Your BNPL provider can only help with that specific debt. AKPK (Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit) is a government agency offering free debt counselling for Malaysians who are struggling with multiple debts, including personal loans, credit cards, and home loans, not just BNPL. If your BNPL debt is part of a wider financial difficulty, AKPK is the right place to start. Call 1800-88-2575 or visit akpk.org.my.
What if I have a complaint against a BNPL provider?
Malaysian BNPL providers must comply with the Consumer Credit Act 2025, with regulatory oversight by the Suruhanjaya Kredit Pengguna (SKP). If a provider charges undisclosed fees, uses aggressive collection tactics, or fails to honour an agreed payment plan, lodge a complaint directly with the Consumer Credit Commission (SKP).
For disputes with your bank or card issuer, such as an unauthorised deduction from your account that the bank refuses to resolve, you can escalate to the Financial Markets Ombudsman Service (FMOS), which handles disputes against its member financial service providers.
