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Zip buy now, pay later loans: 2025 review

Written by
Denny Ceizyk
Edited by
Kellye Guinan
Updated on June 30, 2025

At a glance

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4.5
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Bankrate Score
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Availability
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2
Affordability
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
4.5
Customer Experience
Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
4.9

About Bankrate Score

Full methodology

Founded in 2013, Zip is a digital financial services company that offers buy now, pay later (BNPL) loans. It has partnered with thousands of retailers to provide payment plans for products ranging from groceries and education to travel and concerts. 

Spending power generally starts at a minimum of $35 and can be increased over time after you pay back your loan on time and in full. Zip is a legit service with a highly rated app, and it simplifies the process of buying from many well-known retailers in-store or online.

Lender Details

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Loan amount

Starting from $35

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APR from

Not specified

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Term lengths

6 to 14 weeks

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Funds available in

As soon as approval

Zip is best for a no-frills buy now, pay later plan

Plan Minimum amount Repayment term Availability
Pay in 4 $35 6 weeks In-store, online and in the app
Pay in 8 $200 14 weeks In the app and some merchants

Zip offers two options for its buy now, pay later (BNPL) product. Both come with a potential origination fee between $0 to $116. The amount you pay depends on the plan you choose and your loan amount. 

All borrowers are able to change their payment date once every month for free. After that, you are still able to change your due date, but Zip will charge a $2 fee each time. Late or missed payments are subject to a $7 late fee.

The fees are easy to understand, and the approval process seems to work best when using Zip’s well-regarded app. In addition, using the Zip app allows you to earn cash back with every purchase. You are also able to increase your spending power as you repay each loan, and Zip's website provides some useful tips for using its app.

Zip personal loan purposes

A Zip plan allows you to purchase day-to-day expenses like gas and groceries, making it a good (and much cheaper) alternative to payday loans. You can also book travel and add the cost of your hotel to your Zip account. Zip even partners with popular third-party booking sites like Expedia, Priceline and Hotels.com if you find the best deals.

Where Zip stands out

  • A simple, easy-to-use payment plan: Once you confirm that the merchant you’re buying from is Zip-approved, you’ll pay 25 percent upfront as your first payment, with the remainder due over the next six or 14 weeks. 
  • Available at most merchants that accept Visa: Zip partners with most major retailers when you're ready to pay, but the first payment is due when you check out. 
  • Due date flexibility: Once per month, you may change your payment due date — for free — by up to seven days. You must request this change 24 hours before an installment is due. 

Where Zip falls short

  • Unclear APR: The annual percentage rate (APR) of your Zip loan will not be disclosed until you are about to pay. Zip doesn't offer any information about potential APR on its website.
  • Fees often apply: You will pay a financing fee of up to $116 per purchase, divided among your payments. You’ll also pay a late fee of up to $7 if you miss a scheduled payment. 
  • The virtual card is only good for 14 days: When you are approved for a purchase through Zip, the app creates and loads a temporary, virtual Visa card that expires in 14 days.

Zip customer resources

Customer support

Zip customer service is available seven days a week by phone or messaging, but hours differ.

  • Zip customer service number hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
  • Zip customer service messaging hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET.

You can submit an additional email form if you have a question outside of normal contact support hours. 

Digital experience

Zip offers a digital experience online or through its app. Approval is usually instant, and the entire transaction can be completed on your smartphone. However, it’s important to time the virtual card so that your purchase is charged within 14 days. Otherwise, the card expires, and your purchase won’t go through. 

How this lender compares

logo
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
4.5
Bankrate Score
APR from
Not specified
Loan Amount
Starting from $35
Term Length
6 to 14 weeks
Min Credit Score
Not disclosed
Compare ratesArrow Right Icon
on Bankrate
logo
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4
Bankrate Score
APR from
0%-33.99%
Loan Amount
No set min or max
Term Length
30 days-24 months
Min Credit Score
Not disclosed
Read our reviewArrow Right Icon
on Bankrate
logo
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
4.8
Bankrate Score
APR from
0%-36%
Loan Amount
$50-$17,500
Term Length
1-60 months
Min Credit Score
Not disclosed
Read our reviewArrow Right Icon
on Bankrate

Zip vs. Klarna

Klarna and Zip both offer pay in 4 payment plans that have bi-weekly payments. However, Klarna also has a financing plan service offering six- to 24-month terms. Zip's fee structure is based on how much you borrow and is capped at $7.50. Klarna doesn’t charge any fees on its pay-in-four plans unless you’re late on a payment. Its longer financing plans come with rates of up to 35.99 percent, which is comparable to other personal loan rates.

Zip offers phone support every day of the week during normal business hours, but Klarna offers both an AI assistant, phone support and live chat 24/7.

Zip vs. Affirm

Affirm offers a wider variety of repayment terms, from three to 60 months, compared to Zip’s six- to 14-week terms. Affirm also doesn’t charge fees, unlike Zip. On the customer service side, Both lenders can be contacted seven days a week by phone. But as of June 2025, Affirm had racked up over 1,000 consumer complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

Do you qualify for a Zip buy now, pay later plan?

To qualify for a Zip payment plan, you’ll need to:

  • Be a U.S. resident.
  • Prove you’re at least 18 years old.
  • Verify your mobile phone number.
  • Have a debit card you use for purchases.
  • Document a mailing address that’s not a mailing service (like a P.O. box).
  • Choose a Zip-approved merchant to buy from.

How to apply for buy-now, pay-later financing with Zip

Applying for Zip financing starts with shopping.  

  1. Search the mobile app for a participating retailer, or visit an Exclusive Partner's website.
  2. Shop for your product and add it to your cart.
  3. At checkout, select “Pay with Zip.” If you are shopping in person, select the In-Store tab and add the order total, including tax and shipping.
  4. Review the finance terms, then select “Agree and continue.”
  5. Complete the transaction. Zip will automatically populate payment information for you. If you are paying in-store, add your Zip card to your wallet and tap to pay.
Learn more: Compare personal loans with low interest rates

How Bankrate rates Zip

Overall Score 4.5 Explanation
Availability 4.2 Maximum spending power is unknown, and only one payment plan is available.
Affordability 4.5 No rewards program and installment fees are charged for each payment based on the purchase amount.
Customer Experience 4.9 Seven-day-a-week customer support and highly rated app with over a half million user posts.

Methodology

Bankrate's trusted buy now, pay later industry expertise

Read our full methodology

57

years in business

7

lenders reviewed

12

loan features weighed

84

data points collected

The Bankrate team did a complete analysis of the features and services offered by the most well-known buy now, pay later apps in the industry. Then our experts developed a scoring system to rate these apps, focusing on three main areas:

  • Availability: We look at the minimum and maximum loan amounts offered by the apps, as well as the number of interest-free plans they offer. Apps offering more than one interest-free plan and the most flexible loan amounts rank higher in this category.
  • Affordability: We evaluate the APR ranges apps assess on purchases once the interest-free period ends and personal loan options, if offered. Additional fees, exclusive perks and discounts are also rated. Apps with the lowest APRs, fewer fees and more perks obtain the highest scores in this category.
  • Customer experience: Purchasing flexibility, as well as return, exchange and refund policies are vetted in this section. Mobile app rating, number of consumer complaints with the CFPB and customer support are also taken into account. Apps with more flexibility and lower complaints rate higher in this category.

Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by Bankrate.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the lender’s website for the most current information.

What customers think

What people across the web are saying about Zip

The majority of users’ Zip reviews, both on the app stores and on third-party review site Trustpilot, are 5-star and positive. As of June 2025, Zip has a 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot after over 25,000 reviews. Users describe the ease of using the Zip plan to spread payments out without worrying about credit approval. 

“I did some early back-to-school shopping for my boys via Mercari. My total purchase was more than I initially wanted to pay. Thankfully, Zip was an option. It was very easy to use and the payment plan was easy to understand. It's great that Zip emails the plan to you so you don't miss a payment.”

— trustpilot user

Negative ratings on the App Store are mostly related to returns. Customers often needed to work directly with customer service to resolve their issues. Multiple customers writing on Trustpilot were frustrated with low starting spending limits and difficulties in getting their spending limits increased despite making on-time payments. 

Zip representatives consistently respond to negative reviews on the Trustpilot page.

Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate. Please see the issuer’s website for updated terms and conditions.

Community Zip scores

CTA Zip
PERSONAL LOAN

Zip

Dive into community reviews below and see what others think about Zip.

4.5 Star Icon
24 ratings
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Score breakdown
5 stars
58%
4 stars
29%
3 stars
13%
2 stars
0%
1 star
0%
Score by category
Overall rating 4.5 / 5
Fees & closing costs 4.6 / 5
Funding time 4 / 5
Customer service 3.7 / 5
Application process 4.4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Verified Badge Icon

In July 2024, Bankrate collaborated with a third-party vendor to survey 1.3K loan borrowers nationwide. Bankrate and our vendor collected and summarized borrower responses to five questions on a 5-point scale, three yes/no questions, as well as open-ended reviews of their loan experience. Responses are based on individual borrower’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by the associated lenders, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own expert review of these loan products.

Community Reviews

See what users like you are saying about Zip.
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Anonymous Borrower
August 20, 2024
Describe your experience with customer service
It was the best
Loan purpose
Home project loan
Score by category
Fees & closing costs 5 / 5
Funding time 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Application process 5 / 5
Anonymous Borrower
August 20, 2024
Describe your experience with customer service
It was good
Loan purpose
Home project loan
Score by category
Fees & closing costs 5 / 5
Funding time 3 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 3 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Application process 5 / 5
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We wanna know what you think about Zip

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