Reasons to Read

Older US consumers are adding debt faster than any other age group, but BNPL usage remains concentrated among younger consumers.

On November 6, 2026, Coresight Research presented insights on US consumer credit and buy now, pay later (BNPL) at its Premium Member Call.

In this presentation, we provide insights into the aging of US consumer debt, BNPL usage by age and income, the growth of BNPL against the wider credit market and credit delinquency trends, with implications for retailers and BNPL providers.

Data in this report include:

• US consumer debt growth by age group and debt type, including student loans
• BNPL usage in the past 12 months, by age and household income
• BNPL users’ reasons for using BNPL and usual spending categories, by age and income
• Coresight Research estimate of US BNPL provider revenue, 2025–2030
• Credit card and student loan delinquency flows, by age and debt type

Companies mentioned in this report include: Ace Hardware, Affirm, Costco, Klarna, Lowe’s, Mattress Firm, Ulta Beauty and Zip.

Other relevant research:

• US Consumer Credit and BNPL: Capturing the Aging Opportunity