Effects of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) on Working Youths in Karad City of Maharashtra

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) platforms have become a trendy online payment tool, especially among young working people, since they allow purchasing it with installment payments that are made in deferred and interest-free payments. The paper examines the effects of BNPL on employed youth in Karad City, Maharashtra, and in particular the spending behaviour, saving habits, and money stress. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data on 150 working youths. The analysis of data was done using SPSS and using the method of reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression. A Cronbach-Alpha of 0.842 was used to confirm the instrument reliability, which implies that it has high internal consistency. Findings reveal that there is a great awareness and adoption of services offered by BNPL among working youths in Karad City. The use of BNPL will have a severe impact on savings since it can make people spend a lot. The correlation and regression analyses also prove that the increased BNPL use causes an increased level of financial stress because of the inability to handle installments and late payments. The research concludes that BNPL is a two-sided financial tool, which brings convenience and risk of finances. It highlights the importance of financial literacy, responsible use, transparent provider practices, and regulating oversight to make sure that BNPL has a positive contribution to the financial welfare of working young people.