Abstract:
This study investigates the effects of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) usage on impulse spending behavior
among consumers in Kazakhstan. As BNPL rapidly becomes more common, there is growing concern that
it may lead to an excess of unplanned purchases and long-term financial difficulties. The research aimed to
answer whether frequent BNPL use leads to more impulse spending; what kind of psychological factors
influence the impulsive decision to buy using BNPL; and whether certain demographic groups are more
vulnerable to overusing BNPL. A mixed-methods approach was used. Data was collected through a survey
of 140 respondents (with 102 BNPL users). Quantitative data was analyzed using logit models, and
thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The findings show that people who use BNPL more often
are more likely to make impulsive purchases. Psychological factors such as ease of access, convenience,
misperception of interest, present-biased thinking were identified as key drivers for using BNPL.
Demographic factors were not statistically significant in predicting overuse. These results suggest the
importance of improving financial literacy and regulating digital credit tools to protect consumers. The
study adds to the understanding of how digital payment systems, precisely BNPL, affects consumer
behavior and offers ideas for policy and education in digital finance.
