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Sky News request: BNPL changes - how should retailers prepare?

Journalist: Jess Sharp, Sky News

ended 03. June 2026

Hello 

I hope you're well. 

I'm working on a story for the Sky News Money blog about the BNPL changes coming in July and how retailers need to prepare for them. 

I'm looking for experts to share their thoughts, so tell me what you think. 

Thanks so much

Jess 

4 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Nouran Moustafa
Practice Principal & IFA at Roxton Wealth
Retailers need to treat the BNPL changes as more than a checkout update. This is a trust issue. BNPL has grown because it feels quick and painless, but regulation means retailers will need to be much clearer about what customers are agreeing to, when payments are due and what happens if they miss one.

The biggest change is behavioural. If affordability checks create more friction, some customers may abandon baskets, especially for discretionary spending. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Retailers should want sustainable sales, not customers stretching themselves to buy things they cannot afford.

The businesses that handle this well will be the ones that make the process transparent without making it scary. BNPL can still be useful, but it should not be dressed up as “free money”.
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Harry Goodliffe
Director at HTG Mortgages
Retailers need to stop treating Buy Now, Pay Later as a simple checkout button and start treating it like a regulated financial product. New rules will add friction to the process, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If retailers’ sales rely on customers taking on debt they can't afford, that's a bigger problem than a few extra compliance checks. Retailers who prepare early, communicate well and work with reputable lenders will be in the best position. In the long run, better consumer protection should build trust, rather than damage it.
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Thomas Boughton
Founder at Artillium Real Estate Finance
Changes to BNPL regulation are welcomed and long overdue. For too long, consumers have been entering into largely unregulated, instant credit agreements without fully appreciating the risks or the potential long-term financial consequences.

BNPL is seemingly aimed towards young people giving them ease to finance small purchases like a pair of shoes, without adequately educating them on the potential financial issues that follow should they not be able to keep up with this commitment.

From a mortgage perspective, lenders take a notably strict view of BNPL usage. Even where payments are made on time, BNPL commitments can signal higher risk, poor money management and contribute to affordability constraints, ultimately affecting mortgage eligibility and reducing borrowing capacity for some clients.
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Saqhib Ali
CEO at ZeroPA
What is your company doing to prepare?

ZeroPA has registered for temporary permission and is preparing for the new regulatory regime through a review of its customer journey, governance arrangements and customer protections. As a provider of interest-free credit for essential goods and services, our focus is ensuring the new requirements are implemented in a way that supports both consumer protection and financial inclusion.

2. How do you think this will reshape the BNPL landscape?

Regulation will help establish BNPL as a mainstream consumer credit product rather than simply a checkout feature. Greater consistency around affordability, transparency and customer support should increase consumer confidence and create a more level playing field across the sector. For ZeroPA, this creates opportunity to show that BNPL can be ethical, mission-led and focused on essentials rather than discretionary spending.

3. What do other lenders need to know?

Firms should view the new regime as mo