# Managing Buy Now, Pay Later Purchases in YNAB: An Overview > This article offers tips on keeping track of Buy Now, Pay Later programs when using YNAB. Source: https://support.ynab.com/en_us/managing-buy-now-pay-later-purchases-in-ynab-an-overview-BJrmfNdVj Last updated: 2026-07-02T17:25:20.712Z Gain clarity on the status of your Buy Now, Pay Later purchases. Create dedicated categories for each of your Buy Now, Pay Later programs. Keep track of the details for each program through the use of category notes. #### In This Article [Introduction to Managing Buy Now, Pay Later Programs in YNAB](#intro) [Tips for Successfully Managing Buy Now, Pay Later Programs in YNAB](#tips) * * * ## Introduction to Managing Buy Now, Pay Later Programs in YNAB Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) allows you to split your purchase into installments and pay the total amount over time. BNPL programs are on the rise, and you may have noticed them offered when you check out while shopping online. They come in all shapes and sizes; different programs may have different numbers of installments, fees and/or interest rates, and more. YNAB is all about awareness. We want you to have control over your finances, which includes knowing how much money you’re sending toward installment plans each month. To achieve this level of clarity, we recommend dedicated categories for each of your BNPL programs. #### Why not use a loan account for my BNPL Programs? The loan account type isn’t a good fit for this type of debt, and it can be complicated to set up in your existing Cash or Credit accounts. There are several different types of these Buy Now, Pay Later programs. Depending on the amount of detail in which you’d like to track these promotional purchases, we have some extra tips for each specific type of program. If you’re interested in setting up these purchases with more detail in your plan, [tell the chatbot you need a human or send us an email](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/how-to-get-help-SygqcvtC5) for help! [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## Tips for Successfully Managing Buy Now, Pay Later Programs in YNAB Here are three tips that will help you maintain an accurate plan when using BNPL programs. ### Create a Dedicated Category for the Purchase Set up a dedicated category to plan for each installment charge for the financed purchase. This will keep your money for the installments separate from the money you regularly assign to that purchase’s true spending category. For example, if you purchased some clothing using BNPL, you may want to plan for the payoff separately from the money you usually assign toward your Clothing category each month. When you’re done paying off the purchase, you can delete the dedicated category and follow the steps to [merge any transactions or assigned funds](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/adding-removing-and-customizing-categories-a-guide-HJFO5j909#delete) from that category to your Clothing category. If you have multiple BNPL purchases, you can create a category group to contain your dedicated categories for each purchase. ### Leave a Note in Your Dedicated Category You can [leave a persisting note](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/how-to-add-notes-Byytt_YC9#category) in your category with details about the installment plan. Here's a sample note, complete with the type of information you might find helpful while keeping track of your BNPL purchase in YNAB: Total Purchase Amount: Installment Amount: Total # of Installments: Installments Remaining: Next Payment Date: Payoff Date: To maintain this note, be sure to update the remaining installments and next payment date on a regular basis (according to the terms of your installment plan).  ### Add a Target to your Dedicated Category for Each Installment [Adding a target](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/how-to-use-targets-rk5kkI9ks) to your category will remind you to assign money so you don’t forget about your installments each month. There are a wide variety of BNPL programs out there, and these one-size-fits-all steps may not be a perfect fit for your plan. If you need additional help setting up your BNPL program in YNAB, [tell the chatbot you need a human or send us an email](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/how-to-get-help-SygqcvtC5) for help! 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