Chinese youth reject credit cards for digital 'buy now, pay later' services

Young people in China are increasingly rejecting traditional credit cards in favor of integrated ‘buy now, pay later’ services offered by digital platforms. Many users find these digital credit options more accessible and easier to use than formal bank products.

Services such as Ant Group’s Huabei, integrated into Alipay, and JD.com’s Baitiao allow users to split payments for daily necessities like food, groceries, and online shopping into multiple installments. While these tools provide convenience for students and young adults, they can lead to accumulated debt across multiple applications, sometimes making it difficult for users to track their total liabilities until monthly bills arrive.