Apple Wallet update makes pay later easier

Summary

• Apple Wallet has been updated to make setting up buy now, pay later (BNPL) services easier.
• The new feature lets you set up a third-party BNPL service before making a purchase for the first time with it through the Apple Wallet app.
• The feature is available for both iOS 18 and iOS 26 users.

Buy now, pay later services have become increasingly popular in recent years, with companies like Affirm and Klarna offering plans directly through the Apple Wallet app during the checkout process. Now, Apple is making them more accessible and easier to use.

Apple recently updated its Wallet app to let you set up and manage buy now, pay later (BNPL) services before making a purchase (via 9to5Mac). Previously, to use a service like Affirm for the first time, you had to complete the entire checkout process for whatever you’re buying, select the “Other Cards & Pay Later” option, and then go through the setup and application process for it.

With the new Apple Wallet update, you can set up and manage pay later options in the Apple Wallet app before making a purchase for the first time, making the checkout process faster. The change was spotted by Aaron Perris on X and can be found in the plus menu when you go to add a card in Apple Wallet, by selecting “Pay Later Options.”

You should be able to access the feature now

The feature arrives just in time for Apple’s iPhone 17 event

According to 9to5Mac, this feature is already available for Apple Wallet users running iOS 18 and iOS 26. So, if you haven’t installed the iOS 26 beta and are waiting for its official release, you can still use this feature with iOS 18 for now. Just make sure your Apple Wallet app is up-to-date.

When you tap the new feature called “Pay Later Options” in Apple Wallet, it takes you to a menu where you can view the BNPL services available to you, and you can select one to set up and manage before making a purchase, so it’s ready to go in advance.

It’s interesting that Apple rolled out this feature just before its highly anticipated “Awe dropping” product event on September 9, where the iPhone 17 series is expected to be unveiled. This might be a way for Apple to help prepare people for the new phones to go up for pre-order soon.

Either way, it’s nice to see a simple quality-of-life feature like this added to Apple Wallet. With iOS 26 coming soon, a lot more features are on the horizon for Apple Wallet as well, such as new features for boarding passes and the ability to more easily track orders.