Overview
Some trips on SquadTrip offer Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) as a payment option — at checkout, and afterwards to clear a balance you still owe — letting you finance your trip through Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay. If approved, the BNPL provider pays the organizer in full and you repay the provider on its schedule -- the first instalment is usually taken when you check out. A 4% convenience fee applies.
How to Use BNPL at Checkout
Start checkout for your trip as normal
Select "Buy Now, Pay Later" as your payment option
Choose your preferred provider: Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay
Review the 4% convenience fee added to your total
Click to proceed -- you'll be redirected to the BNPL provider
Complete the provider's quick approval process
If approved, your booking is confirmed immediately
Repay the provider on their installment schedule
BNPL Provider Comparison
Feature | Klarna | Affirm | Afterpay |
Payment split | 4 payments biweekly, or monthly financing | 4 payments, or 3-36 months | 4 payments over 6 weeks |
Interest | Interest-free for Pay in 4 | Interest-free for Pay in 4 | Interest-free if on time |
Credit check | Soft credit check | Soft credit check | Soft credit check |
Currencies | USD, GBP | USD only ($50 min) | USD, GBP |
First payment | At time of purchase | At time of purchase | At time of purchase |
The 4% Convenience Fee
A 4% convenience fee is added to your trip total when you choose BNPL. This fee is clearly displayed before you confirm.
Example: A $1,000 trip costs $1,040 with BNPL ($1,000 + $40 fee).
BNPL vs. SquadTrip Installment Plans
Feature | BNPL (Klarna/Affirm/Afterpay) | SquadTrip Installment Plan |
Provider | Third-party financing company | SquadTrip platform |
Fee | 4% convenience fee | No BNPL fee (organizer may charge a payment plan fee) |
Schedule | Set by BNPL provider | Set by trip organizer |
Credit check | Soft check by provider | No credit check |
Payments go to | BNPL provider | SquadTrip/organizer |
If the trip offers an installment plan, compare it with BNPL -- the organizer's plan has no convenience fee, which may save you money.
BNPL Availability by Currency
BNPL availability depends on the trip's currency, not your location. Here's what's available:
Currency | Klarna | Affirm | Afterpay |
USD | Yes | Yes ($50 min) | Yes |
GBP | Yes | No | Yes |
EUR | No | No | No |
If the trip is priced in EUR, BNPL won't appear at checkout. For GBP trips, look for Klarna or Afterpay. SquadTrip sends your application to the provider as a buyer in the trip's market -- US on USD trips (there is no country field to change) and UK on GBP trips -- so travelers outside that market may be declined by the provider.
After Your BNPL Payment
Once approved:
Your booking is confirmed immediately
The organizer receives the full payment
You manage your repayment directly with the BNPL provider's app or website
Your SquadTrip account shows the booking as paid
Paying Off an Existing Balance with BNPL
BNPL is not only a checkout option. If you booked with a deposit and an installment plan and you still owe a balance, you can clear that balance with Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay at any time.
How to do it
Sign in and open your trip.
Above your payment schedule, look for the banner "Pay off your balance with Buy Now, Pay Later."
Click Pay with BNPL.
Choose your provider, confirm your billing address, and complete the provider's approval.
What happens if you are approved
Your entire remaining balance is paid at once — not just the next installment.
A 4% convenience fee is added to that balance.
All of your remaining scheduled installments are cancelled automatically, so your card will not be charged again.
Your booking shows as paid in full, and you repay the provider on their schedule.
If you are declined, nothing changes — your installment plan stays active and you can try another provider.
When the option appears
The banner only shows when all of these are true:
You still owe a balance and your booking is not cancelled.
The trip has not departed yet.
You did not already check out using BNPL, and you have not already used this pay-off option on the booking (it can only be done once).
The organizer has Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay enabled on the trip, and takes payment through Stripe.
Your balance falls inside the provider's limits.
Provider | Minimum balance | Maximum total charge (balance + 4%) |
Klarna | $1 | $10,000 |
Affirm | $50 | $17,500 |
Afterpay | $1 | $2,000 |
This also works after an organizer moves you to a different trip. Your payments follow you, and if a balance remains on the new trip you can pay it off with BNPL the same way -- unless you already used the pay-off on that booking, which can only be done once.
Troubleshooting
Problem | Solution |
BNPL options not showing at checkout | The organizer may not have enabled BNPL for this trip, or the trip may be priced in EUR, which carries no BNPL. BNPL also requires the organizer to take payment through Stripe rather than Square. Each provider has an amount limit too - Afterpay stops at $2,000 and Klarna at $10,000 (total including the 4% fee), and Affirm needs at least $50. |
BNPL application denied | Each provider has its own approval criteria. Try a different BNPL provider, or use a credit card instead. |
Charged the 4% fee but didn't expect it | The fee is displayed before you confirm payment. If the organizer refunds the payment that carried the fee, the 4% is refunded proportionally with it -- ask the organizer, not the provider. |
Questions about repayment schedule | Contact the BNPL provider directly through their app or website. SquadTrip does not manage BNPL repayment. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's the difference between BNPL and the installment plan? A: Both let you pay over time, but they work differently. With BNPL, the provider pays the organizer if you are approved and you repay that third-party provider on its schedule (Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay) -- a 4% convenience fee applies. With the organizer's installment plan, you pay a deposit upfront and SquadTrip auto-charges your card monthly -- no convenience fee and no credit check. You choose one option at checkout — but if you start on an installment plan you can still pay off the remaining balance with BNPL later. See Paying Off an Existing Balance with BNPL above.
Q: What happens to my booking if I miss a BNPL payment to the provider? A: Your SquadTrip booking remains confirmed regardless of your repayment status with the BNPL provider. Late payments are between you and the provider (Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay) and may incur late fees depending on their terms.
Q: Is the 4% BNPL fee refundable if I cancel my trip? A: Trip cancellation refunds are handled by the organizer per their cancellation policy; when the organizer refunds the payment that carried the fee, the 4% is refunded proportionally with it. The BNPL provider may also have their own policies. Contact both the organizer and the BNPL provider if you need to cancel.
Q: Which BNPL provider should I choose? A: All three offer similar "pay in 4" options. Klarna supports USD and GBP. Affirm supports USD only but offers longer financing (up to 36 months) for larger trips. Afterpay is available on SquadTrip for USD and GBP trips, with 4 biweekly payments. Choose based on your preferred repayment timeline and trip currency.
Q: I'm outside the U.S. — can I still use BNPL? A: BNPL availability depends on the trip's currency, not your location. If the trip is priced in a supported currency (like USD or GBP), BNPL options will appear at checkout wherever you live, but your application is sent as a US buyer (USD trips) or UK buyer (GBP trips), so the provider may decline you if you are outside that market. The BNPL provider (Klarna, Affirm, or Afterpay) may have their own eligibility requirements during the approval step.
Related Articles
Contact: [email protected]