Clearpay review: Buy now, pay later with no interest

Clearpay (the British sister of popular Australian payment service Afterpay) allows you to split your online shopping totals into 4 instalments. You can check out our full list of retailers offering Clearpay here.

How to use Clearpay: A step-by-step video

Features of shopping with Clearpay

• Warning: Late repayments can cause you serious money problems. For help, contact MoneyHelper.

How much does Clearpay cost to use?

Clearpay doesn’t charge any interest or fees to use its services. The only situation in which you’ll pay more is if you don’t have enough money in your account to make the automatic payments. In this case, you’ll be charged a late fee and will need to log in to your Clearpay account to clear the balance.

Is Clearpay safe?

Clearpay is part of the Afterpay Touch Group, which is Level 1 certified by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The company says your card details and personal information are always safe when you shop with Clearpay.

How do I set up a Clearpay account?

You must be at least 18 years old and shop with a retailer that offers Clearpay to sign up for an account.

For online shopping…

1. Find a retailer that offers Clearpay and add the items you want to purchase to your basket.
2. At the retailer checkout, you will see Clearpay listed as a payment option.
3. Follow the steps to create your account, including entering your email address and phone number.
4. Choose a payment method to link to your Clearpay account. Clearpay accepts payments from debit and credit cards from Amex, Mastercard or Visa.
5. Once you confirm your payment method details, Clearpay will instantly accept or reject your order and will take the first payment automatically from your nominated account.
6. Online orders will be shipped to you by the retailer after checkout.
7. Clearpay will send you notifications before each subsequent automatic payment is taken so you can make sure there’s enough money attached to your nominated account.

For in-store shopping…

1. Download the Clearpay app from Google Play or the App Store.
2. Follow the in-app instructions to set up the Clearpay Card, and use the Clearpay Card with Apple Pay or Google Pay to make a contactless payment at checkout.
3. You pay 25% at the time of purchase and can take your item/s home with you that day. You’ll then pay the outstanding balance in 3 equal instalments at 2-week intervals.

What if I’m late to making a payment?

As soon as you miss a payment, Clearpay will immediately stop you from making any further purchases using the service. Late fees are capped at £6 for orders under £24. For orders over £24, you’ll have until 11pm the following day to make the payment using an alternative payment method but if you miss that you’ll be charged a late fee of £6. A further fee of £6 will be taken if the payment is not made within 7 days. For each order of £24 or more, the late fees applied are capped at 25% of the order value or £36, whichever is less.

Is Clearpay easy to use?

Finder’s BNPL expert Amelia Glean answers

Now you know what Clearpay is and how it works, but what’s it like to actually use the service?

1. Fixed repayment plan

Unlike Klarna and a number of other BNPL providers, Clearpay only offers 1 type of payment plan. Arguably, this makes things simpler for the user as everyone plays by the same rules. But there’s no getting away from the fact that you can’t use Clearpay in the same way as Klarna and “try before you buy”. This is because Clearpay’s payment option involves splitting the cost of your goods into 4 chunks, with 1 instalment taken at the time of purchase. While you will get your money back if you return the item, the money is still leaving your account before you’re sure if you want to keep your new item.

2. Automatic payments

What we like about Clearpay is the payments are automatic, meaning shoppers don’t need to keep an eye on due dates and risk missing the deadlines. However, all of this means that you do need to ensure there are sufficient funds in your linked account to cover the costs. Unlike Klarna, Clearpay charges a late fee of £6 in the first instance, and if it’s still not paid after 7 days, a further £6 fee will be charged. If you choose to pay by Clearpay, this is something you should be aware of.

3. User-friendly app

If you use Clearpay regularly, chances are you’ll benefit from downloading the Clearpay app, available on both iOS and Android devices. It allows you to manage your payments efficiently and view your payment schedule, as well as browse through the range of online retailers that offer Clearpay at checkout. You can also make early payments should you wish to clear your repayment plan sooner – a handy feature for those who have the money ready and waiting.

How many shoppers use Clearpay?

We know that Clearpay is one of the most popular BNPL platforms in the UK. Finder’s latest report on BNPL “Instant hit: The rise and rise of buy now, pay later” showed that Clearpay saw 298,000 downloads of its app between January and July 2020. Only Klarna (986,000 downloads) and My Argos Card (435,000) racked up more in the same time period.

Clearpay customer reviews

Clearpay has collected a wide range of reviews online. On Trustpilot, the buy now, pay later provider scores 4.8 out of 5 stars and has a score of “Excellent”, based on over 32,000 reviews (updated December 2023).

The Clearpay app performs even better, with a score of 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store – that’s based on over 58,000 reviews in December 2023.

What can I do if something goes wrong?

On the off chance that you encounter a problem with Clearpay, we suggest taking a look at the list of FAQs on the site. Can’t find your question on there? Send a message online and wait for a member of the customer services team to get back to you.

Pros and cons of Clearpay

Our verdict: Is Clearpay any good?

Clearpay is one the most popular BNPL platforms in the UK, and for a good reason. It’s super easy to use, set up and manage, and the app offers some good features.

There are 2 main drawbacks. Firstly, there’s less choice of payment plans, compared with Klarna’s 3 options. While this can certainly make things simpler for users, it doesn’t allow shoppers to “try before they buy”, at least without paying the first of the 4 instalments. Secondly, Clearpay’s £6 late fees are likely to cause many shoppers to choose its competitor, Klarna, which charges no late fees at all.

Clearpay partners with some great retailers like JD, boohoo and PrettyLittleThing, you’ll pay no interest, ever, and payments are taken automatically, meaning you don’t need to worry about scheduling them into your day. But Clearpay’s late fees and limited payment plans work against the platform when compared to its closest competitor, Klarna.

Check out our Clearpay FAQs

How can I contact Clearpay?

Clearpay can be contacted via its online Help Centre, or through phone at 0808 164 9707, Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm.

Which cards does Clearpay accept?

Clearpay accepts UK Amex, Mastercard and Visa credit and debit cards.

How do I return an order?

Contact the retailer you purchased your item from and follow its returns process. All returns are subject to the retailer’s returns policy. To make sure no further automatic payments are taken from your account while your return is being processed, you can contact Clearpay and it will pause your payments for 2 weeks until the refund is processed. This means no late payment fees will be taken from your account. If you have a specific concern or dispute, contact Clearpay’s customer service.

Where do I go to manage my payments?

Log in to your online Clearpay account to view your repayment schedule.

When will Clearpay take my first payment?

The first of your 4 payments is due immediately when you purchase your items. The other 3 payments will automatically be taken from your account at 2-week intervals after that.

Is Afterpay the same as Clearpay?

Afterpay and Clearpay are run by the same company, with Afterpay being the name of the BNPL service offered in Australia, the USA, Canada and New Zealand, and Clearpay being the name of the same service offered in the UK.

Does Clearpay do a credit check?

No, Clearpay does not run a credit check on you when you make an account. Instead, to ensure customers are likely to be able to make repayments, Clearpay may conduct a pre-authorisation on your nominated card, up to the amount of your first instalment.

If I make a late Clearpay payment will it affect my credit score?

Clearpay has the right to tell credit reference agencies (CRAs) – which hold your credit report – if you pay late, but it has said that it doesn’t do this. However, with the recent news that all 3 major CRAs will be including BNPL data on your credit reports from Spring 2022, it is likely that Clearpay will change its position on this.

Where can I shop with Clearpay?

Clearpay is offered at more than 3,500 stores and sites in the UK, including big brands names like boohoo, Glossybox and more.

Is Clearpay trustworthy?

Yes, Clearpay has all the standard security measures used by online payment services and is level 1 certified by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

Will I be accepted for Clearpay?

Clearpay uses several factors to decide whether to accept customers orders. To improve your chances of being accepted, we suggest starting with 1 order of a low value and ensuring you have enough money in your account to make all payments on time.

Can you be declined for Clearpay?

Yes, Clearpay does not approve 100% of orders. Clearpay uses a number of factors to decide whether to accept customers. These factors include the value of the order, the length of time you’ve been using Clearpay, the funds available on your payment method and the number of open orders you have with Clearpay.

Is Clearpay legit?

Yes, Clearpay is the sister of Australian BNPL brand Afterpay, which has been in business since 2015. Clearpay is 1 of the UK’s most popular BNPL services.

Is Clearpay a safe payment method?

Yes, Clearpay is part of the Afterpay Touch Group, which is level 1 certified by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). This is the highest level of security in the payment industry.

Is Clearpay only 4 payments?

Yes, to keep things simple Clearpay offers only 1 payment plan which splits your online shopping order total into 4 payments.

What payment methods does Clearpay accept?

Clearpay accepts credit and debit cards from Amex, Mastercard and Visa as long as they’ve been issued in your country of residence.