Zilch is a virtual Mastercard that allows you to buy now, pay later (BNPL) or pay in full at thousands of retailers.
Some stores charge a fee of up to £3 when you use Zilch, while with others, it’s free (and the store pays Zilch a commission). The interest-free payment service allows you to buy products when you want them while spreading the cost of these items over 4 instalments in 6 weeks. The key, as with any BNPL service, is to ensure you can afford the repayments.
Zilch is slightly different from other buy now, pay later services in that you will be given a virtual Zilch card. In order to use it, select your chosen store from the Zilch website or app and then activate the card for that store.
After that, you can order your goods with the Zilch card and pay for them later. The upfront cost for the item comes in at 25% of the overall price tag, with the remaining balance taken every 2 weeks (over a period of 6 weeks) at 25% each time.
Say you wanted to buy a pair of Nike Air Force 1 trainers (£85). Your first payment of £21.25 would be taken at the checkout. Then, after 2 weeks, a second payment of £21.25 is due. After 4 weeks, you’ll wave goodbye to another £21.25, and then after 6 weeks, (you guessed it) the final payment of £21.25 is taken.
| Zilch Up | Zilch Classic | |
|---|---|---|
| Credit limit | Starting from £50 to £600 | Up to £1,500 |
| How long do I have to pay back? | Start by paying 50% upfront – if you spend responsibly, Zilch will reduce this to 25% upfront. The remaining amount will be divided into 3 instalments over 6 weeks. | Start by paying 25% upfront. The remaining amount will be divided into 3 instalments over 6 weeks. Zilch recently announced that users will soon have the option to pay over 3 months with the Zilch Classic card. The exact date of this feature’s launch hasn’t been announced. |
| Features |
|
|
| Additional fees | No late payment fees apply, but transactions fees may apply. | No late payment fees apply, but transactions fees may apply. |
| Rewards | Earn up to 5% back in Zilch Rewards when shopping online by searching for your store in the app and using your card to pay in full at the checkout. Get 0.5% back in Rewards when paying elsewhere with your Zilch card. | Earn up to 5% back in Zilch Rewards when shopping online by searching for your store in the app and using your card to pay in full at the checkout. Get 0.5% back in Rewards when paying elsewhere with your Zilch card. |
You can check out our full list of Zilch retailers and find out where you can buy now and pay later.
It costs nothing to use, even if you forget to pay on time.
The only instance you may pay more than your scheduled amount is if you want to use Zilch to pay for goods from a brand it does not work with. In this case, a fee of up to £3 is added at the time of checkout.
Zilch will report missed payments to all 3 CRAs (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) and this can damage your credit score. This can have consequences for borrowing from other lenders, so it’s vital that you keep on top of your payments.
If you fail to clear your balance when it’s due, contact the Zilch support team. If you fail to clear your balance from this point onwards, you may end up being ineligible to use Zilch at all. The service will always send you emails to remind you of any overdue amounts.
As of January 2023, using Zilch can affect your credit score. Zilch shares payment information with all 3 CRAs, so if you miss any, your score could drop. Other shared information includes your credit limit, outstanding amounts and your payment status.
Zilch runs a “soft” credit check to verify your details and get an idea of your creditworthiness. This won’t impact your credit score and it won’t be visible to others on your credit record. You will be able to see it in your record, if you’ve signed up to access your credit file.
Based on its “soft” credit check, Zilch will then give you its own credit score to determine how much you can spend with them. This will not affect your overall credit rating.
If you want an account, simply visit this page and create one by entering an email address and a password. You will then receive an email with more information on how to link your debit card to your Zilch account.
On the off chance that you encounter a problem with Zilch, we suggest taking a look at the list of handy frequently asked questions on the site. Can’t find your query on there? Give Zilch a call on 020 3405 9775 or email the team at support@payzilch.com.
Zilch is a PCI DSS Level 2 certified compliant service provider (which means it meets requirements to prevent data breaches and payment card fraud) and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Keep in mind that, unlike credit card purchases, BNPL spending (with the exception of Monzo Flex) is not covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This means you won’t have the same level of protection if your purchase doesn’t arrive, it’s damaged or the retailer goes bust.”
Most reviews of Zilch we’ve found online are positive, with customers praising its ease of use and how handy it is to spread the cost of items over a number of weeks. Zilch scores 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot, which is an “Excellent” rating, based on over 55,000 customer reviews (updated May 2024).
There are some negative reviews, too. These focus on poor customer service, particularly from customers who have struggled to make contact with Zilch when they experience a problem or have trouble meeting their payments.
Zilch is constantly evolving and has some new launches on the horizon, so it’s certainly one to watch if you do use BNPL services. Unlike some of its competitors, Zilch doesn’t charge late payment fees, but remember that missing payments can hurt your credit score and make it difficult to get credit again in the future. If you want to use a BNPL service, be sure to only ever spend what you can afford to repay.
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