One of the questions we often receive from our readers is if there is a way to offer installment payments in an eCommerce store.
Offering an installment plan encourages customers to purchase more products or services. It also makes it easier for them to buy expensive items and helps boost sales in your WooCommerce store.
To find the best installment plan solution, we looked for some of the most popular payment plugins for WooCommerce, such as Affirm Payments, and tested them. We reviewed each plugin to see if it was worth the hype and could handle multiple payment processors, different installment plan options, and interest-free payments.
And in this article, we will show you how to set up installment payments in WooCommerce using different plugins.
In a hurry? Then you might want to check out this quick overview of all the payment plugins we reviewed:
# | Plugins | Best For | Pricing |
🥇 | Affirm Payments | Adding “Buy Now, Pay Later” installment plans | Free |
🥈 | WP Simple Pay | Installment payment plans with different payment gateways | Freemium Pro versions start from $49.50 |
🥉 | Klarna Payments for WooCommerce | Flexible “pay later” or interest-free payments | Free |
4 | Jifiti Buy Now Pay Later | White-label installment plans with financing options | Free |
5 | WooCommerce Deposits | Custom payment schedules and flexible plans | $18.25 per month |
6 | Splitit | Debit and credit card installments | Free |
7 | YITH WooCommerce Deposits / Down Payments | Collecting deposits with 2-installment plans | $129.99 per year |
Why Set Up Installment Payments in WooCommerce?
Installment payments allow customers to break up the total amount of a product or service into smaller portions. Instead of paying the price in full, users can pay a certain amount upfront and then pay the remaining amount over a period of time.
As a WooCommerce store owner, you can select the repayment timeframe you’d like to offer customers. This usually depends on the product and niche you’re in, but you can offer anything between 6 and 24 months.
Setting up installment payments in WooCommerce helps provide alternative payment methods to customers. It encourages your visitors to purchase more valuable and expensive items.
You can also reduce cart abandonment by offering an installment payment option. Customers might not purchase products if they don’t have sufficient funds and would exit your site without checking out. With an option to pay in installments, you can motivate them to buy the product and boost sales.
How We Test and Review WooCommerce Installment Payment Plugins
Before exploring the plugins, it’s important to understand how we evaluate them.
We carefully test each WooCommerce installment payment plugin based on various factors. This helps ensure a clear picture of how each one performs and which features are most beneficial for your eCommerce store.
Here’s a breakdown of what we focus on:
- Ease of use: How beginner-friendly and simple the plugin is to set up and use.
- Features: What types of payment options the plugin offers, like installment plans, interest-free payments, and customization choices.
- Availability: If the plugin is available globally or only in specific countries.
- Customer experience: How the payment plans affect the customer’s credit score, interest rates, and approval process.
- Customization: The flexibility offered to store owners, like branding options and controlling payment schedules.
- Integration: How well the plugin integrates with WooCommerce and other tools.
- Cost: Whether the plugin is free or paid, and what additional features come with premium versions.
On top of everything, we’ll also highlight each plugin’s unique features. This will cover what sets each plugin apart, like white-label programs, working with lenders, or allowing payments through existing credit cards.
Why Trust WPBeginner?
With over 16 years of expertise in WordPress, eCommerce, and online marketing, the WPBeginner team ensures that every WooCommerce plugin or tool featured in this article is thoroughly tested on real sites. Want more details? Feel free to take a look at our complete editorial process.
Let’s see which plugins are the best for WooCommerce installment payments.
1. Affirm Payments
Affirm Payments is a WooCommerce extension that lets you add tailored buy now pay later programs to your eCommerce store. Affirm is a payment service that helps customers pay at their own pace.
From our experience, the plugin is beginner-friendly to use. Once you install it, you’ll see the Affirm payment option in WooCommerce. Customers can then select a payment plan that works for them.
When reviewing this extension, we found that Affirm offers 4 interest-free payment features. Customers can split the initial cost into 4 installments with no interest. In our opinion, this makes it easier to sell high-ticket items, as customers won’t have any impact on their credit scores.
Besides that, Affirm Payments also allows customers to choose their payment terms. And our favorite thing about the extension is that it shows the exact amount that needs to be paid every month with the annual percentage rate (APR).
For step-by-step instructions, you can see our tutorial on how to accept Affirm Payments in WordPress.
Who Should Use It: Our overall impression was that Affirm Payments is a great solution for anyone looking to add just a buy now pay later payment option in WooCommerce. The provider helps create installment plans for customers and also offers 4 interest-free installments every 2 weeks.
Pros:
- Easily add Affirm as a payment option in WooCommerce
- Offer ‘Pay in 4’ plans with no interest (0% APR)
- Allow customers to choose their installment plan
- Showcase all payment plans in a single view
Cons:
- Limited customization options from within the WordPress dashboard
- High-interest rate (up to 30%) for some items
- Sometimes Affirm may require a credit check before transaction approval
Pricing: Affirm Payments is a free WooCommerce extension.
2. WP Simple Pay
WP Simple Pay is the best Stripe plugin for WordPress. It helps you collect online payments without setting up a shopping cart and is super easy to use. Although it doesn’t integrate with a WooCommerce store, it can be a great option if you are just selling a few items.
We have worked extensively with WP Simple Pay before, which you can learn more about in our WP Simple Pay review.
The good news is that WP Simple Pay supports buy-now, pay-later payment plans. You can select different methods, including installment payments. From our experience, we found that you can simply choose the billing time period to accept installments.
We particularly appreciate that it supports 13 payment methods in 135+ currencies from over 45 countries. You can easily add:
- Credit/debit cards
- ACH debits
- Klarna
- Afterpay
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay, and other payment methods in WooCommerce.
When it comes to pre-built templates, WP Simple Pay doesn’t cut corners. You can simply select the ‘Installment Plan Form’ template and enter your details.
Next, you can customize the installment plan form according to your requirements.
We also like how the plugin lets you choose the billing period. For instance, there are options to break the actual amount into smaller portions, and you can select the billing period based on days, weeks, months, or years.
On top of all, we like how WP Simple Pay strikes a good balance between ease of use and advanced features. You can enable recurring payment options, create customized receipts, set up purchase restrictions, automatically calculate taxes, and more.
Pros:
- Very easy to set up and use
- Add a Stripe purchase button without editing any code
- Offer pre-built payment form templates, including installment plan form
- Supports 13 payment methods
- Easily integrates with buy now, pay later providers like Klarna
Cons:
- The free version offers the installment plan form but has limited features
- 3% credit card fee per transaction when using the free version
Pricing: WP Simple Pay starts at $49.50 per year, but there’s also a free WP Simple Pay version you can use.
3. Klarna Payments for WooCommerce
Klarna Payments for WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that adds Klarna payment options to your online store. Klarna is a Swedish fintech company that offers online payment solutions for website owners.
Our testing revealed that, with this plugin, you can offer customers the option to:
- Pay the full amount at checkout
- First try the product and then pay later, or
- Slice the total amount into installments.
What we like about Klarna’s offering these options is that it allows flexibility for customers to choose when they want to pay in the installment plan.
There is also an option to provide 4 interest-free payments, so customers can save costs and pay for a product in smaller portions.
Now, we found the setup process to be very easy.
First, you’ll need to sign up for a Klarna account. Once that’s done, simply use the plugin to add Klarna as a payment option in WooCommerce. Klarna will then approve your store, and you can start offering installment plans to customers.
We particularly appreciate the tool’s easy integration with WP Simple Pay. You can use it to offer buy now pay later payment plans in WordPress.
WP Simple Pay has a built-in Klarna (Buy Now, Pay Later) Form template. This allows you to let customers choose the product’s payback period.
For more details, you can follow our guide on how to add Klarna payments to WordPress.
On the downside, Klarna will only work with merchant accounts and is only available in selected countries. For instance, it’s available in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, the USA, and Australia.
Why Should You Use It: If you’re looking for a plugin that offers flexible installment plans for your online store, then we think Klarna Payments for WooCommerce would be a perfect fit. It’s easy to use and also integrates with WP Simple Pay, so you can create payment forms without editing code.
Pros:
- A free plugin that lets you add installment plans
- Beginner-friendly to use
- Offer 4 interest-free installment plans
- Let customers choose when they want to pay (up to 24 months)
- Easily integrates with WP Simple Pay
Cons:
- Only available in limited countries
- Not many customization options
Pricing: Klarna Payments for WooCommerce is 100% free to use.
4. Jifiti Buy Now Pay Later
Jifiti Buy Now Pay Later is the next WooCommerce installment payments plugin on our list. It adds a Jifiti payment option to your online store and offers a white-labeled buy now pay later platform for WooCommerce.
During testing, we found that Jifiti can connect lenders, merchants, and customers. With a white-label program, you can use your custom branding while offering installment plans. With this service, you can add zero-interest split payments, pay in 3 or 4 installments, and more.
Then, in the background, Jifiti will connect you with leading banks and lenders like MasterCard, Credit Agricole, and Citizens Pay. This way, customers can break large payments into smaller amounts and pay them over a period of time.
What makes this plugin different is that if financing is not approved by one of the lenders, it will automatically pass your customer’s financing application to the next lender in the network. As a result, you’ll see more financing and a boost in sales.
Who Should Use It: The Jifiti Buy Now Pay Later plugin is excellent for users who want to add a white-label installment payment program to their WooCommerce store. You can work with a lender or a bank to add a buy now pay later option on your site and then customize its appearance.
Pros:
- Create branded installment payment plans for your store
- Offer interest-free installment plans
- Work with leading banks and lenders for financing options
- Automatically pass the customer’s financing application to the next lender
Cons:
- Setting up white labels can be time-consuming
- Customers would have to wait for their financing to be approved
Pricing: Jifiti Buy Now Pay Later is a free WooCommerce plugin.
5. WooCommerce Deposits
WooCommerce Deposits is a premium plugin that lets you set up installment plans on your online store. We like this tool because it allows you to add flexible payment options and offer custom schedules based on days, weeks, or months.
Along the way, we’ve experimented with the plugin’s different features. During testing, we found that users can create multiple payment plans for your WooCommerce store. It also lets you choose variable percentages and intervals for each payment. For instance, you can decide what percentage a customer should pay initially and then over time.
Based on our experience, the plugin is straightforward to use, thanks to its clean interface. You can easily create and manage all your installment payment schedules from the WordPress dashboard.
Who Should Use It: After testing the WooCommerce Deposits plugin, we recommend it for those looking to set up multiple installment plans for your WooCommerce store. It’s also a great option for beginners, it’s a user-friendly plugin that’s perfect for creating custom payment schedules.
Pros:
- Easily create custom payment schedules
- Have full control over payment amount and intervals
- Very easy to use and setup
- Add a description to each payment schedule to guide customers
Cons:
- Limited customization options for changing appearance
- There is no free version
Pricing: WooCommerce Deposits is a paid extension and will cost you $18.25 per month.
6. Splitit
Splitit is the next WooCommerce installment payments plugin on our list. It lets you add installment payments to your online store with ease.
In our experience, what’s different about this plugin is that it allows customers to use their existing debit or credit card to split the total amount into smaller portions. Customers don’t have to get a loan or wait for approval to purchase a product.
As long as a customer has available credit on their card that’s equal to the price of the purchase, they can easily use it to set up installments.
When reviewing the plugin, we discovered that Splitit supports different card network providers, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Global Network, and more.
We also love that this plugin is easy to use. Simply connect your merchant account and configure the settings in your WordPress dashboard.
What’s more, we appreciate that Splitit offers a white label buy now pay later feature, supports high-value orders (up to $50,000), allows installment plans up to 24 months, lets you set up interest-free payment plans and more.
Who Should Use It: From our experience, Splitit is the best solution for allowing customers to use their own credit cards for installment payments. It works with popular payment network partners and lets you create a white-label buy now, pay later plans.
Pros:
- Allows customers to use debit or credit cards for installment plans
- Offers customization options inside the WordPress dashboard
- No application or credit checks are needed for customers
- Create an interest or fee-free repayment schedule
Cons:
- Works with limited payment providers
- It doesn’t improve the user’s credit score
Pricing: Splitit is a free WordPress plugin that you can use.
7. YITH WooCommerce Deposits / Down Payments
YITH WooCommerce Deposits / Down Payments is a premium that allows users to pay a deposit to book or buy a product on your WooCommerce store.
When reviewing the plugin, we noticed that it gives your customers the flexibility to reserve a product or service and break the total amount into 2 installments. The first installment is at the time of purchase, and the second installment is the remaining balance, which customers can pay later.
Another great thing about it is that you can set the deposit amount for all the products in your store. There is an option to choose a fixed amount or a percentage value of the total amount.
And one feature that stood out to us was that the plugin lets you set up rules and charge different deposit amounts based on the products a user adds to the cart.
Who Should Use It: In our opinion, the plugin is perfect for online stores that require an initial deposit or down payment to book or reserve a product or service. They can then collect the remaining payment on delivery or set it up for an even later time.
Pros:
- Simple and clean plugin to use
- Easily collect deposits for products and services
- Create rules to define the deposit value
- Easily manage remaining balances for your orders
Cons:
- You can only set up 2 installments
- Limited integration options
- No free version
Pricing: YITH WooCommerce Deposits / Down Payments will cost you $129.99 per year.
Which Is the Best WooCommerce Installment Payments Plugin?
After reviewing different plugins, we believe that Affirm Payments is the best WooCommerce installment payments plugin.
It lets you create custom installment plans for customers and also offers a 4-interest-free installment plan feature. Customers can even choose their own repayment plan and break the total amount into smaller portions.
The best part is that you can use Affirm Payments for free.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a free WooCommerce plugin that lets you add a buy now pay later option, then you can also check out Klarna Payments for WooCommerce.
FAQs About WooCommerce Installment Payments
Here are some common questions users have about setting up WooCommerce installment payments.
1. What is the best WooCommerce plugin for paying in installments?
Affirm Payments is the best WooCommerce plugin for paying in installments. It offers multiple payment methods, allows you to add a buy now pay later option, built-in templates, and more. Alternatively, WP Simple Pay is a great option if you don’t want to set up a complex shopping cart.
2. What are the payment options in WooCommerce?
WooCommerce offers multiple payment options. You can allow customers to pay through their credit cards, Stripe, PayPal, Klarna, Apple Pay, and more.
3. How do I add pay later to WooCommerce?
You can use a plugin like Affirm Payments to add an installment plan and pay later in WooCommerce. Other plugins like WP Simple Pay are also great for setting up split payments in WordPress.
We hope this article helped you learn how to set up installment payments in WooCommerce. You may also want to see our guide to WooCommerce SEO and the best eCommerce plugins compared.
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Jiří Vaněk
The services are probably great, unfortunately they are limited to certain geolocations. For example, I will not use these services in the Czech Republic.
Ralph
Thank you for this guide. I don’t see anything for myself as none of these work in my country but i plan opening dot com website for US market and this guide will be helpful then.