Flexilay
HomeComparison

Flexilay vs Afterpay

Two ways to let customers pay over time — but only one of them is lending.

Sign Up
FlexilayVSAfterpay

Modern LayBy vs Afterpay — the honest, side-by-side comparison.

Flexilay and Afterpay both help shoppers spread the cost of a purchase, but they work in fundamentally different ways. Afterpay is a buy now, pay later (BNPL) product: it lends the customer the money, pays the merchant upfront, and the customer repays Afterpay over time. Flexilay is modern LayBy — payment scheduling that collects instalments before the customer takes the goods, with no lending and no credit involved.

If you are weighing up how to offer flexible payments without taking on a lending product, this page lays out the practical differences for both merchants and customers.

Flexilay LayBy payment plan — a deposit plus scheduled instalments, collected once paid off.
Photo of a small Australian retailer at the counter, conveying the merchant keeping control of goods until a plan completes.Clean diagram of a customer paying instalments into a merchant's own Stripe account over time, no third party in the middle.
Feature
Flexilay
AfterpayAfterpay
What it is
LayBy / payment scheduling
Buy now, pay later (lending)
Who funds the purchase
The customer, over time
Afterpay pays the merchant upfront
Credit checks
Regulated as credit from Jun 2025
When goods are released
After the plan completes
Immediately, at checkout
Customer can end up in debt
Merchant fee
Small fee per completed order
Fixed fee + percentage (commonly ~4–6%)
Lending / compliance risk to merchant
BNPL is regulated lending
Late fees charged to the customer
Yes (capped at 25% or $68)
Who holds the funds
Merchant's own Stripe account
Afterpay

The core difference

Afterpay is a credit product. It pays the merchant the full amount upfront on the customer's behalf, then the customer repays Afterpay in four instalments. That is lending, and since 10 June 2025 BNPL is regulated as credit in Australia under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act.

Flexilay is not lending. It is LayBy: the customer commits to a purchase and pays it off over time on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly schedule. There is no loan, no interest and no debt — the customer simply completes their own payments, and the merchant releases the goods once the plan is paid.

Why merchants are switching

No lending or compliance risk

Because Flexilay never lends to the customer, you are not offering a credit product and you do not take on BNPL regulatory obligations.

You keep control of the goods

Stock stays with you until the plan is paid in full, so there is no upfront exposure if a customer doesn't complete.

Money runs through your own Stripe account

Payments flow directly into your own Stripe account. Flexilay never holds your funds in the middle.

Lower, simpler pricing

No monthly or setup fees — just a small fee per completed order, instead of a percentage on every sale. See the pricing page for details.

How moving to Flexilay works

Flexilay connects to the tools you already use. Live connectors include WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Odoo, Xero and QuickBooks, with Shopify coming soon.

You set the plan terms, the customer chooses a schedule that suits them, and payments are collected automatically through your own Stripe account. When the final payment clears, the order is complete and the goods are released — no loan to reconcile, no third party holding your money.

Frequently asked questions

Is Flexilay like Afterpay?
No. Afterpay is a buy now, pay later lending product that pays the merchant upfront and has the customer repay over time. Flexilay is modern LayBy — payment scheduling with no lending, no interest and no debt. The customer pays off the purchase before taking the goods.
Is Flexilay BNPL?
No. Flexilay is not buy now, pay later and not a credit product. There are no credit checks, no interest and no debt for the customer. It is LayBy: the customer pays in instalments and the merchant releases the goods once the plan is complete.
Does Afterpay charge merchants more?
Afterpay charges merchants a fixed fee plus a percentage of each sale — commonly reported at around 4–6% in Australia. Flexilay has no monthly or setup fees and instead charges a small fee per completed order. See our pricing page for current details.
Does the customer go into debt with Flexilay?
No. Because Flexilay is not lending, the customer is never borrowing money and never carries a debt. They are paying off their own purchase over a schedule they choose, and there are no late fees or interest.
Does Flexilay hold my money like Afterpay?
No. With Afterpay the funds pass through Afterpay. With Flexilay, payments run through your own Stripe account — Flexilay never holds your funds.
Is Afterpay regulated as credit in Australia?
Yes. From 10 June 2025, buy now, pay later contracts are regulated under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act, and providers must hold an Australian Credit Licence. Flexilay is not a credit product, so these obligations do not apply to it.

Keep exploring

How Flexilay worksWhy Flexilay isn't BNPLBuy now, pay later alternativesPricingConnectors

Offer flexible payments without becoming a lender

See how Flexilay's modern LayBy lets your customers pay over time — with no lending, no debt and no funds leaving your control.

Sign Up
Sources
Back to home