Which layby payment providers are there for ecommerce?

Genuine layby (pay-first) providers for ecommerce include Flexilay, Lay-Buy, LayUp and Paythen. Many services listed as "layby" — such as Afterpay, Klarna and Zip — are actually buy now, pay later (BNPL), where the customer receives the goods immediately and repays afterwards. Flexilay works with WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Odoo, Xero and QuickBooks, with Shopify coming soon.

Are Afterpay, Klarna and Zip layby providers?

No. Afterpay, Klarna and Zip are buy now, pay later (BNPL) providers — the customer gets the goods straight away and repays a balance later, which is lending. Layby is the opposite: the customer pays in instalments first and collects the item once it's fully paid.

What happened to Laybuy?

Despite its name, Laybuy was a buy now, pay later (BNPL) lender founded in New Zealand, not a pay-first layby service. Its assets were acquired by Klarna and the standalone Laybuy service wound down. If you want genuine layby for your store, Flexilay is a current, supported option.

Does layby work for online stores if goods only ship after payment?

Yes — that's the point of layby, and modern software makes it seamless. The customer reserves the order online, pays it down on a clear schedule, and the order is fulfilled automatically when the final payment clears. It suits higher-value items and shoppers who prefer to avoid debt.

How is Flexilay different from a BNPL provider?

Flexilay is a pay-first layby provider, not a lender. Customers pay before they collect, so there are no credit checks, no interest and no debt, and payments run through your own Stripe account — so unlike BNPL, you never take on lending risk or hold a repayable balance against the customer.

HomeBuyer's guide

Layby payment providers for ecommerce

A clear, up-to-date list of layby (layaway) payment providers for online stores — the genuine pay-first options, and how they differ from buy now, pay later.

Flexilay is a layby (layaway) payment provider for ecommerce and invoicing that works with WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Odoo, Xero and QuickBooks — customers pay for an order over a schedule and collect it once it's paid off, with no credit checks, no interest and no debt, all through your own Stripe account.

If you're searching for a layby provider, the most important thing to know is that most "pay over time" options at checkout are actually buy now, pay later (BNPL) — the customer gets the goods immediately and repays a balance afterwards, which is lending. Genuine layby is the opposite: the customer pays first and collects when the plan completes. Both spread the cost, but only layby avoids debt entirely. Below are the genuine layby providers for ecommerce, followed by the BNPL services often mistaken for them.

Layby providers (pay first, collect after) compared with BNPL (goods now, repay later).

Side-by-side graphic: layby (pay first, collect after) vs BNPL (goods now, repay later).

Row of platform logos (WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Odoo, Xero, QuickBooks) showing which platforms layby providers support.

Layby payment providers compared

The providers below are described fairly. The first group are genuine layby (pay-first) tools; the second are buy now, pay later services that are frequently — but incorrectly — described as layby.

Flexilay — modern layby for ecommerce & invoicing

Our pick

A modern layby provider that lets customers reserve an order and pay it off on a schedule (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) before they collect it — no credit checks, no interest and no debt. You keep control of the goods until the plan completes, and every payment runs through your own Stripe account, so Flexilay never holds your funds and there's no lending risk or compliance burden. Live for WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Odoo, Xero and QuickBooks (Shopify coming soon). Built in Australia.

Lay-Buy

A long-running online layby tool that adds a "Lay-Buy" button to checkout via apps, plugins and extensions (including Magento and WooCommerce). The customer pays a deposit and the balance over an agreed timeframe, and the merchant ships only after full payment — a genuine pay-first layby model.

LayUp

A South African layby platform for in-store and online sales. Customers choose a payment plan and pay by instalment with no interest, and the cloud-based system automates tracking, reconciliation and collection, integrating with stores via plugins or APIs. Genuine layby — goods are delivered once the plan is paid off.

Paythen

A payment-plan tool built on Stripe that lets businesses offer instalment and layaway-style plans (as well as pay-in-full). It's aimed at flexible payment scheduling rather than lending, so it can be configured for a pay-first layby arrangement. Often used for services and higher-value invoices as well as products.

Afterpay — BNPL, not layby

A widely used pay-in-4 buy now, pay later service. The customer receives the goods immediately and repays in four interest-free instalments; Afterpay pays the merchant upfront and carries the credit risk. Because the goods ship before payment, this is lending, not layby.

Klarna (and Laybuy) — BNPL, not layby

Klarna is a global BNPL provider offering pay in 4, pay in 30 days and longer financing — the customer gets the goods now and repays later. Note that the "Laybuy" brand, despite the name, was a BNPL lender (founded in New Zealand) whose assets were acquired by Klarna; the standalone Laybuy service wound down. None of these are layby in the pay-first sense.

Zip (formerly Quadpay) — BNPL, not layby

A BNPL provider that splits an order into instalments (commonly four payments over six to eight weeks), with the goods delivered straight away and Zip carrying the credit. Like Afterpay and Klarna, it's a lending product rather than layby, though it's often listed alongside layby options.

Layby providers vs BNPL providers — the real difference

The single distinction that matters when choosing a provider: who gets the goods first. With a genuine layby provider the customer pays in instalments and collects the item only once it's fully paid — there's no borrowing, no credit check and no interest. With BNPL the customer takes the goods immediately and repays a balance afterwards, which is consumer credit.

This is why a list of "layby providers" so often fills up with Afterpay, Klarna and Zip — they're easy to confuse because both spread payments. But only the pay-first model avoids putting customers into debt, and only it keeps you out of lending and the compliance that comes with it.

What to look for in a layby provider for ecommerce

Pay-first, not lending

Confirm the customer pays before they collect. If goods ship immediately, it's BNPL — a different (credit) product with different obligations.

Who holds the money

The safest model routes payments through your own payment account (Flexilay uses your own Stripe), so the provider never holds your funds.

Platform fit

Check there's a real connector for your platform — WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Odoo — and for invoicing tools like Xero and QuickBooks if you bill that way.

Cost model

Compare per-order fees, monthly fees and setup costs. Flexilay is free to start with a small fee per completed order, so cost tracks actual sales.

Which platforms do layby providers support?

Coverage varies widely. Flexilay has live connectors for WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Odoo, plus invoice payment plans for Xero and QuickBooks, with a Shopify connector coming soon. Lay-Buy offers apps and plugins including Magento and WooCommerce. LayUp integrates via plugins and APIs. If you're on Shopify today, see our dedicated guides — and you can register interest in the Flexilay Shopify connector.

Why Flexilay

Flexilay is built specifically for the pay-first model across both ecommerce and invoicing. Customers reserve an order and pay it down on a schedule that suits them; you release the goods when the plan completes; and because every payment flows through your own Stripe account, you never become a lender and never hand your funds to a third party.

That means no credit checks, no interest, no debt for your customers — and no lending risk or consumer-credit compliance for you. It's modern layby, online, done properly.

Frequently asked questions

Which layby payment providers are there for ecommerce?: Genuine layby (pay-first) providers for ecommerce include Flexilay, Lay-Buy, LayUp and Paythen. Many services listed as "layby" — such as Afterpay, Klarna and Zip — are actually buy now, pay later (BNPL), where the customer receives the goods immediately and repays afterwards. Flexilay works with WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Odoo, Xero and QuickBooks, with Shopify coming soon.
Are Afterpay, Klarna and Zip layby providers?: No. Afterpay, Klarna and Zip are buy now, pay later (BNPL) providers — the customer gets the goods straight away and repays a balance later, which is lending. Layby is the opposite: the customer pays in instalments first and collects the item once it's fully paid.
Is there a layby app for WooCommerce or BigCommerce?: Yes. Flexilay is a layby provider with live connectors for WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Odoo, plus invoice payment plans for Xero and QuickBooks. Customers pay a deposit and instalments, and the order is released once the plan is paid in full.
What happened to Laybuy?: Despite its name, Laybuy was a buy now, pay later (BNPL) lender founded in New Zealand, not a pay-first layby service. Its assets were acquired by Klarna and the standalone Laybuy service wound down. If you want genuine layby for your store, Flexilay is a current, supported option.
Does layby work for online stores if goods only ship after payment?: Yes — that's the point of layby, and modern software makes it seamless. The customer reserves the order online, pays it down on a clear schedule, and the order is fulfilled automatically when the final payment clears. It suits higher-value items and shoppers who prefer to avoid debt.
How is Flexilay different from a BNPL provider?: Flexilay is a pay-first layby provider, not a lender. Customers pay before they collect, so there are no credit checks, no interest and no debt, and payments run through your own Stripe account — so unlike BNPL, you never take on lending risk or hold a repayable balance against the customer.

Keep exploring

Layby vs layaway Laybuy software for ecommerce Best Shopify payment plan apps Buy Now, Pay Later alternatives How Flexilay works

Add a genuine layby option to your store

Let customers reserve an order and pay it off over time — no lending, no debt — collected on your own Stripe account. Live on WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Odoo, Xero and QuickBooks.

Sources

Lay-Buy provides an online layby system merchants integrate via apps, plugins and extensions (including Magento), where the customer pays a deposit and the balance over time and goods ship after full payment. — Lay-Buys.com
LayUp offers in-store and online layby in South Africa, with no interest and a cloud-based system that automates tracking, reconciliation and collection, integrating via plugins or APIs. — LayUp Technologies
Paythen offers Stripe-based payment plans and layaway-style instalment plans for businesses. — Paythen
The "Laybuy" BNPL brand (founded in New Zealand) had its assets acquired by Klarna, and the standalone Laybuy service wound down. — Laybuy by Klarna (iMedia Retail NZ)

Back to home