Are installments important in Romania?

Yes. Bank installment cards such as Star BT, with 800,000 cards and 50,000 partner merchants, are mainstream, and installments made up about 35% of PayU's Black Friday 2025 volume. BNPL providers such as TBI Bank, Mokka and Klarna add to the offer.

Payment by installment and BNPL in Romania

Paying in installments is a long-standing habit in Romania, and banks lead it. Banca Transilvania's Star BT program counts 800,000 cards and 50,000 partner merchants in 2026, with up to 18 interest-free installments. Many credit cards split purchases into interest-free installments at partner merchants. Online, installments made up about 35% of PayU volume on Black Friday 2025, with an average installment transaction of 945 lei.

BNPL next to bank cards

Non-bank buy now, pay later is growing next to bank cards. TBI Bank financed purchases for more than 300,000 clients in 2024, up 72%, through more than 15,000 partner merchants, and was acquired by Advent International in February 2026. Mokka works with fashion and home retailers, and Klarna launched Pay in 3 in Romania in 2023. Gateways such as PayU, NETOPIA Payments and EuPlătesc bundle installment cards and BNPL so merchants can add them without separate contracts. The EU rules on consumer credit (CCD2) will tighten conditions for BNPL from late 2026.

More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in Romania.