Is buy now, pay later popular in France?
Yes, mostly as pay in 3 or 4 installments on a card. Alma, Oney and Floa lead locally, and Alma alone handled EUR 2.5 billion in 2025. New EU consumer credit rules apply to these products from November 20, 2026.
In detail
Yes, mostly as pay in 3 or 4 installments on a card. Alma, Oney and Floa lead locally, and Alma alone handled EUR 2.5 billion in 2025. New EU consumer credit rules apply to these products from November 20, 2026.
Payment by installment and BNPL in France
Paying in 3 or 4 installments (paiement en 3 ou 4 fois) is a French checkout standard, usually charged to the shopper's card. The market is led by local players. Alma, founded in Paris, handled EUR 2.5 billion in business volume in 2025, up 30%, and reached profitability, with 23,000 merchants in Europe. Oney, linked to the BPCE group, and Floa, owned by BNP Paribas, are the other domestic leaders. Klarna and PayPal compete for online shoppers.
How French BNPL works and the new rules
Most offers are interest-free for the customer and paid for by the merchant. The EU's revised consumer credit directive, which France transposed in 2025 and which applies from November 20, 2026, brings short-term buy now, pay later credit under consumer credit rules, with creditworthiness checks and more disclosure, so expect changes in checkout flows and approval rates.
More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in France.