Canadian merchants and consumers now have platforms that provide an improved shopping experience and a stress-free payment technology through fintech companies. One of the “buy now, pay later” platforms offering this budgeting service and making waves is PayBright Canada.
If you’ve been doing online shopping recently, you would have noticed an increase in the number of retail stores with the buy now and pay later options at the checkout. After coming across PayBright at some of our favorite merchants and having seen many queries raised on it at web discussion platforms, we knew it was time to shine the light on this payment option and find out exactly how it works.
The buy now, pay later solution platform offers retailers and consumers the option to make affordable installment payments when shopping at participating merchants across Canada.
After spending some quality time on the PayBright platform and collecting peer reviews, we decided to give a detailed review of the PayBright Canada platform and its relevance to online and in-store consumers.
What is PayBright Canada?
PayBright Canada is an online payment and financing provider in Canada that lets you make purchases and pay with automatic installments. The fintech company offers interest-free installments for consumers to enjoy hitch-free check out at their favourite merchants.
You can use the buy now, pay later option offered to Canadians to shop at over 7,000 participating merchants and break down the cost of your purchases into bi-weekly or monthly installments.
About PayBright Canada
PayBright Canada was established in 2009 to provide consumer financing for Canadian healthcare procedures with no insurance coverage. The company also simplifies and improves the shopping experience of Canadians. Headquartered in Toronto, the fintech company supports retail merchants in online (eCommerce) and in-store (physical stores) shopping services.
With over $1.5 billion approved consumer spending power and over 7000 participating merchants, PayBright Canada has over 600,000 Canadian users across the ten provinces. In 2020 December, PayBright Canada was acquired by an American based fintech, Affirm, to further expand and enhance consumer shopping experiences.
| Company Name | PayBright Canada |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Industry | Financial Technology (fintech) |
| Head Office | Toronto, Ontario |
| Website | https://paybright.com/en/ |
| Approved Consumer Spending Power | $1.5 Billion |
| Participating Merchants | over 7,000 |
How PayBright Canada Works
PayBright Canada’s payment plan is designed to help Canadian consumers enjoy a convenient shopping experience by breaking down the purchase cost into bi-weekly or monthly installments. The company provides two payment plans – Pay in 4 and Pay Monthly.
PayBright has over 7000 participating domestic and international merchants in electronics, fashion, home and furniture, auto, beauty, and sporting goods categories. With this, there’s an endless option available to online and in-store shoppers to use the buy now, pay later (BNPL) financing option for their regular purchases.
To use the PayBright Canada payment offer, register with PayBright, shop at your favourite retail store or online merchants and select the PayBright option at checkout. Once your first installment at checkout is confirmed, the retail store will ship the order to you.
Users of the platform enjoy revolving credit limits for multiple transactions and transparent fees. When you use the PayBright option at checkout, the platform confirms and approves your transaction in less than a minute by verifying your credit score (for Pay Monthly), proof of identity, proof of residence, and other payment information.
PayBright Canada Payment Plans
PayBright Canada has two payment plans for its users. However, not all participating merchants offer the two payment options at the checkout.
1. PayBright Canada’s “Pay in 4” Plan
The Pay in 4 payment plan is designed for small purchases. It has a comfortable and automatic interest-free payment structure. With this method, you’ll pay for your purchases in four bi-weekly installments. This plan has no processing fees and does not affect your credit score.
Features
- It has no interest rate charged and no processing fees.
- It is the most common PayBright payment option available at merchant checkouts.
- It provides the chance to pay for your purchases in four installments.
- Your first installment is debited instantly from your account, while the remaining three installments will be debited bi-weekly over the next six weeks.
2. PayBright Canada’s “Pay Monthly” Plan
With PayBright Pay Monthly, you can make automatic monthly installments spread over 6 to 60 months. The Pay Monthly plan is designed for large purchases, with the annual percentage rate (APR) ranging from 0% to 29.95%, depending on your credit quality.
Features
- The processing fee ranges from $1 to $4 per monthly transaction with no other hidden fees.
- The interest rate ranges from 0% to 29.95%.
How to Use PayBright Canada for Payments
You can pay for your small and large purchases through PayBright Canada using the following steps:
Step 1: Shop for your desired items at your favourite participating retail store and proceed to checkout.
Step 2: At checkout, select PayBright Canada as your payment option.
Step 3: You’ll be redirected to PayBright to complete a simple application and approval of about 60 seconds using your mobile phone number. You can also view your chosen payment plan details.
Step 4: Confirm your payment plan and complete your purchases.
PayBright Canada Eligibility
To use the PayBright Canada payment option at checkout, you need to go through a pre-qualification stage by registering with your details. This includes your full name, home address, phone number, email address, and date of birth. Depending on your preferred payment plan, you may also need to have a valid credit rating. Besides, you must:
- Be 18 years of age.
- Be a Canadian resident.
- Provide or have a Canadian Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card.
- Have an SMS-enabled Canadian phone number.
PayBright Canada Participating Merchants
PayBright Canada partners with several domestic and international retail stores in different categories, such as fashion, sporting goods, hobbies and leisure, electronics, and many more, to offer the buy now and pay later payment service to Canadians.
PayBright Canada has over 7000 participating merchants in its payment network. These include:
- Hudson’s Bay
- Shephora
- SAIL
- Dynamite
- The source
- eBay
- Endy
- Oakley
- Samsung
- Wayfair
- AVShop
- Bells of Steel
- Biktrix
- Bestseller Canada
- Belly Bandit
- Garage
- Casper
- Boohoo
- Jack & Jones
- Vero Moda, etc.
PayBright and Consumer Credit Score
With this payment arrangement, the provider often conducts a credit check with a bureau to ascertain their creditworthiness.
As earlier muted, if you’re paying with the Pay Monthly plan, the fintech company conducts an instant credit check with a credit bureau, such as TransUnion or Equifax. The quick credit check also applies if you’re using a PayBright virtual card.
However, if you pre-qualify (preview of your spending limit using PayBright) or use the Pay in 4 bi-weekly payment, the company won’t conduct any check on your credit score. Therefore, before you consider PayBright, consider its effects on your overall credit score.
Ease of Use
The PayBright Canada platform is easy to navigate with an interactive interface. Users of the platform can switch between English and French languages. Also, the Help Center is equipped with pre-answered topics for a smooth user experience.
PayBright Canada Customer Service
PayBright Canada’s head office is in Toronto. Users of the platform can contact the customer service via:
Direct Message using the on-screen “Get in Touch” form.
Live Chat.
Email: info@paybright.com
Phone: 1-877-276-2780
Pros
- It enables consumers to enjoy quick access to no-interest payment plans.
- It has no hidden fees or compounding interests.
- It charges no fees for late payments.
- It has a fast approval rate.
Cons
- The credit check on the Pay Monthly plan can negatively affect your credit score.
- High-interest rates can lead to bigger debts.
- If you miss payments, it could affect your overall credit ratings.
Editor’s Review
PayBright Canada is a suitable platform and payment option to finance your small or large purchases and pay in installments at low or no interest charges.
However, it would be best if you considered its effects on your financial standings and credit ratings. Using this service could accumulate more debts.
Ensure you understand each payment plan’s cost implication and consider alternatives to PayBright in financing your purchases.
FAQs
Is my personal information secure with PayBright?
As a fintech company, PayBright Canada encrypts sensitive data to protect you and your information. The company maintains physical, electronic, and other safeguards to protect your information.
Can I change my payment due dates?
No, you can’t change when your payments are due. However, if you need more time to make a payment, you can contact the PayBright customer service for assistance. Besides, the company allows you to make additional payments or pay your balance in full at any time with no penalties.
Does my Virtual Card expire?
You can get approval for a PayBright Virtual Card through a participating retailer to use at checkout. This Virtual Card will only be available for 24 hours from the time you receive it. Your Virtual Card will expire 24 hours from the time it was issued. Once the card expires, you can quickly regenerate another Virtual Card to use with that specific retailer by clicking on the link in the original email or text message.
How does PayBright make money?
PayBright makes money in three ways: interest (especially on Pay Monthly plan), processing fees, and merchant fees. When you receive a 0% interest loan from PayBright, the retail store you are buying from pays a fee to PayBright to have them as a payment option. This works just like credit card merchants charge merchant fees when you use them as payment options for your business.
