Buy now pay later services, such as Klarna, Affirm, and PayPal, have grown increasingly popular in recent years, providing consumers the option to purchase items through installments. Similarly, vending machines have a historical role of offering a quick and easy way to obtain products, albeit at a premium. Both services represent oversimplified processes often associated with high-interest rates and fees, which can contribute to financial insecurity and inequality. Examining the parallels between these two can lead to a deeper understanding of how our preference for convenience and instant gratification can have negative consequences and contribute to systemic issues.

Buy Now Pay Later is a mixed media installation that explores the consequences of consumer credit and layaway plans, using an interactive vending machine and zine to raise awareness of financial literacy and transparency. The vending machine, made of plexiglass, serves as a visual metaphor for the transparency of money and debt, containing items that symbolize the burden of financial stress and hardship caused by prioritizing consumerism. By combining these elements into an interactive experience, Buy Now Pay Later encourages viewers to reflect on their own relationship with money.