To give people more options to spend money, several fintech companies now offer buy now, pay later options at both online and brick and mortar stores.
Quadpay is one of the up-and-coming payment platforms—like Klarna and Afterpay—that operate in this sector. They offer users the option to pay for their purchases in four interest-free installments every two weeks at any retailer that accepts Visa. And you can use the option for both in-store and online purchases.
This article lays out everything you need to know about how Quadpay works, lists the pros and cons, and answers questions you may have about credit limits, fees, and returns.
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How does Quadpay work?
To start, let’s see the requirements you need to sign up for a Quadpay account.
You must:¹
- Live in the U.S.
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a valid and verifiable mobile number
- Use a U.S. credit or debit card to make a purchase
There’s no minimum amount when purchasing through Quadpay, but maximum spending limits are set by their automated system—based on various factors—and the amount a merchant is willing to accept.² The process isn’t like layaway. Items will ship just like you purchased them with any other type of payment.³
| 💡And yes, you can even use Quadpay to pay your bills. The app promotes that it’s a great way to align payments for those who get paid every two weeks—instead of paying the full bill at the start or end of the month.⁴ |
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Is there a credit limit with Quadpay?
Yes, Quadpay does have a credit limit that’s reflected in the balance located at the top of the app, and they won’t necessarily approve every order.
To make a purchase, you must have at least 25% of the purchase amount of the item available on your balance—the first of the four installments. If you don’t have that amount, Quadpay won’t approve the order.
Another factor to consider is if you have multiple orders that haven’t been paid off. Obviously, Quadpay won’t let you keep ordering until you pay off some of those items, but it’s completely up to their system.
You can’t ask to increase your spending limit with Quadpay either. But if you complete multiple purchases and make the payments on time, then their system is likely to increase your balance over time—especially more than a new customer.
Does Quadpay affect your credit score?
There are two factors that everyone knows about negative effects on credit scores: not making payments on time and hard credit checks.
Quadpay will not affect your score through the credit check because they don’t report it to the major credit bureaus.
However, Quadpay does report accounts that go into collections, so that can have a negative effect on your score if you don’t make payments on time.
| 💡If you’re looking to build credit through Quadpay, it may not be the best option as they don’t report on-time payments. But you could connect a secured credit card to the Quadpay account and make payments. They’ll report the on-time payments, and you’ll build a little credit that way. |
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What credit score do you need to use Quadpay?
Quadpay does not list their minimum credit score or their process for credit approval. The best course of action is to sign up and see if you’re approved.
Does Quadpay check credit?
When you sign up, Quadpay does not run a hard credit check—which means they don’t report it to the main credit bureaus. And so, it won’t affect your credit score. Instead, they have their own internal process that they don’t share.
Quadpay fees
Quadpay doesn’t charge interest on their installment plans, so you won’t incur any additional fees there. But the company does charge fees in two forms.
- All installment payments are subject to a $1 convenience fee.⁵
- Quadpay does charge fees for late payments based on the state you live in. Fees range from $5, $7, to $10 based on state law and there may be a fee cap based on their terms and conditions for your account.⁵
Does Quadpay Charge Interest?
No, Quadpay is completely and totally interest-free.
How do I pay Quadpay?
When you set up your Quadpay account you can link it to any U.S. credit or debit card—no overseas or pre-paid debit cards.² After you make a purchase, the application sets up a four-installment auto payment plan which will run the linked card automatically.
You have the option to pay early if you want, but you must pay the installments one at a time—running multiple charges.
If you don’t make a payment, Quadpay will charge a late fee on the next installment, but they’ll waive it if you make the payment within 10 days. To avoid this situation, the application automatically sets up SMS and email notifications to remind you to get funds into your account.⁶
You can also set up a backup card on file that the application will default to if your primary card has expired or is underfunded.
Which stores accept Quadpay?
The simple answer is that Quadpay is accepted everywhere because of the app's ability to process in-store payments. There are also a large number of retailers who have connected with the app directly for online shopping. The list includes these retailers below along with many, many more:
- Nike
- Walmart
- Amazon
- Macy’s
- Target
- Apple
- Gamestop
- Sephora
- Best Buy
- H&M
- Bloomingdales
| 💡Quadpay does have a company policy to not work with stores that sell certain restricted items like vapes and e-cigarette products. They don’t offer a full list, but you can check on the app to be sure your store is accepted.⁷ |
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How do I use Quadpay?
In retail stores
To pay in store, open the Quadpay application and select the ‘in-store’ option at the top of the screen. Next, type in the amount of money you want to request from your balance including the taxes and shipping and tap continue. If the amount is a little too much, don’t worry, they’ll adjust it within 13 days.
From there, you’ll see the amounts of the four payments displayed along with the due dates. Hit ‘continue’ to go to the next screen, which will display a virtual card created by the app. Then give the information to the merchant for them to run the virtual card.
You can also tap ‘Pay with Apple Pay’ or ‘Pay with Google Pay’ and the app will add the virtual card there for you to tap on a reader and complete the in-store purchase.
Online
For online payments, open the Quadpay app and search for or scroll to find the store where you want to make a purchase. Tap the store and shop online as you normally would within the app.
Once you reach the payment screen, tap on the ‘Pay with Quadpay’ button to create a virtual credit card. The app will direct you to the next screen where you can type in the amount you need to cover the product, shipping, and taxes. Hit ‘continue’, and the app will display the installment amounts and due dates.
Tap ‘continue’ again to create the virtual card. The app will bring you back to the payment screen where you can enter the virtual card number displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Be sure you don’t store this card number on any store account as this is meant as a one-time use card for Quadpay.
On Amazon
Open the Quadpay app and select Amazon from the store list. Shop as you normally would and when you get to the checkout screen tap ‘Pay with Quadpay’ to create a virtual card. Enter the purchase amount and tap ‘continue’, and then tap ‘continue’ again after the installment plan displays.
Once you create a virtual card, the app will return to the Amazon checkout. You’ll see it displayed at the bottom of your screen. On the Amazon checkout page, tap ‘Add a payment method’ and add the virtual card as a new payment method. From there, complete your purchase using the virtual card.
Again, don’t store this virtual card as a default payment method on your Amazon account. It’s only good for one-time use.
How do returns work with Quadpay?
Anything dealing with a refund, return, partial refund, or exchange must be handled directly through the merchant. That means if you need an order number or something specific to complete a return through a merchant, Quadpay can’t help.
Once a merchant initiates a refund, it goes back to the virtual card and Quadpay’s system is immediately notified. It will then cancel future installments, and refund any installments you’ve already paid. With total refunds, the app will return your funds as soon as it’s notified.
For partial refunds, Quadpay will reduce the amount you owe starting with the final statement and working back through the installments. If that amount is greater than what you’ve already paid, they’ll refund the payment amount.
To process a refund on an in-store purchase, open the app and tap ‘orders’ at the bottom of the screen. Open your order and you’ll be able to tap on the Quadpay virtual card. Give that card number to the merchant to process the refund.
However, with any refund, it can take up to 13 days from when the merchant issues it.⁸
Quadpay pros & cons
With that information in mind, there are some pros and cons to consider before using Quadpay. Here’s the list:
Quadpay pros
- Quadpay doesn’t run a hard credit check, so your credit score won’t be affected by signing up.
- You can purchase things with 25% down and have interest free payments over the course of six weeks.
- It’s possible to have many orders at once as long as you stay within your balance.
Quadpay cons
- At the moment, Quadpay only has one payment plan. You pay four equal installments over six weeks—hence the name of the company.
- All purchase approvals last only 24 hours. After that, you must restart the approval process again.¹⁰
- You have to generate a new virtual card for every single purchase.
Is Quadpay safe?
Overall yes, Quadpay is very safe. You only provide your name, address, verifiable mobile number, and either a debit or credit card to set up an account, and Quadpay stores that information.
The app creates a virtual card for every purchase which is one of the safest methods of payment as the card number is only good for one use. This creates a layer of protection between you and the merchant.
The installment payments run automatically from your linked credit or debit card on the set days, and the app provides notifications so you remember to have enough funds in your account.
Can I use Quadpay outside of the US?
Quadpay doesn’t work abroad and only accepts payments from U.S. credit or debit cards. So if you want to save on international purchases, you might need to consider some other ideas.
You can use a Wise account with a Wise debit card when making payments in international stores. Local banks often charge markups and currency conversion fees, but with Wise you’ll pay at the mid-market rate with just a small fee.
Open a free Wise account in minutes
Sources:
All sources checked on 25 June 2021
