Zilch review 2022: What is it and how does it work?

Zilch is a virtual card that allows you to buy now, pay later (BNPL) at thousands of retailers, including Amazon, eBay, AliExpress and Nike.

Some stores charge a fee of £2.50 when you use Zilch, while with others, it’s free (and the store pays Zilch a commission). The interest-free payment service allows you to buy products when you want them while spreading the cost of these items over 4 instalments in 6 weeks. The key, as with any BNPL service, is to ensure you can afford the repayments.

How does Zilch work?

Zilch is slightly different from other buy now pay later services in that you will be given a virtual Zilch card. In order to use it, select your chosen store from the Zilch website or app and then activate the card for that store.

After that, you can order your goods with the Zilch card and pay for them later. The upfront cost for the item comes in at 25% of the overall price tag, with the remaining balance taken every 2 weeks (over a period of 6 weeks) at 25% each time.

Here’s a little example

Say you wanted to buy a pair of Nike Air Force 1 trainers (£85). Your first payment of £21.25 would be taken at the checkout. Then, after 2 weeks, a second payment of £21.25 is due. After 4 weeks, you’ll wave goodbye to another £21.25, and then after 6 weeks, (you guessed it) the final payment of £21.25 is taken.

Summary

First payment: 25% taken at checkout.
Second payment: 25% taken after 2 weeks.
Third payment: 25% taken after 4 weeks.
Fourth and final payment: 25% taken after 6 weeks.

Which retailers offer Zilch?

You can check out our full list of Zilch retailers and find out where you can buy now and pay later.

Iceland

New customers!

£5 off £45 spend for new customers

New to Iceland? Use this discount code at the checkout to get £5 off your order of £45 or more! T&Cs apply.

Features of shopping with Zilch

Zero interest. Each purchase made through Zilch is interest free.
Pay in 4. Spread your purchase across 4 equal fortnightly payments.
Zilch Anywhere. This upgrade allows selected customers to use Zilch with thousands of brands it partners with, but also those that it doesn’t (for an extra £2.50 fee), provided they allow Mastercard.
No early repayment charges. Zilch will collect your payments fortnightly but additional payments can be made earlier without a fee.

No late fees. Even if you fail to make your scheduled payments, you will not be charged a late fee.
Not just clothing. Zilch is one of the few pay later providers offering its services beyond clothing and homewares brands. Think food, flights, books, plants… the list goes on.

Warning: Late repayments can cause you serious money problems. For help, contact the MoneyHelper.

How much does Zilch cost to use?

It costs nothing to use, even if you forget to pay on time.

The only instance you may pay more than your scheduled amount is if you want to use Zilch to pay for goods from a brand it does not work with. In this case, a £2.50 fee is added at the time of checkout.

What happens if I can’t make a Zilch payment?

Zilch will report missed payments to the credit reference agency Equifax and this can damage your credit score, which can have consequences for borrowing from other lenders, so it’s vital that you keep on top of your payments.

If you fail to clear your balance when it’s due, contact the Zilch support team. If you fail to clear your balance from this point onwards, you may end up being ineligible to use Zilch at all. The service will always send you emails to remind you of any overdue amounts.

Does Zilch perform a credit check?

Zilch runs a “soft” credit check to verify your details and to get an idea of your creditworthiness. This won’t impact your credit score and it won’t be visible to others on your credit record. You will be able to see it in your record, if you’ve signed up to access your credit file.

Based on its “soft” credit check, Zilch will then give you its own credit score to determine how much you can spend with them. This will not affect your overall credit rating.

How to sign up for Zilch

If you want an account, simply visit this page and create one by entering an email address and a password. You will then receive an email with more information on how to link your debit card to your Zilch account.

What can I do if something goes wrong?

On the off chance that you encounter a problem with Zilch, we suggest taking a look at the list of handy frequently asked questions on the site. Can’t find your query on there? Give Zilch a call on 020 3405 9775 or email the team at support@payzilch.com.

Is Zilch safe?

Zilch is a PCI DSS Level 2 certified compliant service provider (which means it meets requirements to prevent data breaches and payment card fraud) and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Zilch customer reviews

Most reviews of Zilch we’ve found online are positive, with customers praising its ease of use and how handy it is to spread the cost of items over a number of weeks. Zilch scores 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot, which is an “Excellent” rating, based on almost 30,000 customer reviews (as of December 2021).

There are some negative reviews, too. These focus on poor customer service, particularly from customers who have struggled to make contact with Zilch when they experience a problem or have trouble meeting their payments.

Pros and cons of Zilch

Buy it now, pay for it later. With Zilch, you can order your chosen item when you want it and cover the costs later on, without having to wait until payday.
Interest free. Zilch never charges you interest.
No early repayment charges. If you wish to clear your balance earlier than your scheduled repayment date, you can do so free of charge.
Use practically anywhere that offers Mastercard. Unlike some other buy now pay later providers, you can use Zilch anywhere that accepts Mastercard payments for an extra £2.50.
No hidden or late fees. You will never be surprised with nasty fees. The only time you may pay more than the item itself is if you want to shop from a site that Zilch is not partnered with.
Virtual card. No need to wait around for a plastic card since your Zilch card is virtual.

Extra charge at some retailers. If you want to use Zilch when shopping on a site that isn’t a partner, you will need to pay £2.50 more at the checkout.
Can damage your credit. Zilch reports missed payments to a credit reference agency, meaning you could damage your credit score.
Limited payment plans. Zilch only allows users to split payments into 4 equal chunks over 6 weeks, at 25% of the overall cost of the item. Whereas, some other services offer a range of plans.
You can’t suspend payments. Unlike other BNPL platforms, you can’t suspend payments while waiting for a retailer to process a refund. This means you’ll still be charged your fortnightly instalments until your return is processed.
Some negative feedback about service. We’ve heard from customers who’ve experienced problems with getting in touch with Zilch’s customer service team – see the user reviews below.

Our verdict

Zilch is an exciting newcomer and worth considering as an alternative to the likes of Klarna, Laybuy and Clearpay in the UK.

We like that Zilch charges no late fees if you miss a payment. The brand’s virtual card offers users something different, too, while also allowing shoppers to pay with Zilch wherever Mastercard is accepted. This includes through retailers it does not partner with. But a downside is that this costs an extra £2.50 at the checkout. Also, there is only one payment plan, which is set to fortnightly instalments over 6 weeks.

Have more questions about Zilch?

Zilch can be contacted via its Contact Form located at the bottom of the page (Monday to Sunday, 8am-8pm) or by phone at 020 3405 9775 (Wednesday to Sunday, 9am-5pm).
You can link your Zilch virtual card to any UK-issued debit card.
Contact the retailer you purchased your item from.
All returns are subject to the retailer’s returns policy. Zilch will not cancel your payment plan until it has confirmation from the retailer of your return and your refund is being processed. If you have a specific concern, contact Zilch’s customer service via phone or email.
Log in to your online Zilch account to view your repayment schedule.
Your first instalment of 25% is required to place an order. The remaining 3 payments are due every 2 weeks after that date.
It is indeed. Through Zilch, you can pay later at (nearly) all your favourite retailers in the UK.
It depends on individual circ*mstances. When on your Zilch homepage, select where you’d like to shop and you’ll be able to see the maximum amount you can spend at that store. As you use Zilch more, this amount may vary based on how much you’ve shopped and how many purchases you’ve fully paid back.

Zilch review 2022: What is it and how does it work? | Finder UK (2024)