A Square Deal for Afterpay

10/08/2021 29 min Temporada 3 Episodio 19
A Square Deal for Afterpay

Listen "A Square Deal for Afterpay"

Episode Synopsis

Afterpay is the darling of the financial world following its acquisition by US payments fintech Square in the largest acquisition in Australian corporate history, valued at $39 billion AUD. It caps off a monumental run for the pioneer of the Buy Now, Pay Later market. The payment scheme allows its target users to purchase goods upfront and pay them off over 4 fortnightly installments. So is this credit by another name operating in a regulatory loophole? Or is this modern day form of lay-by the future of payments? Square seems to think so, but will they be paying in 4 fortnightly installments too?

Guests:

James Sleep, policy advisor at Financial Counselling Australia

Marta Khomyn, post-doctoral researcher in economics at UTS

Lien Duong, senior lecturer in economics and finance at Curtin University