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Report: 'Apple Pay Later' Likely Delayed Until Spring 2023 With iOS 16.4

Apple Pay Later, an upcoming service from Apple that will let qualifying U.S. customers split a purchase into four equal payments over six weeks, is reportedly being delayed until 2023 due to technical engineering challenges.

Apple Pay Later Quick Green Feature
Announced at WWDC in June, Apple has said that ‌Apple Pay‌ Later will be "coming in a future update" to iOS 16, but the company has not provided a specific timeframe. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said today in his Power On newsletter that the service is likely to face a delay and launch in the spring as part of an iOS 16.4 update.

This leads me to believe that the company isn't completely certain when Apple Pay Later will be ready for launch. It's possible the feature won't arrive until iOS 16.4 in the spring. I'm hearing there have been fairly significant technical and engineering challenges in rolling out the service, leading to the delays.

‌Apple Pay‌ Later will be built into the Wallet app and be available for purchases online and in apps on the iPhone and iPad. The Wallet app, alongside the upcoming ‌Apple Pay‌ Later service, gained other new features with iOS 16, such as the ability to track online orders and more.

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Top Rated Comments

45 months ago
Now introducing! Apple Pay Later, Later!

We think you’re eventually going to love it ;)
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago
So Apple is going to enable and facilitate America’s ever growing love of debt?

I wish they’d focus on fixing their software instead.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago
Without a defined timeframe beyond "coming in a future update", how is this delayed?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago
I don't really understand the appeal of six-week financing, but I suspect I'm not the target audience. I can't imagine that this type of short-term way of thinking about money is anything but detrimental.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
45 months ago
Delay could be due to upcoming regulations CFPB will be issuing.

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/us-consumer-watchdog-plans-regulate-buy-now-pay-later-companies-2022-09-15/

Apple is probably holding off so their BNPL product will meet those new regulations.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dark_Omen Avatar
45 months ago
How about we get all the features out the door at launch in September instead of drip feeding new features little by little six months later?

What are the programmers doing all day?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)