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Travel can be costly, there’s no doubt. If you don’t have enough savings, it can be difficult to book and pay for all the expenses associated with a trip, including hotels, rental cars, and flights. Payment plans, which allow you to pay over time rather than all at once, can be very appealing. Is it a good idea to use them?

Expedia is one of the most popular online travel agencies for travelers. Expedia allows you to buy now and then pay later. Yes. We explain what Expedia payment options are, and what you need to know before signing up on this third-party website.

What’s a ‘buy now and pay later’ loan?

Many travel companies and brands offer buy now, pay later services. These payment options allow travelers to book travel and pay it off over a set period of time. This is similar to a credit-card, except that these loans can have lower interest rates, and often automatically deduct from your bank account or debit card.

While there are many companies offering these types of loans on the internet, Expedia partners with Toffirm in order to provide the service to customers.

Expedia Payment Plans: How does it work?

Expedia makes it simple to book travel and then pay for your trip using a payment plan. You simply need to select the flight, accommodation, car rental, or cruise you want to book and then choose “Monthly payments” during checkout.

If you don’t have an account, you will be asked to log in to Affirm. The process will be guided by prompts on screen. This includes a soft credit check that verifies your eligibility for the loan. This will not affect your credit score.

If you are approved, you will see a list with payment options. We had three, six, or twelve-month payment options when we searched for a San Francisco flight and rental car for a week-long vacation that cost $809.47. Each option has a monthly payment, an interest rate, APR rate, and total cost. This allows you to see how much you will be paying in addition to the base price.

Choose the option that best suits you and then select whether automatic payments are deducted from your bank account or debit card account. After you’re done, checkout will be completed and payments will begin with the first payment.

The downsides to using an Expedia payment program

Expedia allows you to book travel online and pay later. However, it is not a good choice for everyone.

The loan’s interest is something you will have to pay, but you won’t have to if you fully paid for your travel. Affirm’s terms and conditions state that there are no late payment fees, penalty fees, or fees for payments that are returned or not processed. Your bank won’t likely give you the same treatment.

However, Affirm may send you a letter if you miss a payment. The entire balance may be due immediately. You may also be required to pay the entire outstanding balance immediately, just like with any other type of credit.

Refunds can be complicated if you or your airline need to cancel or postpone travel plans. Expedia will reimburse the base cost of your trip to Affirm and not your personal account. However, you will still be responsible for any interest that may have accrued.

Can you book Expedia travel with a payment plan?

Does Expedia do payment plans? However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that payment plans are a good choice for every person or situation.

Affirm may charge you as much or more interest depending on which credit card you have. Affirm may offer a slightly lower rate but it is unlikely to be worth dealing with multiple entities (expedia, airlines, Affirm) in the event of changes or cancellations to your travel plans.

Expedia’s payment plan can be very useful in certain situations. If you are unable to pay full price for a last-minute flight and your credit cards have higher interest rates than Affirm or other options, a payment plan could save you money.

However, if you are a frequent points and mile collector, the downside to this card is that you won’t be able to earn any additional benefits. This could mean that you may lose hundreds of thousands of points or miles that can eventually be used for hotel stays or award flights.

Expedia payment plans, recapped

Affirm offers a variety of payment options for booking Expedia travel. There are less pros than cons to this option. You won’t be able to cancel or refund your travel plans, and you won’t earn the same points and miles as you would if you paid with a travel rewards card.

Before you use the service, make sure to read all the fine print and weigh your options.