The news: Splitit partnered with DXC Technology, enabling affiliated banks to offer installment options at checkout for their consumers, per a press release.

Consumers across more than 40 banks will be able to access buy now, pay later (BNPL) options linked through their bank account, debit card, or credit card. 

Why this matters: Regional and community banks want a foothold to compete with major issuers and BNPL platforms like Affirm and Klarna. Issuers like Citi, Chase, and American Express are already top-ranked by US consumers per JD Power’s 2024 Buy Now Pay Later Satisfaction study, signaling the trust consumers hold with traditional issuers over fintech challengers. 

With this seamless integration, smaller financial institutions can convert their consumers’ trust into BNPL loyalty—and volume.

Play for Gen Z: Younger consumers are turning their backs on revolving credit. Fifty-one percent of Gen Zers said that credit cards give them the “ick,” per a Cash App Afterpay survey. As this generation moves away from credit cards, smaller financial institutions can win their loyalty through offering desirable debit and card-linked installment options, which have a higher degree of perceived safety. 

Card game: BNPL-enabled debit cards have thrived stateside. Klarna’s card crossed 1 million sign-ups in 11 weeks; Affirm’s card GMV skyrocketed 123% with $1.2 billion in sales in Q4 2025 (ended June 30). 

With 42.7% of Gen Zers and 33.3% of millennials preferring a card-linked plan for BNPL financing, per a PYMNTS study, smaller issuers can seize back volume from these fintech platforms by proffering their own BNPL-enabled card options. 

Our take: Expanding BNPL availability during the upcoming holiday season will be critical. We forecast that US holiday retail sales will only grow 1.2%—less than half the growth from last year. In order to capture consumers’ limited spending, issuers should broaden financing options to make gift-buying more manageable and interest-free, especially for consumers with children, who are more likely to use BNPL options than any other demographic besides millennials at 46.7%, per a PYMNTS study.