Think about the last time a customer spent time browsing your site. They compared products, read reviews, added items to their cart, and made it all the way to checkout.
Then they left.
For merchants selling considered purchases like electronics, sports gear or furniture, it’s a familiar challenge. The product was right. The customer wanted it. But something at the end of the journey didn’t work.
More often than not, it’s how they wanted to pay. Specifically, the ability to spread the cost of a bigger purchase into manageable monthly instalments – without the friction of new credit and a new application.
The UK now has a growing range of instalment payment solutions available to merchants. But they’re not all built the same, and they’re not all built for the same shopper.
Understanding the difference is what separates a checkout that converts from one that doesn’t.
Two types of instalment payments: BNPL and card-linked instalments
Before getting into specific tools, it helps to understand the structural difference that sits underneath them all.
BNPL
The United Kingdom has one of the most advanced e-commerce markets in the world. In recent years, the BNPL instalment sector has exploded, led by giants like Klarna, Clearpay, and PayPal. 77% of UK Gen Zs are currently using credit or finance options, suggesting an increased adoption of such payment methods. These tools have successfully normalised the idea of splitting payments for everyday items, showing that these alternative payment methods have gone “from niche to normal”.
Card-Linked Instalments
The second option is card-linked instalments. Rather than issuing new credit, these platforms sit on top of a credit card the shopper already holds. No new credit is created. No new account is opened. The shopper uses the available limit on their existing Visa or Mastercard and splits the purchase into monthly instalments from there.
Both have a role to play. They just serve different purchases – and two very different shoppers.
BNPL: Great For Everyday Purchases
Klarna, Clearpay and PayPal are great options for everyday, lower-value purchases. They’re easy to use and familiar to many shoppers, with Buy Now, Pay Later services now used by about 2 in 5 UK adults.
For merchants selling fashion, beauty, accessories, and smaller ticket purchases – these tools are well established. They work well for shoppers who are looking for a new line of credit (often mid- month) when making quick, lower-consideration purchases.
If your average order value sits in the range of £50–£150 and your core customer is a debit card user, these tools are a strong, proven choice. They’ve earned their place in the market.
Where the conversation gets interesting: credit card holders buying higher-ticket items
Here’s where it’s worth paying closer attention if you sell in categories like:
- Consumer electronics and pre-owned tech
- Sports, leisure and outdoor equipment
- Home furnishings and interiors
When basket sizes grow – think a £2,500 road bike, a £2,000 sofa, a £3,500 Samsung television – BNPL hits a ceiling. Credit card holders making bigger, more deliberate purchases need something built for that moment. That’s where card-linked instalments come in – no order limits, no new credit application, no ceiling on what your checkout can process.
Customers get what they want upfront, merchants see *134% AOV uplift, and everyone skips the usual loan application friction.
Card-linked instalments: built for credit card holders and bigger purchases
Card-linked instalment platforms work by sitting on top of the credit card your shopper already holds. When they choose to pay in instalments at checkout, the platform uses the available limit on their existing Visa or Mastercard. No new application. No new credit. No new provider to sign up with.
For the shopper, it means using a card they already trust, with a limit they already know, spread across interest-free* monthly instalments they can budget for – while continuing to earn any rewards points their card offers.
For merchants, it means reaching a customer segment that was previously underserved at checkout, with a tool purpose-built for considered, higher-value purchases.
Float: the card-linked instalment platform for bigger purchases
Float is a card-linked instalment platform trusted by global brands including Samsung, Reebok, Hugo Boss and Trek.
When a shopper selects Float at checkout, the platform checks the available limit on their existing Visa or Mastercard. If they have the credit, the transaction is approved instantly. No new credit is issued. No new account is opened. The shopper splits their purchase into up to 12 interest-free* monthly instalments – using the card they already carry.
What merchants see:
- 134% average uplift in average order value*
- 20–30% higher conversion rates*
- Average basket size ~£500*
- No cap on order size – Float works for a £500 purchase and a £5,000 one
Samsung, one of the world’s most recognised electronics brands offering Float, has seen first-hand what happens when credit card holders are given more time to pay with the credit card they already have. Read the full Samsung case study.
How these instalment tools work together
Card-linked instalments and BNPL serve genuinely different shoppers with genuinely different needs.
A BNPL user buying a £60 item and a credit card holder buying a £1,800 item are in entirely different purchase mindsets. Offering both types of instalment option at checkout means you’re equipped for both shoppers – which is exactly why merchants who add Float consistently describe it as adding incremental revenue.
Choosing the right instalment mix for your business
If you sell in any of these categories, card-linked instalments deserve a serious look alongside your existing payment tools:
Consumer electronics + pre-owned tech: High-consideration purchases where credit card holders are the natural customer. Float’s no-order-limit structure means a £3,000 TV is as accessible as a £500 tablet.
Sports, leisure + outdoor equipment: Cycling, golf, fitness, outdoor adventure. These are passion purchases where shoppers have already made the emotional decision to buy. The right instalment option can assist with an upsell.
Home furnishings + interiors: Furniture buying and home improvement is planned and considered. Shoppers want to spread a larger investment over time without taking on new credit. Float is purpose-built for exactly this.
Pre-owned + refurbished electronics: A growing category with a savvy, value-conscious shopper base that already understands credit. Card-linked instalments let them buy more, more confidently.
More instalment options, matched to the right shopper and the right purchase, means more completed baskets across the board.
Ready to supercharge your checkout? Float is already live with global brands and UK merchants. Setup is straightforward, settlement is upfront, and the results speak for themselves. Fill out our merchant application form or reach out to our expert team at grow@choosefloat.com, today.
