The first time Chloe used buy now, pay later (BNPL), she didn't even realise she was taking on a form of debt.
She was buying make-up online in 2020 when she was given the option to defer her £150 bill for 30 days.
And because the 25-year-old's payment details – such as her card number and her name – were already saved from previous purchases, she didn't even have to enter those.
'There were no warnings and no letters explaining how it worked,' says Chloe, who lives in Bristol and works in customer services.
'After 30 days I got a reminder to pay – then it spiralled.'
