Residents Addicted to PayLater: Let Them Owe First, It's a Shame to Spend Money Directly on Payment
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Low interest rates and an easy process have led several residents to become addicted to using PayLater features.
One resident named Roby (26) admits to being addicted to PayLater since six years ago, when his salary was still meagre.
As a result, he often relies on PayLater to buy desired items amid his limited finances.
However, Roby tries as much as possible to use PayLater for vital needs.
“Sometimes I buy vital items, some for lifestyle like work shoes, car oil, motorbike oil, because back then my salary was tight, plus I was covering my parents’ car maintenance, that’s why I started using PayLater,” he said when interviewed by Kompas.com in the South Jakarta area on Friday (27/3/2026).
To this day, he still uses the PayLater feature to buy desired items when his finances are limited.
Roby admits he still enjoys using PayLater because the interest is considered low.
“In my opinion, every time we borrow, there are consequences, but what I feel with PayLater like Shopee is not like loan sharks in terms of interest,” said Roby.
He gave an example: for instance, taking an item worth Rp 300,000 using PayLater, the interest to be paid next month is not too large, only around Rp 10,000 - 15,000.
“It’s not a loss, because in my view the interest is low. If taking clothes, the interest is like Rp 10,000, not much, so it’s quite helpful,” he said when met in the South Jakarta area on Friday.
Besides the low interest, Waci is interested in trying PayLater because of the easy process, unlike credit cards.
“On the TikTok, Shopee apps, there wasn’t any. I only got PayLater this year in 2025, because it suddenly appeared asking to activate,” she said.
With a short process, Waci could obtain a PayLater balance that can be used for shopping items.
Her initial balance when activating PayLater was only around Rp 150,000, but because it was used continuously for shopping, it has now increased to Rp 350,000.
She uses that PayLater to buy various items dominated by lifestyle purposes, such as new clothes, viral soap, and so on.
“I’m lazy to use cash, just let it be in debt first, pay next month because it’s a shame to use the money if paying directly, actually I have the money but I don’t pay ah, next month only,” she said.
Another user, Vita (29), admits to still using PayLater even when not in urgent conditions.