https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/articles/introducing-...
> shoppers break their purchases into equal installment payments, often interest-free, which can allow shoppers to get their purchase upfront, instead of having to wait until it’s paid in full.
From the commenter JennaScout on the same page:
> Looks like you neglected to mention the $4 flat fee in the article?
>On a $35 purchase, that's 11% of the purchase cost spread over one month. Annualized, that's an astounding 250% APY. Even the most predatory credit cards top out at around 40% APY.
>All you've done is just baked predatory loans into your browser. Honestly, you should be ashamed.
Sure they do. Get a credit card with 0% interest on purchases and pay the balance before the interest free offer period expires. In many cases these cards to not charge any fee associated with the purchase.
I understand that the credit card company will still make a profit in many cases – even when they don't manage to collect any interest or fees. But the loan is free from the cardholder's point of view.