Consumer finance company Zilch is getting flak for trying to encourage UK consumers to use buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans to buy cheap supermarket pizzas and other treats that fall outside the typical definition of BNPL purchases, the Financial Times reported. Zilch virtual cards are accepted at thousands of UK retailers, including grocery stores, and allow users to pay for 25% of their purchase upfront and spread the rest of the payments across six weeks, according to the report. Critics say using BNPL for anything but larger purchases will increase personal debt for account holders, the report stated, but Zilch defended the ads and the message behind them.

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