For single mum-of-four Abi, the debts she has built up by using buy now, pay later (BNPL) services have left her trapped in a “vicious circle”.

Abi, from Sheffield, is one of a number of people who spoke to the BBC about the money they owe after using BNPL to purchase basic goods, including groceries and school uniforms.

Five leading debt support organisations say they are seeing a rise in the number of families needing help with the type of debt racked up through apps such as Klarna, Zilch and Clearpay.

About 1.6 million people in the UK used these methods to spread the cost of their household bills this summer, according to research by debt charity Stepchange.

Buy now, pay later services say their products have safeguards to help customers manage their spending and they offer support for those who get into financial difficulty.

BNPL allows shoppers to spread the cost of purchases over weeks or months, using interest-free credit. But debts can mount if people miss payments.

From next year all BNPL apps will be regulated, leading to stricter affordability checks.

But in the meantime, debt advisors say people are using them “unsustainably” to “plug the gap” in their budgets.

Soft credit checks mean BNPL providers are often not told if people are borrowing from elsewhere – so they sanction loans without knowing a customer’s wider situation.

Abi started using BNPL when she hit tough financial times.

“There’s a temptation to go ‘oh I’ll just use that today and when I get paid, I’ll pay it off’ – and extend it over a few months,” says Abi, who is training to become a barber.

“Then you have to go back and live on it and then do it again.”

The 37-year-old, who cannot use credit cards because of other existing debts, began using BNPL three years ago to make larger purchases.

She now uses multiple BNPL apps to buy everyday items including pet food, bus passes and groceries – choosing which supermarkets to go to based on which she can get BNPL vouchers for.

Abi regularly buys a weekly travel pass, costing £40, using a BNPL card at the checkout.

She pays an initial fee of about £5 which allows her to spread the cost over several payments. Another fee is then applied if repayments are delayed.

Abi has faced additional fees and interest after deferring multiple repayments and now owes BNPL firms about £3,000.

Five leading debt advice groups say referrals related to BNPL debts are increasing.

Debt counselling service Money Wellness says it helped 44% more people with BNPL debts in the year ending in September 2025 than it did in the previous 12 months, which it describes as a “huge spike”.

The National Debtline and Business Adviceline, which are run by the Money Advice Trust, supported 11,000 people in the same period with debts of this kind.

Citizens Advice says it has seen a 48% year-on-year increase, and Christians Against Poverty says 14% of its clients had BNPL debts in 2024, up from 9% in 2023.

Tom Gibbons, from Money Wellness, says the rising cost of living has “pushed people’s budgets to the limit”.

Food prices have increased by 37% in five years, meaning a food shop costing £10 five years ago would now cost £13.70.

Mr Gibbons says Money Wellness is seeing more young single women with children seeking help with BNPL debts as they try to “plug the gap and can’t make ends meet”.

Abi has begun applying for a debt relief order, which would freeze her debts for 12 months. If her financial situation does not change, those debts may be written off, but her credit file will be affected for six years.

In August, a record monthly high of more than 4,200 debt relief orders were approved.

Jennifer, not her real name, owed £5,000 through BNPL before she was approved for a debt relief order in July.

The 26-year-old single parent from West Yorkshire says it has given her a “fresh start” and she no longer lives in fear of phone calls from debt collectors.

“I can finally breathe again,” she says.

She is one of many who told the BBC that accessing BNPL “was too easy”, adding: “You fall into a pattern, and before you know it, it’s a huge problem.”

But not everyone who uses BNPL has spiralling debts.

Danielle, a single mum of five and home care assistant from Rotherham, says she is “responsible with it” and only uses what she can afford to pay back.

Where she would once turn to a food bank or borrow money from family in the run-up to payday, she now uses BNPL apps to buy essentials such as shoes and school uniforms for her children.

“I do know people who use it and worry about how they will pay it back, but I don’t want to end up paying money out to BNPL and then having nothing to live off,” says Danielle.

“In the past I’d be worrying and I’d be one of the last parents buying the bare minimum of what I could afford. Now as soon as they finish school I go out and buy all the uniform.”

Many people who spoke to the BBC never imagined they would find themselves in debt.

Mr Gibbons says: “All it takes is an accident and you’re off work, or made redundant and then all of a sudden you’ve got no money coming in and you’re still going to have find the money to pay BNPL.”

In response to the BBC investigation, a spokesperson for Klarna says the firm would welcome new regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) next year and its “products are designed to help consumers avoid getting trapped in debt”.

If payments are missed, access to further credit is then restricted, they say.

Zilch, which is a regulated FCA lender, says it has “affordability safeguards in place” to ensure its customers “are using our product responsibly”.

• Details of organisations offering help and support with debt are available via the BBC Action Line.