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Small Business Strategy Inquiry 2025 - ACT and Bira call for members to share their voice

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on... Read more…

Beyond the discount: Restoring integrity to the cycle supply chain

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.
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Bira welcomes Wales' business rates proposals but calls for key improvements

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street... Read more…

New awards launch to champion Britain's independent high street heroes

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring... Read more…

"Tectonic shift" in employment law threatens independent retailer viability, warns Bira podcast

6 Jun 2025

Independent retailers are facing a "generational" transformation of employment law that could fundamentally change how small businesses operate, according to the final episode of Bira's first... Read more…

Retailers hope warm weather and bank holidays will boost high street sales

16 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said that members are hopeful the warm weather, Easter weekend and upcoming bank holidays will provide a much-needed boost to high street sales.
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Economic growth surges to 0.7%, but "April reality check" looms for high street retailers

15 May 2025

UK economy delivers strongest quarterly performance in a year despite forecasts of business downturn.
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Communities come together for Local Bike Shop Day 2025 celebrations

13 May 2025

Local Bike Shop Day 2025 brought a wave of... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira welcomes Bank of England's latest interest rate cut

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has welcomed the Bank of England's decision to reduce interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, calling it a "much-needed boost" for the retail sector, including for cycling... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira responds to Beales' "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" as iconic store makes final protest

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" in its final weeks of trading, with giant yellow... Read more…

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Nearly half of Buy Now Pay Later customers continue to be misled

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News

A recent story published in This is Money, Financial Website of the Year included survey findings showing that over 40 per cent of shoppers are unaware that missing payments when using a Buy Now Pay Later service could harm their credit score.

According to Compare the Market, one in five also felt they weren't clearly shown the terms and conditions, again raising more concerns over the increasingly popular payment method.

One company in particular, a popular Swedish finance provider that was previously mentioned by the ACT for misleading a customer and negatively affecting their credit score, has been the cause of concern for many. The firm is incredibly popular in Britain with 6million people using its three ways of paying for items since 2015. It has also begun providing in-store payment options, with 10,000 shops including H&M, Halfords and Schuh.

While the company claims to believe 'in being simple and straightforward in everything we do', This is Money found it difficult to find on its website the fact that your credit score is affected by non-payment on some of its products, something likely reflected in the survey results.

A clear example of this obscurity is under an FAQ section on the website of one of the biggest retailers it provides payment options for - H&M - it responds to the specific question of whether using the Buy Now Pay Later firm affects your credit score with: 'For more information about Klarna's credit check and if it affects your score please contact Klarna directly.'


The company told This is Money in January 2019: 'We're open about our lending policies and credit authorisation processes, and we make sure we stay in regular contact with customers to let them know when a payment is due.

'If after a period of several months we have not received payment, we advise the credit bureau that they have not paid.

'At this point a customer's credit score may be affected.'

The company also said in response to Compare the Market's research: 'Klarna does not report missed payments to credit reference reference agencies in relation to its pay later and pay in three products.

'To date, a customer's credit score has not been impacted by using Klarna's pay later products even if they have failed to pay on time'. It said its financing payment plans were Klarna's only regulated credit product.

Another recent article explains the dangers of the Buy Now Pay Later firm also being heavily promoted by celebrities through Instagram with thousands of young followers. Debt campaigners have branded the celebs "irresponsible".

Martyn James from Resolver said: "It's totally irresponsible for influencers to take cash to plug credit products on their profiles.

"There's a huge difference between plugging an expensive pair of shoes and borrowing beyond your means to pay for them.

"With little to no warnings about the risks, shoppers could find themselves sleepwalking in to debt."

New research also warns that over two million shoppers have damaged their credit scores using Buy Now Pay Later schemes.

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