The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) says at risk people are being lured into purchasing alcohol by the extremely low upfront costs made possible by the growth of “buy now pay later” services.
FARE and other health groups are calling for government intervention on the issue and want a ban on the sale of alcohol through services like zipPay and Afterpay. These services allow people to buy alcohol and receive the purchase immediately but only make payment for the purchase over time.
In a submission to a Senate inquiry into credit and financial services targeting Australians that are battling financially, the health group said these services were becoming increasingly available and making it easier to access alcohol products.
The risk is even greater to these consumers because it will simultaneously increase their alcohol dependency and credit dependency.