Citizens Advice found that out of the 43% of people who will borrow money to cover Christmas this year, one in five said they will use BNPL for part of their shopping.

The charity is concerned that despite the BNPL sector growing rapidly, it remains unregulated. This means people have less protection as opposed to more traditional forms of regulated borrowing, such as credit cards and overdrafts.

Citizens Advice is calling for the sector to be urgently regulated to make sure consumers are properly protected.

Kate Hobson, consumer expert at Citizens Advice, said: “Money can often be tight in the run up to Christmas, but it’s still really important not to spend more than you can afford. If you’re considering using Buy Now Pay Later, make sure you understand what you’re signing up for, how you’ll make the repayments and what will happen if you can’t pay on time.

“As always, if you’re struggling with any kind of bill, get free, independent advice as soon as possible. Our advisers can help you understand your options and come up with a plan.”

Checklist if you’re thinking of using BNPL

Understand what you’re signing up for

Check how and when you’ll need to pay, and if you could be charged late fees or interest.

It’s also worth noting your credit score could be affected if the BNPL firm reports late payments, or if you’re referred to a debt collector for missed payments, and you then don’t pay the debt collector.

Have a plan for how you’ll repay

While it can be tempting to split payments, make sure you have a plan for how to pay the money back – particularly if your circumstances or income were to change. If you’re using BNPL repeatedly or using multiple BNPL options, make sure you know how much you owe in total.

If you’re struggling to pay, get help

If you’re worried about your money situation, seek help from Citizens Advice.

You should also ask the BNPL firm if it can help, such as lowering your monthly payment or waiving a late fee. But this could mean you’re charged interest etc, so always make sure you understand what you’re agreeing to.

If you need to cancel or return items, contact both the retailer and the BNPL firm

This is because your consumer rights are with the retailer, but you have a separate agreement with the BNPL firm to pay for what you buy.

Generally, the retailer will refund the BNPL firm, which will refund you, or adjust the amount you owe if you only returned part of an order.

If something goes wrong, you can complain to the BNPL firm and the retailer

Again, your consumer rights are with the retailer, but your payment agreement is with the BNPL firm. BNPL firms have different rules on resolving disputes and so check what happens to your payment plan during this time.

You could also try the Chargeback scheme that is offered by card providers to help get refunds and you’ll need to continue paying the BNPL firm to ensure you’re not in breach of contract.

If you pay with a credit card beware of extra fees and less protection

Credit card purchases over £100 generally have Section 75 protection, which means the credit card provider may have to help if something goes wrong.

But this protection doesn’t apply to BNPL purchases as you didn’t pay the retailer directly. You may be able to use the Chargeback scheme instead.

It’s also worth noting that some credit card firms may charge interest or a fee for paying your BNPL bill with your credit card – so it’s worth checking before opting for this payment method.