Will asking to have a late fee waived hurt my credit score?

No. Contacting a provider to request a waiver has no effect on your credit whatsoever. Whether the missed payment itself affects your credit depends on the provider — some report late payments, some do not.

How many times will a BNPL company waive a late fee?

There is no set number, but providers are most willing the first time, as a courtesy. Repeated requests are less likely to succeed, which is why preventing missed payments matters more than relying on waivers.

Does Affirm charge late fees?

No. Affirm charges no late fees, and neither does PayPal Pay in 4. Late fees mainly come from Klarna, Afterpay, Zip, and Sezzle.

Can I get a late fee refunded after I have already paid it?

Often, yes — especially if your account is in good standing. Zip in particular has stated it will refund its late fee in that situation, and other providers may too if you ask.

What if the provider refuses to waive the fee?

Ask for a payment reschedule or hardship plan instead, request a supervisor, and if they will not resolve a legitimate issue, you can file a complaint with the CFPB.

June 7, 2026·7 min read

How to Get a BNPL Late Fee Waived (Klarna, Afterpay, Zip & Sezzle)

By Jason Wilcox

A late fee notice for $8.00 struck through and stamped WAIVED, beside the statistic that 86 percent of people who ask get their BNPL late fee waived.

86% who ask, get it

Here is a number most people never hear: according to LendingTree's April 2026 BNPL Tracker, 86% of buy now, pay later users who asked to have a late fee waived got it reduced or removed entirely. Not 86% of some lucky subset — 86% of people who simply asked. The catch is that most people never ask. They see the fee, assume it is final, feel a little embarrassed, and pay it. This guide is about being one of the people who asks — and getting it waived.

First, check whether you even owe a late fee

Not every BNPL provider charges them. Affirm and PayPal Pay in 4 do not charge late fees at all — so if your missed payment is with one of those, there is no fee to waive (though other consequences, like account holds or eventual credit impact, can still apply). Late fees mainly come from Klarna, Afterpay, Zip, and Sezzle. This guide focuses on those four.

The three rules that actually get fees waived

The people in that 86% are not doing anything clever. They are following three simple principles:

- Ask early. The sooner after the missed payment you reach out, the better. A fee from yesterday is far easier to get removed than one you are disputing three weeks later.

- Pay the overdue amount first. In almost every case, bring the account current before you ask. A provider is far more willing to waive a fee for someone who has already paid what they owe — it shows good faith and removes their leverage to say no.

- Be polite and specific. Support reps have real discretion here, and courtesy is rewarded — especially for a first-time slip.

Provider by provider

Klarna. Klarna gives a grace period before a late fee is applied, so if you catch it quickly you may not owe one at all. If you do, contact Klarna through the app's customer service chat, confirm you have paid, and ask for a courtesy waiver. First-time requests from accounts in good standing tend to go well.

Afterpay. Reach out through the Afterpay app or help center as soon as possible, while the missed payment is recent and the account is otherwise in good standing. Afterpay will often waive a first late fee as a courtesy when you ask directly.

Zip. Zip is the most explicit of the four: Zip has stated you can request to have its late fee refunded if you have made the payment and your account is otherwise in good standing. So with Zip, the playbook is simple — pay first, then ask.

Sezzle. Sezzle is the easiest of all, because you may not even need to ask. Sezzle's failed-payment fee (up to $6.95) is waived if you resolve the missed payment within 48 hours. With Sezzle, speed alone wins — fix it within two days and the fee comes off.

What to actually say

You do not need anything elaborate. Here is a message that works across providers — adjust the details to your situation:

> "Hi — I missed my payment due [date] on order [number]. I have now paid the full amount owed. This is the first time this has happened, and I would really appreciate it if you would waive the late fee as a one-time courtesy. Thank you for considering it."

Short, honest, account already current, polite ask. That is the whole formula.

If they say no

Do not stop at the first no. You still have options: ask whether they will reschedule the payment or set up a hardship arrangement instead of a flat fee; politely ask to escalate to a supervisor; and if a provider genuinely refuses to resolve a legitimate issue, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Our In Your Corner tools walk you through exactly how.

The best way to win: never get the fee at all

Here is the honest truth about BNPL late fees — most of them are not a money problem, they are a tracking problem. Four providers, four different due dates, four different apps, none of which talk to each other. You do not miss a payment because you cannot afford $25; you miss it because it was buried in an app you forgot to open.

That is exactly why we built Frizzbee. It pulls all your BNPL plans — Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm, Zip, and more — into one dashboard, shows every upcoming payment in one place, and reminds you before anything is due. And if you do get hit with a fee, our In Your Corner advocacy tools include ready-to-send waiver templates so you are never staring at a blank message wondering what to write.

The 86% who ask, get it. Frizzbee just makes sure you remember to ask — and ideally, never have to.