Buy Now Pay Later Instalments Tracker

Who this is for

Every buy now pay later plan in one place. Each purchase gets a line for the provider, the total and the instalments paid, with the amount left worked out, and a month strip adds up what is due across all your providers.

Anyone with more than one buy now pay later plan running, especially across several providers or apps, and people who want to see a month's total commitments before agreeing to another.

What this helps you track

• Each purchase, the retailer and the provider holding the plan
• Instalments paid and the amount still to pay on each plan
• The date the return window closes, so a refund is not missed
• What is due each month across all your providers together
• The total still owed on every plan

How to use it

1. Write the providers you use at the top; up to four fit the month strip.
2. Add a line for each purchase: the date, the item and retailer, the provider, the total, the number of instalments and the amount of each.
3. Update the instalments paid as each one goes out; the amount left to pay is worked out in the browser and the workbook.
4. In the month strip, write each month and the amount due to each provider, from their app or emails; the month total adds itself up.
5. Check the month strip for the months a new plan would fall in before you agree to it, and note each provider's late fee terms.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why add up by month rather than by plan?

Plans with different providers fall on different days and overlap. Adding up what each provider will take in a month is the quickest way to see whether the month's money covers it, which is where missed payments start.

What goes in the return by column?

The last date the retailer accepts a return. If you send something back, note when, and check with the provider how the plan will be adjusted, so an instalment is not missed while the refund goes through.

What happens if I miss an instalment?

It depends on the provider and where you live: it can bring late fees, collection and an effect on your credit record. Write each provider's own late fee terms in the notes, from their agreement.

Can I use it for store or catalogue instalment plans?

Yes. Any purchase paid in a set number of instalments fits the same columns. For borrowing that charges interest, the credit card register or a debt payoff tracker suits better.