Amazon has finally flicked the switch on Afterpay in Australia, and shoppers are already rubbing their hands together in glee.

It started as a quiet rollout spotted by eagle-eyed bargain hunters on Facebook and has now gone full throttle. The retail giant has officially confirmed that its Aussie customers can split their Amazon purchases into four bite-sized payments, thanks to a new partnership with Afterpay.

For bargain-hunting Aussies, it’s a move that feels long overdue. Handheld Space first clocked the change back on August 9 when screenshots started popping up in Afterpay fan groups. At the time, the rollout was happening in batches, but as of this week, shoppers can choose Afterpay at checkout across Amazon.com.au and its app.

Afterpay lands on Amazon AU

You can use Afterpay for physical products (sorry, no grog, Kindle books or Prime subs), which means big-ticket buys like laptops, TVs or even the latest gaming console just got easier to justify. With Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas all barrelling towards us, the timing is just right to capture consumer interest.

Sujit Misra, Amazon’s payments boss for Asia-Pacific, said the move is about giving customers more choice and flexibility at checkout. Translation: Amazon knows Aussies love a bargain almost as much as we love paying later.

Over at Afterpay HQ, Katrina Konstas, EVP and country manager, was equally positive of the move, telling SmartCompany the update will help shoppers “access what they want, when they want it”. Which sounds a lot like marketing speak for: “yes, you can finally Afterpay that air fryer you don’t need but desperately want”.

Don’t forget your credit score

Still, there’s a catch. This rollout comes just months after buy now, pay later (BNPL) services fell under Australia’s consumer credit regulations. That means anyone signing up fresh for Afterpay on Amazon will have to cough up income and expense details, and may even face a credit check. Not exactly the instant-gratification vibe BNPL was built on, but regulators say it’s about protecting consumers from racking up debt they can’t handle.

Konstas insists the change won’t kill the Afterpay buzz. Instead, she argues it’ll help Aussies maintain control of their spending. Whether that translates to fewer late-night impulse buys remains to be seen.

Amazon now joins a long list of retailers offering Afterpay, including eBay, Kogan, Big W, Harvey Norman and The Iconic. That leaves the supermarket giants as one of the last frontiers for BNPL Although, Afterpay co-founder Nick Molnar has already hinted that grocery shopping could be the next big play. Imagine Afterpaying your Weet-Bix and milk.

The rise of BNPL

The Amazon-Afterpay tie-up is another signal of just how entrenched BNPL has become in the retail landscape. With over three million active Afterpay users in Australia, the payment option isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore; it’s increasingly expected. And if Amazon’s finally onboard, you can bet more holdouts will follow.

If you’re a small biz retailer watching the BNPL wave reshape customer expectations, Afterpay on Amazon is going to change the way Aussies fill their carts. If you’re a consumer, just don’t forget, those four easy payments still add up to one hefty bill.

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