United Kingdom · CAP Code · payment claims
Installment and buy-now-pay-later claims on UK landing pages — CAP literacy
Pay-in-3 badges, “0% instalments available”, and Klarna-style widgets appear under product prices and in sticky footers. Consumers may read them as promises about how they can pay — not as decorative fintech logos. This guide helps UK marketers inventory BNPL and instalment wording under CAP Code 3.7 before publish.
Why payment widgets are claim inventory rows
CAP 3.7 applies to objective claims about price, savings, and material terms. Instalment modules often state:
- Number of payments and timing.
- Interest rate or “0%”.
- Availability (“on orders over £35”).
- Credit-check implications.
Log widget text, provider tooltip, and hero price line together — contradiction checks mirror subscription auto-renewal claims and money-back guarantee claims.
Common BNPL / instalment patterns
| On the page | Consumer takeaway | Inventory focus |
|---|---|---|
| “Pay in 3 interest-free instalments” | No interest if eligible | Late fees, eligibility, provider terms |
| “0% finance available” | No cost of credit | APR representative line, min spend |
| Provider logo only | BNPL offered at checkout | Alt text and linked explainer copy |
| “Spread the cost” | Instalments without stated fees | Total payable vs upfront price |
| Dynamic widget per SKU | Price-specific instalment amount | Staging scan at multiple price points |
Material information and contradictions
Headline price vs instalment total
If the hero shouts “£99” but instalments sum differently once fees apply, flag a rule 3.9 review. Cross-check was/now pricing claims when sale modules stack with BNPL.
Credit checks buried in provider iframes
“No credit check” on the landing page but “subject to status” only in the iframe is a classic mismatch. Inventory what the consumer sees without clicking.
Geographic eligibility
UK-only BNPL on a page that sells to NI/ROI with different providers — note exclusions like free delivery geographic limits.
Pre-publish habit
- Export provider-approved copy into the claim register Evidence column.
- Scan PDP, cart, and checkout — widgets load asynchronously.
- Re-scan after price-rule changes — same URL, new claim set: before-and-after URLs.
- Run free scan — free scan.
Questions
Is pay in 3 instalments always a CAP substantiation claim?
When presented as an offer available to consumers on the landing page, instalment and BNPL lines are usually objective claims about payment terms. Interest, fees, eligibility, and credit checks must not be contradicted by the headline.
What should the claim register capture for BNPL widgets?
Provider name, representative APR if stated, minimum/maximum order values, late fees, credit-check wording, and whether the widget copy matches the provider's approved marketing text.
Does CiteBefore verify FCA-regulated credit copy?
No. CiteBefore inventories visible claims on your URL. Regulated credit promotions may need separate legal sign-off beyond a CAP scan.
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