Afterpay vs. Humm (Oxipay)

• Compare everything from repayment plans and fees to account limits and availability.
• Find out who Afterpay and Humm are best suited to.

The ability to immediately fulfil a shopper’s needs without demanding an up-front payment is what makes services such as Afterpay and Humm (the rebranded Oxipay) so popular. But with several services offering similar interest-free instalment plans, how do you choose one?

Well, we've done the hard work with a complete guide. Read on to find out whether Afterpay or Humm is right for you!

How Afterpay works

With over 10,000 partner stores in Australia and New Zealand alone, Afterpay is a popular buy now pay later (BNPL) service that allows shoppers to purchase their goods immediately without an up-front payment. Since 2015, Afterpay has been providing instalment options for users looking to purchase high-priced retail, pharmaceutical, lifestyle, auto, and travel items from their favourite brands.

To become an Afterpay member, applicants must be at least 18 years old, an Australian or New Zealand citizen/permanent resident, and have an active debit or credit card. After filling in their contact information, users can activate their account, which comes with a spending limit. A pre-authorisation check will determine how much a user can initially enjoy.

Users can shop with any partner retailer online by selecting the Afterpay checkout option or presenting their barcode in-store. They’ll have to make a payment upon shipping amounting to 25% of the total purchase price, and the remaining instalments occur every two weeks. Afterpay won’t accept payments via bank transfer, BPay, or prepaid card.

How Humm works

Oxipay – now universally known as Humm – is a BNPL service similar to Afterpay. You can shop online and in-store with approved vendors, repaying your item in 5 to 10 instalments. Unlike Afterpay, Humm empowers shoppers to spend up to $30,000. The service refers to these items as Big Things. Little Things are items worth $2,000 or less.

Compared to Afterpay, signing up with Humm takes a little more effort. Users must be of legal age as well as show proof of Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency. On top of these requirements, applicants must also present evidence of employment (at least 25 hours a week) or already be receiving a pension. Applicants who have declared bankruptcy are ineligible for an account.

Once the account is active, users will have access to their Little Things wallet, with a spending cap determined by the financial information they provide. If you want to increase your spending limit as soon as possible, you can opt to provide additional financial documentation. There are no restrictions on how many Little Things payment plans you open up so long as you remain within your spending limit.

To access the Big Things wallet, users must go through a more rigorous screening process that may require further documentation such as bank statements or payslips. If approved, you can shop for items worth $10,000 or get pre-approval for purchases up to $30,000. Big Things purchases are only available in-store.

Feature comparison

Repayment frequency

• Afterpay: Each purchase can be paid off in four instalments on a fortnightly basis. Every repayment is equivalent to 25% of the item’s total price. For every repayment you miss, you incur a late fee. Users may potentially receive a second charge for missing a payment over seven days.
• Humm: Repayment plans depend on whether you purchase a Little Thing or Big Thing. Little Things purchases allow users to repay the item in five instalments fortnightly or ten instalments weekly. Big Things, which include items worth over $2,000, allow shoppers to pay over 6, 12, 24, or up to 60 months. The allowable period depends on the retailer.

Borrowing limit

• Afterpay: Upon opening up an account, shoppers have a low spending limit which increases after making several successful repayments. Shoppers can buy up to $1,500 per transaction and hold an outstanding account limit of $2,000. Though order restrictions will ultimately depend on the retailer you shop with, Afterpay will typically approve only one order at a time. Miss more than one repayment date and Afterpay will limit future account privileges.
• Humm: How much you can spend at any given time will depend on the financial information you present upon opening your account. Regardless of this amount, Humm will require that you make repayments on at least two plans before increasing your spending limit. If purchasing more than one Big Thing, you’ll have to shoulder a repeat purchase fee of $22.

Credit check

• Afterpay: Afterpay doesn’t require a credit check to open up an account. So long as you meet its minimum requirements, you can shop almost anywhere with Afterpay. It may, however, opt to run a soft credit check when shopping with specific retailers or making larger purchases.
• Humm: Unlike Afterpay, Humm enforces a stricter application process that includes a credit check. Though it won’t affect your credit rating, it will dictate your spending cap. Any repayments you miss can negatively impact your credit score in the future.

Online & offline use

• Afterpay: Afterpay’s system integration online and offline is hailed as one of the most seamless among BNPL services. Users can quickly look up their favourite retailers on Afterpay’s Shop Directory, provide their payment information, and save them for future use. When checking out in-store, shoppers simply present their barcode at the register. Depending on your available balance, repayment history, order value, number of active payment plans, and how long you’ve been a member, Afterpay may not approve 100% of your purchases.
• Humm: Like most BNPL services, you can shop online or in-store with Humm. With your Little Things wallet, you can shop anything from technology, homeware, beauty products, retail items, and more. With your Big Things wallet, you can finance more significant purchases such as home improvements or even medical treatments.

Cost comparison

Account fee

• Afterpay: Users don’t have to pay a fee or meet a minimum monthly purchase amount to retain their account.
• Humm: There is also no fee required to maintain an Humm account.

Interest rate

• Afterpay: All purchases made with Afterpay are entirely interest-free.
• Humm: Humm doesn’t charge interest on any of its purchases. However, there is an $8 monthly fee for Little Things and Big Things plans that are on a 5-month or more repayment schedule. Consequently, you will have to pay an establishment fee between $35 and $90 on Big Things. This fee is dictated by the item’s value.

Late fee

• Afterpay: Afterpay charges a late fee of $10 regardless of the item price and an additional $7 fee for missing a payment over seven days. For orders under $40, there is a fee cap of $10. On pricier orders, shoppers may pay as much as $68 for missing all repayment dates – over 20% of a $300 purchase.
• Humm: No matter the purchase fee, Humm will only charge a late fee of $6 for every missed payment.

Which service wins?

Ultimately, it will depend on what kind of items you purchase most frequently. For more casual shopping with a wider array of retailers, Afterpay makes for a suitable option. However, its late fees can quickly rack up.

Humm, on the other hand, can give you a way to finance more expensive purchases without the need for a loan with repayments that are friendlier than traditional bank products.

Afterpay and Humm competitors

There are a number of competing BNPL services In New Zealand, including Laybuy and Zip. Each of these operate interest-free instalment plans, but they are all have different repayment schedules and fees. Our comparison makes comparing them a breeze, so check it out if you haven't decided which to use.