45% of Households Will Rely on Buy Now, Pay Later to Cover Back-to-School Costs

Omnisend survey finds parents are turning to credit, savings, and help from friends so their child doesn't feel left out

CHARLESTON, S.C., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Back-to-school shopping is increasingly becoming a budgeting challenge rather than a seasonal errand. A new survey of 1,075 U.S. consumers by Omnisend found that 40% of parents expect it to be more financially stressful than last year, with many relying on installment payments, credit,  or savings to cover the cost.

Overall, 44% expect to spend more than $500 on back-to-school shopping this year, including 19% who anticipate spending over $1,000. Parents are most worried about affording:

• Apparel such as shoes (43%), clothing and uniforms (42%), and backpacks (31%)
• Electronics like laptops and calculators (34%)
• Basic school supplies such as notebooks and pens (32%)

To manage those costs, 45% of households plan to use Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) for back-to-school purchases, up from 39% last year. Nearly one in three (31%) expect BNPL to cover more than half of their back-to-school spending.

"Buy Now, Pay Later used to be associated with discretionary spending. Now it's increasingly becoming a budgeting tool for predictable, everyday expenses. Back-to-school shopping isn't a surprise purchase, so the fact that so many parents still rely on BNPL suggests household budgets have less room to absorb even expected annual costs," says Marty Bauer, Ecommerce Expert at Omnisend.

Parents are cutting back elsewhere to afford back-to-school shopping

The pressure isn't just about covering essentials. 44% of parents worry their child could feel left out because of what they can or can't afford. Because of this, 28% plan to buy items their child wants – and they're ready to make sacrifices elsewhere:

• 30% plan to cut back on family activities and entertainment
• 22% plan to use credit
• 21% plan to use savings that were meant for something else
• 18% plan to borrow from friends or family

"When it comes to back-to-school shopping, emotional pressure often matters just as much as the price tag. This isn't just about buying what's on the school list – there are expectations around clothing, shoes, backpacks, and technology, so it's only natural that many parents worry that falling short could leave their child feeling excluded," says Bauer.

Methodology

The survey was commissioned by Omnisend and conducted by Cint in June 2026. A total of 1,075 U.S. consumers took part in the survey. Quotas were placed on age, gender, income, and place of residence to achieve a nationally representative sample among users. The margin of error is +/-3 percent.

More: https://www.omnisend.com/2026-back-to-school-shopping-report/ 

About Omnisend

Omnisend is an email & SMS marketing platform with a suite of features made specifically to help ecommerce stores grow their online businesses faster. One-click integration with major ecommerce platforms, pre-made automation & email templates, and award-winning 24/7/365 live customer support make it easy for brands of any size to sell more – all without the exaggerated cost.

For further information, please contact:

Daniele Kezyte, Public Relations, [email protected]

SOURCE Omnisend