This new Microsoft Edge update wants to help you snap up a bargain on Black Friday

Microsoft Edge
(Image credit: Shutterstock / monticello)

Microsoft Edge has revealed a new tool that it hopes can help shoppers enjoy even more bargains this Black Friday.

Microsoft's browser has teamed up with third-party payments firm Zip (previously known as Quadpay) to offer a "buy now, pay later" option built directly into Edge for users looking to spread the cost of payments when shopping online.

Users will be able to split any purchase between $35 - $1,000 made through Microsoft Edge  into four installments over six weeks.

Microsoft Edge BNPL

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years as customers look for more options on how to shop and pay online.

"Buy now, pay later,” or BNPL, lets shoppers break their purchases into equal installment payments, often interest-free, which can allow shoppers to get their purchase upfront, instead of having to wait until it’s paid in full," Microsoft wrote in a blog post announcing the news.

"On top of coverage, we also aim to 1) meet you where you are. 2) simplify the application process."

The new option will appear at the checkout phase when a user makes a purchase, appearing as an alternative choice when filling in a credit or debit card number. Other shoppers will be able to access BNPL when they enter the checkout page.

You'll need a Zip account to use the feature, but this can then be linked to the Microsoft account used for Edge, which Microsoft says can be done with just a click, meaning you don't have to go through a long sign-in process each time.

The new BNPL feature is currently available in the Microsoft Edge Canary and Dev channels, with the company hoping to offer it by default to all users in Microsoft Edge release 96.

This should mean users around the world can benefit from it soon, although there's no concrete release date just yet.

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Mike Moore
Deputy Editor, TechRadar Pro

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.