Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 14 SEPTEMBER 2021

Buy Now, Pay Later ... Regulated Soon

Dillon Eustace
Dillon Eustace
Contributor
Dillon Eustace

Dillon Eustace

Dillon Eustace is one of Ireland’s leading law firms focusing on asset management and investment...

View firm profile
Explore more from Dillon Eustace

Across the world the shifts towards online shopping and digital financial services has seen the rapid growth of the ‘buy now, pay later' sector.

IrelandConsumer Protection
Keith Waine
Keith Waine
Author LinkedIn connections

Across the world the shifts towards online shopping and digital financial services has seen the rapid growth of the 'buy now, pay later' sector. The market in Ireland is largely untapped but that looks set to change with a number of new entrants expected and international players such as Klarna, Scalpay and Flexi-fi forecasting strong growth for the sector.

To date the sector has been largely outside the scope of Irish financial regulation. This briefing looks at draft legislation that will change that position and require buy now, pay later (BNPL) providers to obtain authorisation from the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) and to comply with various consumer protection regulations.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

EU Introduces Mandatory Withdrawal Button For Online Consumer Contracts

The EU's new withdrawal button requirement will fundamentally reshape how online traders interact with consumers across member states. From June 2026, businesses offering digital contracts must implement a two-step withdrawal function that allows consumers to exercise their 14-day cooling-off period with unprecedented ease. What technical, operational, and legal changes must traders implement to meet these obligations, and what are the consequences of non-compliance?
IrelandConsumer Protection
RDJ LLP
RDJ LLP
Article

New Rules On Green Claims To Take Effect In Ireland – What Do Businesses Need To Know?

From September 2026, businesses making environmental claims in Ireland will face heightened regulatory scrutiny under new EU-transposed legislation designed to combat greenwashing. The regulations introduce specific offences for misleading sustainability claims and grant the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission expanded enforcement powers, including criminal penalties of up to EUR100,000 and imprisonment for non-compliance.
IrelandConsumer Protection
DLA Piper
DLA Piper
Article

EU Declines Video Game Playability Mandate

When Ubisoft shut down servers for its 2014 racing game The Crew, players lost access to content they had purchased. This sparked a European Citizens' Initiative gathering 1.3 million signatures demanding publishers keep games playable after commercial support ends. The European Commission's response and its implications for digital content sellers across all sectors reveal critical obligations under existing EU consumer protection law.
IrelandConsumer Protection
William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP
Article

Ireland’s New Distance Financial Services Rules: What Businesses Need To Know

Ireland has transposed the EU's Distance Marketing of Financial Services Directive II into national law through new regulations that fundamentally reshape how financial services firms must interact with consumers online. The European Union (Distance Contracts for Financial Services) Regulations 2026 introduce stringent pre-contractual disclosure requirements, mandatory online cancellation functions, and explicit prohibitions against manipulative interface design. Digital financial service providers must now
IrelandConsumer Protection
Matheson
Matheson
Article

The Green Transition Directive: Financial Services Impact

The European Union's Green Transition Directive introduces sweeping changes to consumer protection law, targeting misleading environmental claims and sustainability labels across all sectors. Ireland's implementing regulations, effective September 2026, will prohibit generic green claims, require detailed verification of environmental promises, and ban sustainability labels lacking proper certification. Financial services firms must now navigate expanded rules on misleading practices, particularly regarding
IrelandConsumer Protection
Arthur Cox
Arthur Cox
Article

Irish Budget 2027: Key Tax Measures For The Financial Services Industry

Ireland's Budget 2027 introduces a lower exit tax rate for fund investors, clearer rules for Irish ETFs, and a new Retail Investment Account, while leaving the controversial eight-year deemed disposal rule unchanged. The package also includes Pillar Two updates, interest relief reforms, and a capital gains tax reduction, offering targeted refinements for the financial services sector rather than the fundamental reform many had anticipated.
IrelandTax
Dillon Eustace
Dillon Eustace
Article

CIMA’S New AML Audit Rules Effective 18 September 2026 And What Investment Funds Need To Know

The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority has introduced sweeping changes to anti-money laundering audit requirements for investment funds, mandating independent audits of entire compliance programmes by September 2026. This marks a fundamental departure from previous practice where internal AML officers could conduct their own testing, raising critical questions about implementation timelines, qualified auditor availability, and compliance costs for funds operating in the jurisdiction.
Cayman IslandsWealth Management
Dillon Eustace
Dillon Eustace
Article

AMLD6 And Beneficial Ownership Central Registers: New Access Rules In Ireland

Ireland has introduced significant amendments to its beneficial ownership registers in 2026, implementing the Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6) framework. These reforms fundamentally restructure access rights to the Central Register of Beneficial Ownership of Trusts and Corporate Entities, moving away from unrestricted public access toward a tiered system that balances transparency with privacy rights while maintaining accessibility for legitimate anti-money laundering purposes.
IrelandCorporate/Commercial Law
Dillon Eustace
Dillon Eustace
Article

SFDR 2.0 Trialogue Negotiations: Key Areas Of Focus For Fund Managers

The European Commission's proposed overhaul of the SFDR regime is entering crucial trialogue negotiations, with the Irish Presidency aiming to reach agreement by year-end. While the Council and Parliament have aligned on key issues like professional investor opt-outs, significant divergences remain on exclusion criteria for Transition funds, PAI reporting requirements, and engagement strategy disclosures that will shape the future of sustainable finance regulation.
European UnionFinance and Banking
Dillon Eustace
Dillon Eustace