alt Hacker NewsBuy now pay later at 0% is what these programs offer which does not align with what you are saying at all.
Used properly these provide liquidity by spacing out payments.
Certainly there are economic concerns about not being able to afford groceries today but liquidity (especially free liquidity) isn't fundamentally worthless.
Used properly, BNPLs are strictly inferior to credit cards.
That said, one of their practical advantages is that they’re harder to use improperly than credit cards.