Brandwave

How popular isAfterpay?

In September 2026, people searched for Afterpay by name about 75,900 times in New Zealand, a 17.9% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 64.2% of all New Zealand buy now pay later searches, placing Afterpay first out of four brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about buy now pay later, Afterpay appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the four.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Afterpay is the most searched of 4 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. AfterpayShare of searches 64.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. PayPalShare of searches 29.4%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  3. KlarnaShare of searches 4.9%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  4. LaybuyShare of searches 1.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
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Top buy now pay later in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Afterpay appeared in all five answers. Afterpay is the most recommended of the four.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Afterpay1st
  2. Klarna2nd
  3. Laybuy3rd
  4. PayPal–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Afterpay5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Klarna4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Laybuy3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • PayPal0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about buy now pay later

5 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which buy now pay later provider should I use in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Klarna

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best buy now pay later providers in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Klarna
    3. 3Laybuy

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best buy now pay later provider in New Zealand for a large purchase?”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Klarna
    3. 3Laybuy

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “buy now pay later nz”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Klarna

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “pay later nz”

    1. 1Afterpay
    2. 2Laybuy

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

Which buy now pay later compete with Afterpay?

Afterpay against buy now pay later in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Afterpay, PayPal, Klarna. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthAfterpayPayPalKlarnaLaybuy
Oct 202564.6%29.4%4.9%1.1%
Nov 202564.7%29.4%4.9%1.1%
Dec 202560.8%33.5%4.5%1.2%
Jan 202660.5%33.7%4.6%1.2%
Feb 202656.3%38.1%4.3%1.3%
Mar 202660.8%33.2%4.6%1.4%
Apr 202656.6%37.6%4.2%1.6%
May 202656.6%37.9%4.3%1.3%
Jun 202656.4%38%4.3%1.3%
Jul 202655.6%37.5%5.3%1.6%
Aug 202663.7%29.1%5.9%1.3%
Sep 202664.2%29.4%4.9%1.5%

  1. 1.Afterpay

    64.2%

    Held 1st. 75.9K estimated branded searches, -0.38% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.

  2. 2.PayPal

    29.4%

    Held 2nd. 34.7K estimated branded searches, -0.26% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  3. 3.Klarna

    4.9%

    Held 3rd. 5.8K estimated branded searches, -19% vs prior month. Share -1.1 points.

  4. 4.Laybuy

    1.5%

    Held 4th. 1.8K estimated branded searches, +16.8% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

Compare popularity between Afterpay and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Afterpay

3 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Afterpay changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Afterpay in New Zealand fell from 92.4K to 75.9K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Afterpay’s share of searches among buy now pay later in New Zealand peaked at 64.7% in November 2025 and was lowest at 55.6% in July 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand buy now pay later in September 2026?

4 changes

  1. In September 2026, Afterpay gained share of searches among buy now pay later in New Zealand, from 63.7% to 64.2%.

  2. In September 2026, Klarna lost share of searches among buy now pay later in New Zealand, from 5.9% to 4.9%.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Laybuy in New Zealand rose 16% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 1.8K in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for PayPal in New Zealand fell 17.6% over 12 measured months, from 42.1K to 34.7K in September 2026.

How are Afterpay’s branded searches counted?

8 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Afterpay’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • afterpay
  • afterpay app
  • afterpay card
  • afterpay plus
  • afterpay shops
  • afterpay sites
  • afterpay stores
  • afterpay websites

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns Afterpay?

Afterpay is owned by Block. Brandwave also tracks Square, owned by the same company, in New Zealand.

Do you work for Afterpay? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

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