“I'm about to buy a laptop for about $1,200. What's the best way to pay for it?”
We asked about 20 everyday purchases. Four in five answers pick a credit card. Buy now, pay later is advised against in one in five answers.
- of answers pick a credit card
- 78%
- of answers pick a credit card
- advise against buy now, pay later
- 21%
- advise against buy now, pay later
The credit card wins for 20 of 20 purchases
The one way of paying each answer recommends most.
Buy now, pay later is warned against far more often than it is recommended
Share of answers that recommend each way of paying, and share that advise against it. An answer can do both for different methods.
| Way of paying | Recommended | Advised against |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card | 83.6% | 0.4% |
| Cash or savings | 10.8% | 2.5% |
| Store card or store financing | 7.8% | 4.1% |
| Debit card | 5.1% | 18.6% |
| Digital wallet | 2.3% | 1.6% |
| Buy now, pay later | 2.2% | 21.2% |
| Something else | 0.3% | 3.8% |
| Bank transfer | 0.3% | 2.6% |
| Personal loan | 0.1% | 2.3% |
At checkout, rewards are the reason: 86% of answers give them
Compare the study's everyday questions about finance companies, where rewards are a reason to choose in 2.1% of answers.
From groceries to a ring, the card comes first
The top pick for each purchase, cheapest first, and the share of its answers that pick it.
- Online order$9093%Credit card
- Skincare$12080%Credit card
- Sneakers$15087%Credit card
- Groceries$18083%Credit card
- School clothes$25048%Credit card
- Tickets$30086%Credit card
- Flight$45096%Credit card
- Hotel$60098%Credit card
- TV$70075%Credit card
- Bike$85073%Credit card
- Phone$90058%Credit card
- Car repair$90075%Credit card
- Laptop$1,20075%Credit card
- Furniture$1,40073%Credit card
- Refrigerator$1,60072%Credit card
- Mattress$1,80067%Credit card
- Sofa$2,50068%Credit card
- Vacation$3,50092%Credit card
- Renovation$4,00073%Credit card
- Ring$6,00078%Credit card
Ask openly and 47% pick a card. List the options and 95% do.
Share of answers whose top pick is a credit card, by how the question was put.
We asked about 20 purchases, each in 5 ways. The questions went out on October 9, 2026, and every way of asking had 3 wordings.
We read 1,146 answers from the four assistants. These questions are separate from the study and count towards no score.
A second AI model read a sample of 150 answers again. It agreed on each answer’s top pick in 97% of them.
- LoyaltyI bank with you. Who does AI suggest?68%of answers name another providerRead the chapter
- WealthSay you have $10 million.60%of answers then name a private bankRead the chapter
- MortgagesWhat mortgage rate should I expect?33%of mortgage answers cite bankrate.comRead the chapter
- SourcesWho does AI trust with money questions?19%of finance answers draw on comparison sitesRead the chapter
- Money20/20At Money20/20? Find your company.50%of attendees are never namedRead the chapter
