Responsible Borrowing: Using Sezzle Cash Wisely

Short-term credit can help in a pinch. These principles keep it helpful.

Responsible Borrowing: Using Sezzle Cash Wisely illustration

Last updated: October 26, 2026

Before you borrow

  • Borrow only for a genuine short-term need.
  • Know the full cost: fee plus any membership.
  • Confirm every installment fits your next paychecks.

Our five rules

  1. One advance at a time — never borrow to repay.
  2. Keep total installments under 10% of take-home pay per pay period.
  3. Repay from a bank account.
  4. Pay early when you can.
  5. Build a $300 emergency fund after repaying.
DO

“Short-term credit works best as a bridge you cross once, not a road you live on.”

— Danielle Okafor, Managing Editor, Consumer Credit

Warning signs

  • Borrowing every pay period
  • Using one plan to pay another
  • Missing essentials to make installments

Free help

Nonprofit credit counselors affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) offer free or low-cost budgeting help. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov) has free tools and a complaint portal.

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