Plan Christmas on a budget this year so you don’t break the bank! Layaway is back in all of our favorite stores! Layaway is not only a really good option for stretching your holiday budget but, has the added benefit of keeping the gifts away from prying eyes. I love to use layaway as a storage unit so my little house isn’t over whelmed with added clutter!
The Best part… wait for it, you can now start layaway online for free from most store! Find a guide to each store offering layaway and policy info + alternative options below!
Walmart – Offers in store layaway only from Sept.12th – Dec 15th.
- No opening fee
- Down payment- $10 or 10%, whichever is greater
- Minimums– Individual items must be $15 or greater. Total purchase must be $50 or greater.
- Terms– Layaway begins September 12. Final payment and pickup must be made on or before December 15 at the same store layaway was initiated.
- Cancellation– if account is canceled, items will be returned to inventory. Down payment and payments made will be refunded, less a $10 cancellation fee
- Returns– Walmart Returns Policy applies to all layaway transactions.
Kmart – Offers instore and online options year round
- 2 Payment options
- In-Store and Online In-Store Only (purchase of $300+)
| Option | 8 week | 12-week |
|---|---|---|
| Service Fee | $5 | $10 |
| Cancellation Fee | $10 | $20 |
| Down Payment | $15 or 10% (whichever is greater) |
$30 or $10% (whichever is greater) |
| Biweekly Payments | 4 easy payments (of balance due after down payment) |
6 easy payments (of balance due after down payment) |
Sears – Offers in-store and online options.
- 2 payment options to chose from.
| Availability | Online & In-Store | In-Store Only (with a total purchase of $400 or more ) |
|---|---|---|
| Option | 8-week | 12-week |
| Service Fee * | $5 | $10 |
| Cancellation Fee * |
$15 | $25 |
| Down Payment* | $20 or 20% whichever is greater |
$35 or 20% whichever is greater |
| Bi-Weekly Payments | 4 easy payments (25% of balance due after down payment) |
6 easy payments (16.7% of balance due after down payment) |
Toys R Us and Babies R Us – Offers in-store and online layaway.
- Free online layaway with no up front fees.
Online How-to:
- Simply deposit 10% of the total cost. There is no service fee!
- Choose how to get it – either Free Store Pickup or Ship-to-Home.
- Make payments online 24 hours a day, or at any register in store.
- Once final payment is made, they will either ship your items to you, or notify you that they are ready for pick up, depending on what you chose.
In-store How-to:
- Simply deposit 10% of the total cost. There is no service fee!
- All payments can be made at any register or online, 24 hours a day.
- Make your final payment in store, and take your item home right away. Or, if you make your final payment online, you will be notified of the earliest time you can pick up your item.
- Need to cancel your Layaway order? Item(s) will be returned to the shelves and payments will be refunded, minus a $10 cancellation fee.
H-E-B. – Offers in store option for available for electronics, toys and small appliances only thru 12/11.
How it Works:
- Now through December 11, 2015, take advantage of their layaway plan with no upfront fees.
- Pay $10 or 10% down (whichever is greater), and then make final payment by December 11.
- A $50 minimum total purchase is required, and each item must be $10 or more.
- Take your time to pay. No need to make additional payments until December.
- A $5 fee applies to all cancelled orders.
Game Stop – Offers in store layaway until 12/20
How it Works:
- At GameStop, your layaway deposits are refundable at any time. In addition, there are no fees or penalties associated with a layaway purchase.
- A minimum $25 deposit is required to begin a layaway contract.
- You are not required to make scheduled payments, but they encourage you to make weekly or biweekly deposits so that you can take ownership of your new video game system, hard drive or headset.
- All layaway payments and product pickup must be made at the store where the original deposit was made.
- Trades may be acceptable as a form of payment.
- GameStop’s layaway program will end Sunday, 12/20/2015. We will require that you pay off your layaway by this time and take possession of your merchandise or accept a refund of your layaway payments.
Burlington Coat Factory – Offers in select stores option only.
How it Works:
- Shop in stores and take your layaway merchandise to the customer service desk
- Burlington Coat Factory offers a 60-day layaway plan with a 20 percent deposit, a $5 non-refundable service fee and additional payment requirements of 20 percent every 14 days.
- A $10 cancellation fee will be charged for any change to a layaway or if a layaway is cancelled. Customers returning layaways will receive a gift card.
Marshalls – Offers in select stores option only.
How it Works:
- For those Marshalls stores that have layaway, they will hold layaway items for up to thirty days with a minimum payment of $10 or 10%, whichever is greater, and a $5 non-refundable create fee. (Minimum payment amounts and create fees may vary by state.)
- The entire layaway must be picked up or canceled within the 30 day period. A $5 cancellation fee will be applied (in most states) when a layaway is cancelled. Please note that jewelry, items that have been marked down, food items and furniture cannot be placed on layaway. In addition, other restrictions may apply. See stores for details.
T.J. Maxx – Offers in select store option only.
How it Works:
- For those T.J. Maxx stores that have layaway, they will hold layaway items for up to thirty days with a minimum payment of $10 or 10%, whichever is greater, and a $5 non-refundable create fee. (Minimum payment amounts and create fees may vary by state.)
- The entire layaway must be picked up or canceled within the 30 day period. A $5 cancellation fee will be applied (in most states) when a layaway is cancelled. Please note that jewelry, items that have been marked down, food items and furniture cannot be placed on layaway. In addition, other restrictions may apply. See stores for details.
Buckle – Offers in select store option only.
How it Works:
- Requires minimum 20% deposit down.
- Merchandise put on layaway is kept in the guest’s local Buckle store until the balance is paid off in full.
- A payment plan of every two weeks is suggested, but can be paid sooner.
- All layaways must be paid in full to the store within 60 days, or the merchandise will be placed back on the sales floor.
- There are no service fees or interest charges applied to creating or canceling a layaway.
eLayaway and Layaway.com – are online third-party layaway processors where you can shop for thousands of items and have them put on hold while you pay from your bank account.
How it Works:
- Both Lay-Away.com and eLayaway.com are similar in that customers select their products, then check out like they would with an online retailer such as Amazon.com. But instead of charging the item to a credit card, shoppers decide how many payments to make, and at what amount.
- eLayaway debits customers’ bank accounts, while Lay-Away.com also allows payment by check or money order. Once the item is paid off, it’s shipped within a few days.
- Layaway.com receives a commission from retailers and consumers don’t pay any service fees, while eLayaway.com charges consumers a fee of 1.9 percent to 3 percent on each transaction, which is far lower than typical credit card interest rates.
Don’t Forget About The Other Options Beside Layaway
QVC and HSN – Offer FLEX PAY (buy now, pay later)
- Easy Pay is every shopper’s ultimate wish granted: You’ll own an item now and pay monthly at no extra charge when you use yourmajor credit card. Just choose the Easy Pay option, when available, during checkout or when ordering by phone.
Also
Fingerhut, Seventh Avenue, Montgomery Wards, and Swiss Colony – All offer buy now, pay later options with low monthly payments.
