PayPal starts lending money to UK users to buy more things they don’t need

Online shopping is great – it’s convenient, quick and pretty reliable. However, its ease is what makes it so addictive and people, myself included, often spend money on things they really don’t need. When you’re not handing over cold hard cash, it’s a lot easier to justify the price of pretty much anything.

So, PayPal is getting in on this game and is now launching its Credit feature in the UK, which allows you to borrow money for online shopping.

PayPal Credit lets you use your account in the same way you would use a credit card and you can spread the costs of online payments so they don’t leave you broke. If your payment is over £150, PayPal makes it interest-free for the first four months. After that you’ll be charged 17.9 percent interest.

Anyone who has a PayPal account can apply for the Credit option but it will need to be approved before you can start flashing the virtual cash.

The company has also partnered with some retailers in the UK, including Samsung, Dyson and Millets, to offer promotional interest-free options that last longer than the usual four months.

So, if you’ve bookmarked more than you can afford then perhaps PayPal can give you a helping hand… Although, it’s a slippery slope if you’re not responsible.