DoorDash has officially entered the buy now, pay later economy, and this time, it’s bringing your burrito with it.
In a new partnership, DoorDash is teaming up with Klarna to allow customers to split meal payments into interest-free installments.
The new payment option, available for purchases of $35 or more, is being marketed as a way to better align spending with pay cycles and offer more control at checkout.
But behind the humor of it all is something darker: the idea that Americans may be sliding deeper into debt just to afford a basic meal.
With inflation still squeezing wallets, the normalization of “buy now, pay later” for necessities such as food is hitting a nerve.
At Richland Campus, the announcement didn’t go unnoticed.
Several students expressed both concern and confusion at the thought of financing a burrito.
“I’ve done a lot to save money on food, but if I ever have to finance a burrito, that’s literally going to be my sign to rethink my life,” said Zaynab Meer, a business major.
Others were more ambivalent, noting that the option could make sense for some people, even if it seems absurd at first glance.
“If I’m already making payments on tuition and on my car, adding a burrito doesn’t sound that weird anymore, if I’m gonna be completely honest,” said Julian Reyes, a business major.
“It’s just the life we live in now, I guess.”
Still, not all students were convinced that debt should be part of the dinner equation.
“I understand that saving money is kinda hard, but making four payments for fries? That’s actually so crazy,” said Emily Keem, a computer science major. “I feel like it encourages people to spend money they don’t actually have.”
Some students framed the announcement as a generational milestone, just not in a good way.
“My grandma raised five kids with one pot of rice and lentils,” said Marcus Lee, a computer science major. “Now I’m putting boba on a payment plan.”
Whether students see this as a helpful feature or a warning sign, one thing is clear: The line between budgeting and borrowing just got thinner. And possibly deep-fried.
