How having kids changes the way families shop and pay
Paying over time helps households with kids handle urgent, essential purchases when traditional financing isn’t available. By understanding family shopping and financing needs, merchants can better support credit-challenged families and improve the shopping experience.
Key takeaways:
Families with children often face urgent, high-impact buying decisions.
Many credit-challenged households rely on flexible financing to make major purchases.
Clear, family-focused messaging helps merchants connect more effectively with these shoppers.
When you have kids at home, life moves fast, and so do expenses. One week you’re replacing outgrown shoes, and the following week the family fridge stops working. Parents don’t get the option to wait until later. Children need comfortable mattresses, working appliances, reliable transportation, and a home that supports their health and happiness.
But for many families, paying for these big purchases all at once isn’t realistic. Budgets are tight. Credit access is limited. And when something breaks, the timing is never convenient. Family shopping financing provides a lifeline. It helps families get what they need today and pay over time, even when traditional financing isn’t available.
Snap Finance’s “Closing the Credit Gap: Major Purchase Study” found that 26% of households with lower credit scores purchased lower-quality items due to financial concerns, which can affect their children’s ability to thrive.
In this blog, we examine data on families with children, why their purchase urgency is higher, and how merchants can better connect with credit-challenged families by offering access to clear, supportive financing options.
How households with children at home shop
Families with kids at home have different shopping patterns because their lives are more complex. Kids outgrow clothes, school supplies change every year, and family homes need more furniture, more food, and reliable appliances. This means families often make more frequent, more urgent purchases than shoppers without children.
According to Experian, 29% of all consumers have a FICO score under 670. This means nearly one-third of the population has credit challenges that make it difficult to secure traditional financing. In a recent survey, Snap Finance found that 78% of credit-challenged consumers were denied financing in the past year. This is a high rate and shows how many households are blocked from traditional credit tools when they need them most.
Here are several key findings from Snap Finance’s “Closing the Credit Gap: Major Purchase Study” that help us understand consumer behavior of families with kids at home:
47% of consumers with credit scores below 670 work full-time, showing that employment does not guarantee access to credit.
43% are married or have a domestic partner, which means many live in family households.
73% of credit-challenged consumers earn less than $75,000 per year, and many are raising children on these incomes.
Families in these groups often need to make significant purchases but lack access to tools that help spread payments. This creates a credit gap that affects everyday life, from replacing a broken mattress to fixing a car needed for school drop-offs.
Why families often have higher purchase urgency
Families with kids buy differently compared to single adults or couples without children. Their homes are used more, their budgets must stretch further, and their purchase cycles move faster because children constantly grow or change needs.
Below are among the top reasons for the higher urgency, along with the essential role of financing.
Replacing household essentials quickly
When a refrigerator, washing machine, or mattress breaks in a family home, the problem must be fixed fast. Parents cannot wait months to save up. Kids need clean clothes for school. Families need food storage. Sleep schedules matter.
Financing becomes the bridge between a sudden need and a practical solution. According to Snap’s study:
37% of credit-challenged consumers could not have made their major purchase without financing
This number is concerning, and for families, paying over time likely matters even more. Without financing, they may continue living with broken or unsafe items, which affects everyday comfort and routines.
Making large purchases more accessible
Accessibility is another reason family shopping and financing matters. Many families want higher-quality items because they last longer and handle daily wear and tear from kids. But these better products often cost more.
65% of credit-challenged consumers said financing made major purchases more affordable.
Many also listed financing availability as a key factor when choosing where to shop.
When businesses clearly and prominently promote family shopping financing options, families are more confident in buying what they truly need, not just the cheapest option.
Urgency leads to quicker, less researched purchases
When kids are involved, time becomes limited. Shopping for hours or comparing 20 models online may not be practical.
Snap Finance found that credit-challenged shoppers do less research when they need to buy something compared to those with higher credit scores. Families with children experience the same pressure: They must solve problems right away, even if options are limited, and financing can reduce that stress.
How having kids at home influences consumer behavior
Having children directly shapes how and when families shop, how they make decisions, and what they prioritize. Here are several common patterns:
Families spend more on essential items
Children change household needs. They need clothes, beds, dressers, shoes, sports equipment, and school supplies. Many of these are recurring purchases, not one-time expenses. When something breaks or no longer fits, it must be replaced.
Families require more financial flexibility
Paying for everything at once is difficult. Even families with full-time incomes may struggle to cover the cost of everyday items and large purchases. Rent or mortgage payments, food, childcare, utilities, and transportation already take a large portion of the budget.
Because of this pressure:
Almost half of families with young children struggle to cover their basic needs.
Financing becomes a tool to avoid delaying purchases that affect family comfort and safety.
Parents make quick decisions during urgent moments
Busy parents do not have time to hunt for deals or read dozens of reviews. When a child needs a new mattress, when a family car needs new tires, or when the washer stops working, the decision-making window is short.
Financing helps parents act faster and more confidently, rather than waiting weeks or months.
Family financing needs and why traditional credit often falls short
Traditional credit systems, including credit cards, bank loans, and store credit lines, are often not designed to serve families with tight budgets or inconsistent credit histories. Even families who work full-time can struggle to get approved.
Here’s what the research shows:
Nearly a third of all U.S. adults have a credit score below 670.
These consumers may be denied credit, which blocks access to essential purchases.
Many are raising children and supporting family households.
This means a large portion of U.S. families are living with a credit gap, not because they don’t work or pay bills, but because traditional financing isn’t available to them.
Family shopping and financing solutions, like lease-to-own financing and loan options offered through Snap Finance, step in where traditional credit falls short. They give families, including those with less-than-perfect credit, a way to get what they need now and make payments over time.1
More inclusive financing:
Supports families who are credit-challenged
Helps prevent purchase delays
Builds trust between shoppers and merchants
Makes large items more attainable
How merchants can reach family shoppers with the right messaging
Retailers play a significant role in helping families feel confident and welcome. Many parents already feel stressed about money, and unclear information makes the experience worse.
By adjusting their messaging, merchants can reach more family shoppers, build stronger trust, and increase sales.
Talk about financing availability early and clearly
Families want to know upfront whether financing will help them make the purchase. They do not want to get deep into the shopping process only to find out financing isn't an option.
Merchants should:
Highlight financing options at the top of product pages
Share simple explanations in-store
Use easy-to-read signs or digital banners about financing
Show real examples of how payments can work
This reduces stress for shoppers before they ever start the checkout process.
Focus on family needs and household solutions
Parents care about what helps their home run more smoothly. Messages that speak to everyday problems and family life make a stronger connection.
For example:
“A mattress your child can grow into”
“A washer that saves time for busy families”
“Get your family the sofa you need today, pay over time”
This messaging is direct and helpful.
Keep language simple and supportive
Families facing credit challenges are often overwhelmed. Clear, kind communication builds trust.
Merchants should:
Avoid confusing credit phrases
Explain the steps in a friendly, respectful tone
Point Spanish-speaking customers to bilingual resources
Offer help in-store and online
The easier the message is to understand, the more families engage.
Highlight speed and convenience
Parents value speed. Offering access to fast applications and decisions and showing how easy it is to apply for financing makes your business more appealing to families.
Examples of useful messages include:
“Fast decision process”
“Apply in minutes”
“Get a decision while you shop”
This kind of messaging helps parents feel confident that shopping won’t take hours they don’t have.
Why family financing options matter
Many families could be denied the credit they need for essential purchases.
This affects comfort, stability, and daily routines, especially for households with children. Convenient financing options help families get what they need when it matters most.
For merchants, understanding this group and designing clear, family-friendly messaging helps them connect with more shoppers. By offering access to inclusive financing options, businesses can help families feel seen, valued, and empowered.
Read our full study, “Closing the Credit Gap: Major Purchase Study,” to learn more about how businesses like yours can help bridge the credit gap for more customers.
Interested in learning more? Check out these resources from Snap Finance:
Not a Snap Partner? Learn more about partnering with Snap Finance.
Snap-branded product offering includes retail installment contracts, bank installment loans, and lease-to-own financing. For more detailed information, please visit snapfinance.com/legal/products.
1 Not all applicants are approved. Approvals subject to underwriting qualification criteria.