Our lives took an unexpected turn on a regular visit to Aldi's. My husband and I, amidst financial difficulties, found with shock and embarrassment that we couldn't use the Zip 'Buy Now, Pay Later' service to purchase our groceries. For a full 15-20 humbling minutes, we were stranded trying to figure out how we could afford our basic need, eventually resorting to a relative’s help. A similar experience could befall any Maryland resident without notice, just as it did to us, due to the sudden ban of the service in Maryland.

We are the voice of numerous Maryland users of the 'Buy Now Pay Later' Zip service who silently suffered and were left in the lurch by the unexpected discontinuation of this installment payment method. For the financially strained citizens of Maryland, this was more than a service - it was a lifeline that made our everyday expenses manageable. But the sudden ban, executed with no pre-warning from the app, left many in predicaments.

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services, similar to Zip, are great tools for financial management. In fact, a 2020 Ascent study found that 37.65% of U.S. consumers had used a BNPL service, highlighting its significant role in consumer finance.

The sudden ban on Zip, therefore, is unacceptable, considering its impact on citizens like us. As the voices of Marylanders who've been impacted by this unexpected change, we call on the Maryland state government to reinstate Zip's BNPL service in our state. Let us continue to live and budget our lives without fears of being suddenly left high and dry. Stand with us, sign, and share this petition in support of bringing back Zip to the residents of Maryland.