LazyPay & Simpl for Last-Minute Flights: The Complete BNPL Guide for Indian Travellers 2026
By Reyansh Mehta (Reyansh Mehta covers hill stations across the Indian Himalayas — Manali, Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim, Spiti — with a focus on flights, road conditions, altitude acclimatisation and permit rules. He's spent 90+ days above 3,500m in the last five years.) · Published · 10 min read
When you need to book a last-minute flight to catch a trek or respond to an emergency but cash is tight, BNPL apps like LazyPay and Simpl can be a lifesaver — if you know which OTAs support them and how the repayment actually works.
TL;DR — Can You Really Book a Last-Minute Flight on Credit with LazyPay or Simpl?
Yes — both LazyPay and Simpl are accepted on major Indian OTAs for flight bookings, and both offer a 30-day interest-free pay-later window. LazyPay is more widely supported on MakeMyTrip and Goibibo; Simpl has a stronger presence on Cleartrip. Eligibility isn't guaranteed — both providers do a soft credit check and set individual spending limits, typically anywhere from ₹5,000 to ₹1 lakh depending on your profile. The biggest gotcha: if you miss the 30-day payment window, the interest and late fees stack up fast. For a last-minute flight emergency, BNPL is genuinely useful. For chronic cash-flow management, be careful.
How LazyPay Works on MakeMyTrip for Flight Bookings
I first used LazyPay for a flight when I needed to get to Manali at short notice after a group trek changed its start date by 48 hours. The direct Chandigarh or Kullu (Bhuntar) fares had jumped, my credit card was near its limit, and LazyPay had a ₹15,000 available balance sitting there from a previous approval. It took about 90 seconds at checkout.
Here's how it works on MakeMyTrip:
- At the payment screen, select 'Pay Later' or 'BNPL' as the payment method. LazyPay appears as an option if you have an active LazyPay account with sufficient limit.
- You authenticate via the LazyPay app (OTP + biometric) and the transaction is approved or declined in seconds.
- MakeMyTrip confirms the booking immediately — you get a PNR just like a card payment.
- LazyPay sends you a repayment reminder and bill within the 30-day window. Pay by due date: zero interest. Miss it: late fee plus interest kicks in, typically around 2–3% per month on outstanding — verify current rates in the LazyPay app as these can change.
LazyPay also works on Goibibo, which shares infrastructure with MakeMyTrip under the MakeMyTrip Group umbrella, so acceptance is consistent across both platforms.
How Simpl Works on Cleartrip — and Why It's Different from LazyPay
Simpl operates on a slightly different model — it's more of a 'tap to pay' 1-click checkout that integrates deeply with merchant apps. On Cleartrip, Simpl shows up as a payment option and the checkout is genuinely fast — one tap, OTP, done.
The key differences from LazyPay:
- Merchant integration: Simpl has a stronger integration on Cleartrip, where it sometimes appears as the default BNPL option. LazyPay is more prominent on MakeMyTrip/Goibibo.
- Limit structure: Simpl limits are typically lower than LazyPay for new users — often starting in the ₹5,000–10,000 range and scaling up with usage. For a last-minute flight of ₹8,000–15,000, this can be a constraint.
- Bill cycle: Simpl generates bills on a fixed cycle (usually every 15 or 30 days) rather than a rolling 30 days from each transaction. This means a flight booked on day 29 of your cycle might be due in just one day. Pay attention to your cycle date.
- Late payment terms: Simpl charges late fees and may temporarily pause your account on a missed payment. The exact fee structure is in the Simpl app — check before using.
Both apps require at least a basic credit profile — they use Aadhaar, PAN, and bureau data for eligibility. New-to-credit users may get very low limits or be declined. Building your limit takes consistent small transactions repaid on time.
Which OTAs Support Which BNPL Providers in India — 2026 Snapshot
This landscape shifts as OTAs rotate their payment partnerships, so verify on the checkout page for your specific transaction. As of mid-2026, the broad picture:
| OTA | LazyPay | Simpl | Other BNPL |
|---|---|---|---|
| MakeMyTrip | Yes | Intermittently | ZestMoney (limited), PayLater by ICICI |
| Goibibo | Yes | Intermittently | PayLater by ICICI |
| Cleartrip | Limited | Yes | Flipkart Pay Later (via Flipkart integration) |
| ixigo | Yes | Limited | Check current checkout |
| Airline direct | Rare | Rare | PayLater on some airlines |
The key lesson: BNPL is an OTA-side feature, not airline-side. Booking directly on Air India, IndiGo, or Akasa Air's own websites generally won't give you BNPL options. You need to go through an OTA.
Before a big last-minute booking, do a quick FlightGPT search to compare fares across OTAs — sometimes Cleartrip has the same flight ₹200 cheaper, which means you can also use Simpl there rather than LazyPay on MakeMyTrip.
Eligibility Check Tips — How to Improve Your BNPL Limit
If you open LazyPay or Simpl and find your limit is too low for a flight ticket, here are the things that actually move the needle:
- Make smaller BNPL purchases and repay on time: Both providers increase limits based on repayment history. A few months of grocery or pharmacy purchases repaid promptly will lift your ceiling noticeably.
- Keep your CIBIL score healthy: Both pull bureau data. A score above 700 generally gets you better limits. Check your score free on CIBIL's site or apps like OneScore before applying.
- Update your income details in the app: LazyPay uses declared income as a signal. If your income has increased, update it — the limit re-evaluation is fairly quick.
- Don't apply for multiple BNPL services simultaneously: Each application triggers a soft (sometimes hard) pull on your credit file. Multiple simultaneous pulls look bad.
- Use the same mobile number tied to your Aadhaar and bank account: BNPL providers do KYC verification and a mismatch in contact details slows or blocks approval.
For hill-station and remote-area travel where flights are limited and last-minute fares are steep, building a BNPL buffer ahead of time makes sense — treat it like a small emergency travel fund that you repay monthly.
The Real Risk: What Happens If You Can't Pay Back in 30 Days
This is where I'd be doing you a disservice if I glossed over it. BNPL is only interest-free if you repay within the window. Miss the due date and the math gets ugly quickly.
LazyPay charges late fees plus interest on the outstanding amount — rates in the range of 2–3% per month have been documented, but verify the current rate in your LazyPay agreement, because this can change and the RBI has been tightening disclosure norms for digital lenders. On a ₹12,000 flight ticket, that's ₹240–360 per month on top of the original cost.
Beyond the financial cost: missed BNPL payments get reported to credit bureaus, hurting your CIBIL score and making future credit (including EMIs on larger purchases) more expensive. I've seen people burn their early credit history on a ₹5,000 last-minute flight because they forgot to pay back.
The discipline required: set a payment reminder the day you use BNPL. Not the due date — two or three days before, so a bounce doesn't leave you scrambling. Both apps let you set this in their notification settings.
Bottom Line: Is BNPL the Right Tool for Your Last-Minute Flight?
BNPL is the right tool if: you have a legitimate cash-flow timing issue (salary comes in next week, flight is today), your BNPL limit covers the fare, and you're certain you'll pay it back within 30 days. It's genuinely interest-free and fast, and it's helped me get to trek startpoints when my card was tied up in a pre-authorization.
It's the wrong tool if: you're using BNPL because you can't actually afford the trip, you have a history of missing bill dates, or you're stacking multiple BNPL transactions without a clear repayment plan. A last-minute flight on BNPL that you can't pay back is a more expensive mistake than just not going.
For related reading, check out our guide on ixigo Price Lock for last-minute fares and the Yatra vs MakeMyTrip refund comparison — because if plans change after you've used BNPL, you need to know how refunds flow back.
Frequently asked questions
Is LazyPay accepted for flight bookings on MakeMyTrip in 2026?
Yes, LazyPay is one of the supported BNPL payment options on MakeMyTrip for domestic flight bookings as of mid-2026. It appears in the payment method list at checkout. Acceptance depends on you having an active LazyPay account with sufficient available limit — the specific flight amount must be within your approved credit. Check the MakeMyTrip payment page for the most current list of accepted BNPL providers.
What is the interest rate if I don't repay LazyPay within 30 days?
LazyPay charges late fees plus interest on overdue balances. Rates have typically been in the range of 2–3% per month on outstanding amounts, but verify your specific rate in the LazyPay app's loan terms or repayment schedule, as the RBI requires digital lenders to disclose this clearly. Missing even one due date also gets reported to credit bureaus, so repayment timing is important beyond just the financial cost.
Does Simpl work for last-minute flight bookings on Cleartrip?
Yes, Simpl has a strong integration with Cleartrip and is a recognised payment option for flight bookings there. The key is having enough Simpl credit limit — for new users, limits often start around ₹5,000–10,000. For last-minute fares that might be ₹8,000 or more, you may need to have built up your limit through prior Simpl usage. Check your available Simpl balance in the app before going to checkout.
Can I get a refund into my LazyPay or Simpl account if my flight is cancelled?
Refunds typically flow back to the original payment source — so if you paid via LazyPay, the refund goes back to your LazyPay account and reduces or eliminates your outstanding balance. The timeline depends on the airline and OTA processing speed, usually 7–15 working days for domestic cancellations. You still owe LazyPay any outstanding balance until the refund is credited, so if your due date is sooner than the refund timeline, contact both the OTA and LazyPay about payment deferment.
Which is better for last-minute flights — LazyPay or Simpl?
Depends on which OTA has the cheaper fare for your route. LazyPay tends to have higher credit limits and broader OTA acceptance (MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, ixigo), making it the more flexible option for most users. Simpl has a faster 1-tap checkout experience on Cleartrip and can be better for users who are already in that ecosystem. If Cleartrip has the same fare, Simpl's simplicity wins. If MakeMyTrip is cheaper, LazyPay is the natural choice.
Do BNPL payments on flights affect my credit score?
The initial approval may involve a soft bureau pull (which doesn't affect your score). If you repay on time, BNPL usage generally has a neutral-to-positive effect on your credit history with bureaus. However, missed or late payments are reported as defaults, which can significantly hurt your CIBIL score. RBI-regulated digital lenders (which LazyPay and Simpl fall under) are required to report to credit information companies, so treat BNPL repayments with the same seriousness as an EMI.