Recently, I listened to the podcast episode ["Buy now, pay dearly" from Planet money](https://open.spotify.com/episode/1p6X1X8IomAVZU4DY20Z7m?si=NBLRvbLJST2HLojTIoE08Q) about how companies offer an option to let you pay for a product with 4 interest-free payments.

They explain that due to pure service of established debit companies and broader audience reach, it's appealing for companies to pay higher percent for "4 interest-free" service (9% instead of 4 - 5%).

As companies are paying higher service fees, they probably would cover it with higher product prices (to let consumer cover the expenses).

My question is - as the price already includes expense for "4 interest-free" payments service and inflation is not zero from month to month, is it more beneficial for me to buy with 4 payments or still stick to one? Are there any other risks/factors which are playing against me?