Atome is a buy now, pay later mobile app that's been around since December 2019. Atome is pronoucned A-to-me and stands for Available to Me. It allows you to shop and pay your purchases in 3 easy installments at 0% interest. You can use it to shop online in stores such as Zalora, HairMNL, Boozy, just to name a few. You can also use Atome when you shop in retail stores such as SM Department Store, Watsons and Urban Revivo  - just look for the Atome sign to know that the store is an accredited merchant. Atome has over 5,000 store partners from lifestyle, beauty, fashion, fitness and homeware. 

Setting up an account with Atome is hassle-free. The app's interface is also easy to understand and manage. The home screen shows you the shop categories, your Atome earned points and also informs the users of what's new. You can also easily check on the app their partner merchants so if you're looking to buy somewhere specific, search the app to see if the store accepts Atome payments. 

To see how much your payment will be and the due date, you simply have to click on the finance option on the bottom of the screen. That's also where you have to go to settle your payments. The app automatically charges your linked card account once your due date arrives but you also have the option to settle your payment ahead of time, manually. 

I've been using this app to shop for some time now. I can tell you, it really makes shopping lighter on the pocket since it allows you to pay in three interest-free installments. When you shop online or in stores, the app will automatically compute your total purchase and break it down into three installments. I was wary at first that I even computed the broken-down amount to see if it's really interest-free. It is!  

Atome also recently launched their own physical card. I've been a satisfied customer of the mobile app so I availed the card. I got it after a couple of weeks delivered to my house. Just like other credit cards, to use the Atome card, you'll need to activate it. It also works like other credit cards. When you go to a merchant, check if they accept Mastercard in order to use Atome. 

Use the Atome card to pay for your purchases at 0% interest. Unfortunately, unlike the mobile app version, the physical card currently does not allow you to pay in three installments. Not yet anyway.  I found that out when I bought shoes from Urban Revivo and used the card. I was surprised to be charged the full amount.  

Bothered, I emailed them to ask and confirm that this is really the case. The agent responded a few minutes later and confirmed that unfortunately, the Atome card only lets you shop at 0% interest but not in installments. For now at least. Hopefully, they'll soon make it into three interest-free installments as well. 

Also, I don't think the card is widely accepted yet. I recently tried to use the card at a salon when my debit card balance wasn't enough to pay my bill. The card was declined even though it still has an available balance. 

The Atome mobile app is great! Three zero-interest installments - what's not to love? The Atome card, meanwhile, not so good to use just yet. For easy on the pocket shopping experience, use the mobile app. Download the Atome on Apple or Google Play store and start shopping.