For Bre Taylor, flexibility means independence
For Los Angeles-based beauty and skincare marketing professional Bre Taylor, Cash App and Afterpay are part of how she manages everyday money, plans for bigger moments, and maintains her independence.
When Bre Taylor moved from Las Vegas to Houston during the pandemic, she was building a new life from scratch. She had a new job, a new apartment, and one big priority: making the space feel like home. Paying for it all upfront would have stretched her budget, so Bre used Afterpay¹.
“I had just relocated, started a new job, and needed to furnish my apartment,” Bre said. “The couch was close to about $2,000, so my first purchase with Afterpay was a major one. It helped me get real furniture in my home quickly at a time when I needed it.”
For Bre, the purchase was about more than furniture. It was about creating a sense of stability in a new chapter. As a single woman of color living in a big city alone, preserving cash for bills, day-to-day expenses, and emergencies was critical.
“It gave me the freedom to get something I really wanted for myself, without the high interest of a credit card” she said.
Bre Taylor is a beauty and skincare marketing professional based in Los Angeles and has been an avid Afterpay and Cash App user for the last several years.
Flexibility when family needed her
A few years later, the stakes were higher.
In late 2023, shortly after being laid off, Bre learned that her grandfather was ill. She needed to travel between Los Angeles and Atlanta to support her family while still managing everyday expenses at home.
“I didn’t have the financial freedom to buy flights in full, especially on short notice,” Bre said. “Afterpay was something I leaned on heavily during that time. It helped me get my flights and still take care of my obligations at home.”
Paying over time helped Bre be there when it mattered most.
“What I bring in is all I have,” she said.
“Afterpay freed up the ability for me to be there for him and my family while still having cash to pay my bills.”
Managing the moments in between
Today, Bre uses Afterpay for both bigger purchases and everyday essentials, from travel to personal care.
That was especially helpful when Bre started a new job and had to wait a couple of weeks for her first paycheck.
“I needed necessities like face wash and other personal care items that I really cannot go without,” Bre said. “With Afterpay, I can turn what would be a $100 purchase into something closer to $20 upfront. That’s a significant difference. It frees up cash so I can still get gas or take care of other priorities until my next paycheck.”
For Bre, skincare is more than a beauty purchase. After more than 10 years working in beauty and skincare marketing, and as someone with eczema, she sees her routine as part of taking care of her health.
“Skincare is a non-negotiable for me,” she said. “I don’t always need the latest blush drop, but when it comes to skincare, it’s like healthcare. I need my sunblock. I need my moisturizer.”
She often shops online and picks up in-store, using Afterpay to manage purchases while keeping her skincare routine on track. As a Diamond member at Ulta, she jokes that many of those purchases were probably made with Afterpay.
Bre Taylor uses Afterpay for purchases such as travel, skincare, home, and more.
Why she keeps coming back
Bre has tried other services that let customers pay over time, but she says she keeps returning to Afterpay because it feels familiar, useful, and straightforward for how she shops.
“Some other options can feel more like opening a credit card,” Bre said. “You get a card, you shop, but there are still limits on which stores actually take it, and you can’t track things as well. Afterpay feels more straightforward to me, and I can use it across more of my life — like flights, beauty products, and everyday necessities.”
That range is part of what makes Afterpay valuable to her. It is not tied to one kind of purchase or one moment in her life - it shows up across the ways she plans, shops, travels, and takes care of herself.
She also uses Afterpay to plan for meaningful purchases, from useful gifts for family milestones to wellness products that support her life routines and moments.
“Afterpay helps me show up for people year-round. It lets me give something thoughtful and useful without settling for something that does not feel meaningful,” Bre said.
“It also helps me invest in the things that support the regimen I’m trying to take on.”
Everyday money, close at hand
Beyond using Afterpay for money management, Bre also uses Cash App² to keep money moving day to day.
“Cash App has made it easier for my family to send emergency funds,” Bre said. “Sometimes I’ll leave the money there and use the card, and other times, if it’s for a bill, I’ll transfer it over. It depends on what the money is meant for.”
Whether she is spending with her Cash App Card³ or moving money where it needs to go, Bre uses Cash App to make decisions based on the moment. And now, with Afterpay on Cash App Card, she has more flexibility to manage meaningful purchases on a timeline that works for her.
Bre Taylor uses Cash App peer-to-peer to send money to friends and family as well as Cash App Card for everyday spend.
A tool for independence
Looking back, Bre sees a clear thread across all of these moments: independence.
From furnishing a new apartment to booking flights for family and managing everyday essentials, Afterpay has helped Bre plan around the moments that matter. Cash App helps her keep money moving day to day, whether she is spending with her Cash App Card or transferring funds where they need to go.
Together, they give her more room to make choices on her own terms.
“Overall, Afterpay has helped me maintain my independence,” Bre said. “I think we need to utilize our resources more often without fear of judgment and do our homework on what financial options are available to us.”
Bre first found Afterpay at a time when she was determined to navigate a new chapter on her own terms. That’s why she wants to share her story with others who may be quietly in need of support, too
“I love sharing my journey because I do not think we grow unless we talk about it,” Bre said. “I hope sharing my story can help even one person and make their life a little easier.”
- Afterpay is offered and managed through your Cash App account - no Afterpay account needed. Afterpay loans originated by First Electronic Bank.
- Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement, for the Sutton debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton and for the Bancorp debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp. P2P services are provided by Block, Inc. and not Cash App Investing LLC.
- Afterpay on Cash App Card is only available on debit flex cards and subject to eligibility restrictions. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton debit flex card at cash.app/us/en/legal/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton and Bancorp debit flex card at cash.app/us/en/legal/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp. Eligibility for Afterpay on Cash App Card is based on various factors and is not guaranteed. Afterpay on Cash App Card is not available in all states and some rates and terms may differ by state. Overdraft Coverage and Rounds Ups are not supported by Afterpay on Cash App Card. Afterpay Cards are issued to Afterpay by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.
“Overall, Afterpay has helped me maintain my independence,” Bre said. “I think we need to utilize our resources more often without fear of judgment and do our homework on what financial options are available to us.”
Bre first found Afterpay at a time when she was determined to navigate a new chapter on her own terms. That’s why she wants to share her story with others who may be quietly in need of support, too
“I love sharing my journey because I do not think we grow unless we talk about it,” Bre said. “I hope sharing my story can help even one person and make their life a little easier.”
