An installment plan, also known as a payment scheme, payment plan, or credit plan, refers to a method of paying off a debt or purchase whereby the amount is split into smaller, regular payments over a certain period. Other synonyms for installment plan include deferred payment, hire-purchase, layaway, and easy payment scheme. Deferred payment is when payments are postponed to a later date. Hire-purchase is a type of installment plan that allows the buyer to pay for a product in installments until they own it outright. Layaway is a payment plan where the product is reserved until it is paid off. Easy payment schemes are installment plans that have more lenient payment terms and conditions.