Meaning
Buying on installments — taking home an item (furniture, appliance, TV) after a down payment and paying off the rest in weekly or monthly sums, the seller keeping ownership until the last payment is made. 'Hire purchase' (often 'HP') is how many Jamaican households furnish the home and get big-ticket goods, and 'pon hire purchase' means bought on the never-never.
Examples
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Dem buy di fridge pon hire purchase.
They bought the fridge on installments.
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Di hire purchase payment due every month.
The installment payment is due every month.
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Yuh pay more inna di end pon hire purchase.
You pay more in the end on hire purchase.
Origin
From 'hire' + 'purchase'; installment buying. See [[trus]], [[credit-union]].
How it’s used
Installment buying with a deposit and periodic payments ('HP'). See [[trus]], [[credit-union]].