The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 8 letter word HIRE PURCHASE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
H
I
R
E
P
U
R
C
H
A
S
E
More clues leading to the result HIRE PURCHASE
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "easier way to pay" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case easier way to pay = hire purchase.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does HIRE PURCHASE mean?
HIRE PURCHASE adjective- Alternative spelling of hire purchase