Which ancient civilization invented the first known retail installment payment system, allowing customers to pay for expensive items in monthly installments rather than all at once?

Before modern department stores and online shopping, ancient civilizations had their own retail systems and consumer products. These early marketplaces shaped commerce and influenced trade routes that would define empires. Test your knowledge about the fascinating world of ancient retail and consumer products that were the luxuries and necessities of their time.

This is a live public trivia poll on AIPolls.Net. Vote and see real-time results.

Ancient Rome, where merchants offered the 'Calendae' payment plan for luxury goods (dating to around 100 CE)
Ancient Babylon, where clay tablets from 1750 BCE document time-payment plans for agricultural tools
Ancient Egypt, where papyri from the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BCE) show payment plans for funeral preparations
Ancient Greece, where merchant guilds established the 'dekaton' system for ship purchases around 500 BCE