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Klarna is a service that lets you split the cost of your purchases into smaller installments, which you pay over time. It works similarly to traditional Layaway programs offered by stores but is managed through an app. Stores that accept Klarna allow you to use this “buy now, pay later” service for added convenience.
“Buy now, pay later” (BNPL) has surged in popularity as a convenient payment option for online shoppers.
A report stated that in 2020, North America saw 1.6% of eCommerce transactions done through buy now, pay later (BNPL) services. Globally, BNPL made up around 2.1% of all eCommerce transactions during the same year.
Klarna, a leading BNPL provider, had nearly 150 million users in 2021. In the US, there are over 20 million Klarna users, making it the company’s biggest market.
What is Klarna?
Klarna operates as a buy now, pay later (BNPL) company, offering short-term financing. With BNPL, consumers can buy items and pay for them later.
Typically, consumers make an initial payment, often called a down payment, and then pay off the remaining balance in installments over time. BNPL financing usually doesn’t charge interest and is easier to qualify for than traditional credit lines. It’s also referred to as a “point-of-sale installment loan.”
While Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) plans typically don’t impact your credit score, late payments or non-payment can hurt your credit score.
Klarna is a reputable BNPL company offering Klarna Pay in 4, allowing you to divide purchase costs into installments.
Here are the benefits of Klarna Pay in 4:
- Use it online or in-store.
- Split any purchase into 4 interest-free payments.
- Pay 25% upfront.
- Your spending limit is tailored to your financial history. Klarna only lends what suits you without accepting customer requests for more credit.
- Klarna conducts a soft credit check, which doesn’t impact your credit score.
Klarna offers financing with a hard credit check at select retailers. However, the Pay in 4 option doesn’t require a hard credit check.
The Klarna app is highly popular, with hundreds of thousands of reviews on the App Store and Google Play store, nearly achieving a 5-star rating on both platforms.
You can download the app on:
Stores that take Klarna
Klarna is accepted in a wide range of stores spanning various categories. Whether you’re shopping for clothing, makeup, children’s apparel, gaming consoles, furniture, or skincare products, you’ll find numerous stores that accept Klarna across these diverse categories.
Here’s a list of 35 stores where you can use Klarna:
- Anthropologie: Women’s clothing, accessories, shoes, and homeware.
- Bed, Bath & Beyond: Bedding, bath, cookware, and home décor.
- Benefit Cosmetics: Makeup products.
- Bloomingdale’s: Luxury department store with designer clothing, handbags, accessories, home items, and more.
- BuyBuy Baby: Baby and young children’s items like strollers, highchairs, and toys.
- Charlotte Tilbury: Makeup and skincare products.
- Etsy: Handmade, vintage, antique, and custom items.
- Fitbit: Activity trackers.
- Forever 21: Trendy clothing, shoes, jewelry, and accessories.
- Gamestop: Games consoles, collectibles, and video games.
- Garmin: Activity trackers and sports watches.
- GoDaddy: Website domains and hosting.
- H&M: Clothing for women, kids, and men, along with homeware.
- Harley-Davidson: Motorcycles and motorcycle parts.
- Huffy: Bikes, scooters, and battery ride-on toys for men, women, and kids.
- JCPenney: Department store offering clothing, furniture, and more.
- JOANN: Fabrics and crafts.
- LG: TVs, home entertainment, and kitchen appliances.
- Macy’s: Department store with clothing, homeware, jewelry, furniture, and more.
- Microsoft: Computers, apps, and gaming.
- Nike: Casual and athletic clothing, shoes, sneakers, and accessories.
- Petco: Pet supplies, food, and products.
- Ray-Ban: Sunglasses and eyeglasses.
- Saks Fifth Avenue: Luxury fashion, designer clothing, and homeware.
- Sephora: Makeup, skincare, fragrance, hair, and beauty products.
- SHEIN: Clothing for women, men, kids, plus sizes, along with beauty products.
- Sonos: Wireless speakers and home sound systems.
- Space NK: Luxury beauty products, skincare, and makeup.
- The Vitamin Shoppe: Vitamins, supplements, and protein powders.
- Tommee Tippee: Baby products like bottles and pacifiers.
- Udemy: Online courses.
- Urban Outfitters: Clothing, home décor, beauty, books, and vinyl.
- Vitamin World: Vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbs.
- Wayfair: Furniture, kitchen products, home décor, and appliances.
- Wish: Various items like tech, clothing, and home décor at affordable prices from merchants worldwide.
Things to consider when using Buy Now, Pay Later apps like Klarna
Purchase now, pay later apps offer the convenience of paying for items in installments, which can be helpful when you don’t have enough cash upfront or prefer to keep funds in your bank account longer.
Buy now, pay later apps can be useful. Klarna, for example, doesn’t charge interest if you repay the full balance on time. Additionally, these apps may approve financing even if you have a low credit score and don’t qualify for other loans.
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) doesn’t impact your credit score. This makes BNPL apps like Klarna seem great.
However, there are some important considerations to keep in mind when using this type of financing.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has initiated an investigation into buy now, pay later credit.
CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said:
“Buy now, pay later is the new version of the old layaway plan, but with modern, faster twists where the consumer gets the product immediately but gets the debt immediately too. We have ordered Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, PayPal, and Zip to submit information so that we can report to the public about industry practices and risks.”
Companies like Klarna raise concerns about consumers accumulating debt due to the accessibility of their loans. With the simplicity of obtaining these loans, consumers may overspend beyond their planned budgets.
Unlike traditional installment plans reserved for significant purchases, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services facilitate everyday discretionary spending. Managing multiple purchases with varying payment schedules can pose challenges in tracking payment deadlines.
Avoid the risk of not having sufficient funds to cover your installments. This could lead to late fees, interest charges from the BNPL app, or fees from your bank.
When using Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) apps, it’s crucial to keep tabs on the number of active BNPL plans and payment due dates.
Klarna offers a feature where you can easily monitor your installment payments by viewing your payment plan directly in the app.
Here’s how to view all your payment plans:
- Visit My Klarna.
- Click on “Payments” to see your orders.
- Choose an order to see your payment plan.
Keep track of installment payments to stay updated.
Features available on Klarna
The platform offers numerous features to enhance your user experience. Some of these include:
In-app shopping
Shop hassle-free on thousands of platforms with the Klarna app and enjoy numerous benefits.
Forget about cluttering your device with multiple shopping apps – Klarna gives you access to a variety of stores all in one place. Easily compare prices across platforms to snag the best deals.
Track your deliveries seamlessly with the in-app delivery tracking feature. Say goodbye to juggling multiple emails – now you can monitor your orders effortlessly.
Never miss a price drop again! Simply add items to your wishlist and receive alerts when prices decrease. It’s a great way to save money while curating your shopping list.
Earn cashback on purchases from select stores, accruing points that can be redeemed for rewards and premium features.
Love a good deal? Klarna’s coupon code hunting feature scours the web for discount vouchers from various stores, helping you score products at discounted rates.
Klarna card
Klarna offers two types of cards: a one-time valid virtual card and an always-available version.
The one-time valid virtual card is automatically generated during checkout on platforms that don’t support direct Klarna payment, like Amazon. It’s a prepaid virtual card usable for a single purchase on any online store accepting prepaid cards and becomes invalid after use.
For repetitive use without generating a new virtual card each time, Klarna provides the Klarna virtual card. This card is ideal for frequent shoppers, allowing them to pay in 4 installments online and across various channels. Unlike the one-time valid card, its details remain constant, making it compatible with Apple Pay and Google Pay for in-store purchases.
The Klarna virtual card offers management features such as freezing, disabling contactless payments, and stopping international use. However, there’s a monthly $4.99 maintenance fee to keep it active.
Virtual shopping assistance
The Klarna virtual shopping feature offers expert guidance to enhance your shopping experience.
Think of it as WhatsApp for shopping. You can connect with a virtual shopper who provides insights on quality, prices, colors, sizes, and more to help you make informed decisions.
To use this feature in your Klarna app, just click the chat icon while shopping on your favorite stores’ websites.
You can interact via text or initiate a video call with a virtual shopper assigned to the store you’re browsing.
Best of all, this service is free for all Klarna users, ensuring a premium shopping experience without any extra cost for expert advice.
Loyalty card library
The Klarna loyalty card feature is a handy tool for frequent shoppers. This library allows you to store all your loyalty cards from various shopping platforms in one place, reducing the need to carry them separately, especially for offline stores.
With this feature, you can ditch the multiple plastic cards cluttering your wallet and have them neatly organized on your Klarna app.
Here’s how to get started:
- Go to your dashboard and find the loyalty cards section, click to open it, and start adding your cards.
- Add your favorite stores’ loyalty cards by searching for them in the app.
- If a store isn’t directly available on Klarna, you can manually enter the card details of your physical card or scan it.
- Once added, you can use these cards at checkout to earn points.
Klarna extension
Klarna offers a handy browser extension for easier shopping and payment in 4 installments.
The Klarna browser extension is a plugin for your browser. It lets you access Klarna’s Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services and other shopping perks without logging into the app.
With this extension, you can check your purchasing power and make purchases on various shopping sites, even those without direct Klarna integration.
A useful feature of this extension is its alerts for discounts and coupon codes while you shop. It notifies you of promotions and codes that can help you save money.
To start using this service:
- Visit your browser’s extension store or the Klarna website.
- Search for Klarna and click “add” to install the extension.
- Once installed, you’ll see the Klarna logo next to your browser’s address bar.
How to be approved for Klarna payment plans
Before you can buy now and pay later with Klarna, you’ll only know if you’re approved during checkout. It’s essential to understand what Klarna considers when assessing your payment requests:
- Age 18 or older.
- Have a history of on-time credit payments.
- Keep your debt balances low.
- Connect your bank account with your Klarna account.
If your request is denied, try removing items from your cart and attempt again. You might be approved for a smaller purchase.
How to sign up with Klarna
To sign up for Klarna, download the app and tap “Create an account” on the first screen. Follow the prompts to set up your account. Then, go to “Settings” to add payment methods such as credit or debit cards and a bank account.
Once your account is ready, you can shop directly within the app. If you prefer not to, you can still use the app to generate a one-time card number for checkout. Otherwise, just choose “pay with Klarna” at checkout and pick a payment plan from the options provided.
Can I use Klarna on Amazon?
Certainly! Klarna can be utilized on Amazon. It offers various options for shopping on platforms like Amazon, and with its one-time valid virtual card, Klarna allows you to split purchase payments on Amazon.
Can I use Klarna at Walmart?
Absolutely! You can use Klarna to shop at Walmart. Klarna offers convenient in-app shopping and a virtual card that links to any EMV-compatible shopping platform.
Can I return a Klarna order?
Absolutely! If you have a problem with a product you bought through Klarna, you can return it. Head to your Klarna dashboard and find the return option to register your return.
The bottom line
Check out the stores that accept Klarna from the list provided above if you need to split the cost of your purchases. However, avoid relying too heavily on “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) financing.
Overusing BNPL can lead to missed payments or difficulty covering future installments. Only utilize BNPL apps if you’re confident you can afford the product later and can make timely payments.
Certainly! Klarna provides accessible financing with easier qualifications than credit cards, and it doesn’t accrue interest. However, it’s important to ensure you have enough funds to cover future installment payments.
If you can manage to pay off installments punctually, Klarna can be a fantastic choice. Give the mentioned stores a shot!