Overview
Klarna is a Swedish payments company and digital bank best known for flexible "buy now, pay later" payments. Shoppers can pay with Klarna online, in stores and through Apple Pay and Google Pay, and more than 966,000 merchants offer it at checkout. For an e-commerce brand, Klarna is one of the payment methods shoppers in many markets expect to see, especially in the Nordics, Germany, the UK and the US.
Who is behind Klarna
Klarna was founded in Stockholm in 2005 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2025 (ticker KLAR). In 2025 Klarna processed USD 127.9 billion in gross merchandise volume, up 22%, and had revenue of USD 3.5 billion. It had 118 million active consumers, up 28%, and handles about 3.4 million transactions a day. Klarna's merchants include Uber, H&M, Sephora, Macy's, Ikea, Nike and Airbnb, and it passed one million merchants in early 2026.
What Klarna offers shoppers and merchants
- Flexible payment options at checkout, such as paying in full, paying later, splitting the payment into instalments, or longer-term financing, depending on the market.
- The Klarna app, where consumers manage purchases and discover shops and products, which also gives merchants a marketing channel.
- Klarna Card and banking services, which keep consumers using Klarna beyond online checkout.
- Wide integration. Klarna is available through many payment service providers and e-commerce platforms, which makes it easier for merchants to add. It is also working on payments for AI-driven shopping agents.
How it works for a brand
A brand adds Klarna to its checkout directly or through its payment provider or e-commerce platform. Klarna pays the merchant and manages the consumer's repayment, and the merchant pays Klarna a fee per transaction, which varies by market, payment option and agreement. Before adding Klarna, a brand should think about:
- Which markets matter, since Klarna's options and how popular they are differ by country.
- The cost per transaction compared with other payment methods, and its effect on margin.
- The effect on conversion and order value, which is the main reason to offer it.
- Brand presentation, such as showing Klarna messaging on product pages within Klarna's guidelines.
Why Klarna matters for brands
Where shoppers are used to Klarna, missing it at checkout can cost sales. For brands selling in several European markets or the US, Klarna is one of the payment methods to consider when building a checkout that converts.
How eBrands looks at Klarna
eBrands works with brands on D2C webshops and marketplaces across Europe and North America. If you want to see how your payment setup, including options like Klarna, affects conversion and margin, we are happy to talk it through.
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