Klarna review: products, pricing and markets (2026)

Klarna is a buy now, pay later (BNPL) and consumer banking group listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker KLAR), with 120 million active consumers and about 1.2 million merchants at 30 June 2026. Its operating bank, Klarna Bank AB (publ), is authorised by Sweden's Finansinspektionen as a credit institution, and Klarna Financial Services UK Ltd is authorised by the FCA as an electronic money institution.

At a glance

Key figures

The Q2 2026 release names Sebastian Siemiatkowski as chief executive. Klarna had not published third quarter 2026 results when we checked on 3 November 2026.

Products and services

Pay later and financing

Klarna's best-known products split a purchase into instalments or delay payment. The UK site lists Pay in 3, Pay in 30 days and longer-term Financing, alongside Pay in full. Merchants add these at checkout either directly or through a payment service provider such as Adyen or Stripe; check with your own PSP whether Klarna is supported in your markets. For background on BNPL as a payment method, see our alternative payment methods explainer.

Klarna Card and Klarna Balance

Klarna launched the Klarna Card and paid membership plans in 2025, according to its About page. By Q2 2026 the card had 6.5 million active users in 16 countries. Klarna Balance lets consumers hold money with Klarna, and consumer deposits stood at $11.7 billion at 30 June 2026. These products put Klarna in closer competition with EMIs and neobanks such as Revolut.

Klarna app and memberships

The Klarna app combines shopping, payments and account features. The UK site lists memberships under the names Max, Premium, Plus and Everywhere, plus cashback and a travel eSIM. The annual report notes that the app also earns advertising revenue from merchants.

Merchant services

For merchants, Klarna offers checkout integration, settlement and marketing placements in the app. The 2025 annual report describes integrations with Apple Pay, Google Pay and payment service providers, which lets merchants offer Klarna without a separate contract in some setups.

Fees and pricing

Klarna does not publish a public UK merchant rate card on the pages we checked. Its developer documentation (checked 3 November 2026) explains how fees are built instead.

Effective rates vary by issuing country, merchant category code, sales channel and payment programme. The documentation's worked example (a US dollar capture at $1.00 plus 1.20%, with a separate cross-border component) is illustrative and is not a published price. Merchants should request their own price plan.

Consumers can pay fees too, such as interest on Financing or membership charges. Those terms sit in Klarna's consumer agreements and vary by country.

Markets, currencies and payment methods

Klarna states it supports 26 countries (annual report, 31 December 2025, and the UK About page). The card is live in 16 countries as of Q2 2026. Product availability differs by market: not every instalment option is offered everywhere, and UK, EU and US products sit under different legal entities and rules.

At checkout, Klarna can be offered directly or through Apple Pay and Google Pay. Klarna's merchant base grew from 786,000 to 1,208,000 between Q2 2025 and Q2 2026, according to the Q2 2026 release.

Regulation in brief

Klarna's About page says it gained a full banking licence in 2017. Klarna Bank AB uses that Swedish licence across the EEA. The 2025 annual report also notes that Klarna does not hold the banking licences needed to take deposits in the US. On 2 July 2026 Klarna announced applications to the Utah Department of Financial Institutions and the FDIC for Klarna Bank USA, a proposed FDIC-insured industrial bank owned by Klarna Inc. Approval had not been announced when we checked.

You can confirm each entry on the FCA register or Finansinspektionen's company register. Our guide on how to check a financial licence explains the process.

Who it tends to suit

• Online and in-store retailers whose customers expect instalment or deferred payment options.
• Merchants already using a PSP that supports Klarna, since activation can be simpler than a direct integration.
• Brands interested in Klarna's app as a marketing channel as well as a payment method.

Merchants comparing wallet and BNPL options often look at PayPal, whose UK fee page lists a published BNPL rate, and at pay-by-bank providers such as Trustly.

What to check before signing up

• Your price plan in writing, including fixed and variable fees, cross-border fees and any micro-transaction cap.
• Which Klarna entity contracts with you and which regulator covers the products your customers will use.
• Which instalment products are available in each of your markets, and which of them count as regulated credit there.
• Settlement timing and refund handling, especially for partial captures.
• Whether you need a direct Klarna contract or can activate it through your existing PSP.
• Any change in Klarna's US structure if the Klarna Bank USA application is approved.