Klarna launches physical BNPL card for UK shoppers with 400,000 waitlist

Swedish fintech giant Klarna has launched a physical card allowing shoppers to use its interest-free ‘buy now, pay later’ platform offline. 

Integrating with Apple Pay and Google Pay also, Klarna’s card allows UK users, of which 400,000 are currently on a waitlist, to ‘Pay in 30’.

 Consumers can opt to pay anytime up to 30 days after purchase, with plans to add additional payment options in the future. Purchases can then be extended beyond the due date for up to 10 days without charge.

Eligibility 

Klarna says in its T&Cs that users must be over 18, have an income of at least £12,000 and have a “good credit history” although offers no definition of what that it is. Eligibility also comes through a soft credit check rather than a hard search that you would expect with a standard credit card.

Users also have to have paid off at least one purchase through Klarna on time. 

The Klarna card, which is already live in Sweden and Germany where it has more than 800,000 customers is also set for a US launch.

The launch of Klarna Card in the UK brings those benefits to the offline world, giving consumers the control and transparency of BNPL for all of their instore purchases,” said Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK.

"Consumers are rejecting credit products which charge double-digit interest rates while allowing repayments to be put off indefinitely. For online purchases where credit makes sense, buy now pay later has become the sustainable alternative with no interest and clear payment schedules,” he added.

The card, which operates through a partnership with Visa,  comes in either a black or Klarna’s signature pink finish.