Is Klarna a reliable solution? What our users say

Klarna: what is it?

Klarna, Swedish pioneer of "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) since 2005 transforms the online shopping experience with more 150 million users to his credit.

Offering a alternative to traditional credit at no extra cost, Klarna offers consumers the freedom to pay after delivery or split their payments at no extra cost. This model is seductive in its simplicity, eliminating immediate financial barriers to online and in-store purchases.

Despite its resounding success, marked by sales of 38 million euros in 2010 In 2022, Klarna recorded historic losses of 940 million euros underlining the challenges and costs associated with its financing model.

The professionals' summary opinion of Klarna

Average rating of professional reviews: 3.5 / 5

Note: This table is a synthesis based on various sources and opinions of pro users.

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Easy integration with most CMS

One of Klarna's strengths lies in its ease of integration with a wide variety of content management systems (CMS), such as Shopify. This enables merchants to offer flexible payment options to their customers quickly and easily.

Customer service that fails to convince users

User reviews often highlight a Klarna customer service hard to reach with delays in responses or unsatisfactory resolutions problems. This situation can lead to significant frustration for professionals and home users alike, affecting the overall user experience.

High financing costs

Although Klarna offers interest-free deferred payment for the buyer, e-merchants are faced with a number of challenges. high financing costs to offer this service . These costs can reduce sales margins .

Klarna's latest rates in France are 3.99% of the transaction amount, plus €0.20 per transaction.

These fees vary from country to country. For example, for a transaction carried out in the UK, the commission rises to 4.99%, in addition to fixed charges (and possible exchange rates, if you don't have a bank account in pounds).

Excessive checks on financing = refusals = loss of sales

Les credit checks by Klarna can lead to payment refusals for otherwise creditworthy customers, causing disruption to the purchasing process and potentially lost sales for merchants.

According to many consumers, many refusals are arbitrary. However, rigorous selection of financed profiles enables us to guarantee e-merchants a payment, and a late payment rate on the Klarna collection side of only 5%, according to Finextra .

For my part, as a consumer, I have already had my purchase refused by Klarna, even though I have no previous banking history.

In addition, the verification of e-commerce profiles is (according to some professionals) tedious and unreliable:

Multi-currency payment

Thanks to its multi-currency support, Klarna stands out by offering international retailers and their customers the possibility of carry out transactions in their local currency .

Transaction security

Safety is an essential pillar for Klarna, which implements a comprehensive advanced protocols for secure transactions and protect users' personal data. The aim is to reduce the risk of fraud and boost consumer confidence in the service.

Sampling errors

Although Klarna strives to provide a smooth user experience, picking errors, including instances of double picking, have been reported. These incidents can cause inconvenience to customers and often require manual intervention to resolve, which can affect the perception of Klarna's reliability.

The 3 best alternatives to Klarna (according to professional users)

Klarna reviews reveal that, despite its strengths, some users are looking for alternatives for their deferred or fractional payment needs. Here are three alternatives favored by professionals:

PayPal

PayPal is renowned for its secure platform and worldwide acceptance, offering users excellent flexibility.

Its buyer protection system ensures extra security during transactions, boosting consumer confidence. The ability to lier and choose between different payment sources (bank account, credit cards) adds an extra layer of flexibility.

Paypal offers a BNPL option, with payment in 4 instalments at no cost to the consumer, and is the only payment option available.

Afterpay

Afterpay simplifie le fractional payment without the need for traditional credit, by allowing consumers to spread the cost of purchases over four interest-free instalments .

Hero

Hero stands out specifically for its focused on the needs of B2B companies .

Unlike the single-product offerings of Paypal and Afterpay, Hero also offers deferred payments than payments in instalments, with a immediate payment guarantee for the seller . This solution provides companies with significant financial flexibility, improving cash flow and accelerating the sales cycle.

L' easy integration with existing systems the fast approval process, and the no hidden costs make Hero particularly attractive to companies seeking to offer competitive payment terms while maintaining financial security. What's more, Hero's transparency on costs and payment terms establishes the trust and clarity essential for B2B business relationships, which is often a challenge in the deferred payments arena.

So, although Klarna Revealing both positive and negative aspects, alternatives such as PayPal, Afterpay and Hero offer diversified options to meet the different needs of consumers and businesses alike.

With its focus on the B2B market, Hero is emerging as a particularly relevant solution for companies looking for a payment partner aligned with their growth objectives and operational requirements.

Frequently asked questions :

Is Klarna reliable?

Klarna is widely regarded as reliable, with robust security measures to protect transactions and customer data. However, some users have reported direct debit errors, requiring vigilance and verification.

How does payment with Klarna work?

Payment with Klarna can be made in a number of ways, including deferred payment or interest-free instalments. Users select Klarna at checkout and follow the instructions to complete their purchase, with the first instalment often due at checkout.