Klarna to launch Open Banking settlements in the UK

At the time of the announcement, Klarna already launched Open Banking settlements for its Pay Now instant payment option, while Pay in 20 and Pay in 3 are scheduled to take place later in 2024. The introduction to Klarna’s 18 million UK customers offers Open Banking an increase in the region, where approximately 5 million individuals leverage Open Banking payments each month. When it comes to consumers, Open Banking settlements deliver them a simplified, secure, and instant experience, without being required to enter payment details into an unknown retailer’s website. To conduct the payment, consumers need to click on ‘Pay by bank’, which then takes them to their mobile banking app where they complete the payment securely.

Furthermore, consumers who link their bank account to Klarna can receive insights into all their spending within the company’s app, as well as access to additional budgeting tools. Also, sharing bank data can support Klarna in lending money more knowledgeably, utilising the consumer’s real spending habits, to ensure that its decisions are a proper fit with the user’s budget.

According to Klarna’s officials, Open Banking provides a significant opportunity for the company to minimise the cost of payments to society by eliminating the established card payment networks and leveraging up-to-date bank accounts to make improved lending decisions. The current launch solidifies Klarna’s offering, with the company underlining that it has previously seen satisfactory results in the other ten countries across Europe in which the feature is available. Additionally, Klarna’s move supports the UK’s Open Banking adoption, providing it with a substantial expansion. Outside the UK, Pay Now by bank is already live in ten countries globally and is leveraged by over 20 million consumers each month, according to Klarna’s data.

As a Swedish fintech company, Klarna provides online financial services aiming to simplify how individuals shop online. Since the launch of its operations, the company extended its operations and provides flexible shopping and purchase experiences to more than 150 million active consumers across 500,000 merchants in 45 countries. Klarna offers direct payments, pay-after-delivery options, and instalment plans, allowing consumers to pay how they prefer to.