Klarna Ireland officially launches today, giving Irish consumers the ability to shop online and split their purchases into three interest-free equal payments (‘Pay in 3’) through both the Klarna app and directly via integrated partner retailers.
The Klarna Irelandlaunch of an interest-free and fee-free alternative to high-cost credit comes as Irish consumers shift away from credit cards towards debit for most of their day-to-day spend. Spending on debit cards grew three times faster than credit cards between 2015 and 2020.
In the Klarna app, Irish consumers will be able to ‘Pay in 3’ at any online store, regardless of whether they are a Klarna retailer or not, thanks to the innovative ‘Shop Anywhere’ function.
Similarly, consumers who use Klarna at a partner retailer’s online checkout will be able to split their purchases interest-free. With a range of domestic and international retailers including Gym + Coffee, Perspective, Yummie, Cult Beauty, Greene’s Shoes, Luna by Lisa and Yours Clothing all teaming up with Klarna, consumers will benefit from greater control, transparency and choice over how they pay.
Klarna’s launch will help Irish merchants, both big and small, adapt to a shifting retail landscape enabling them to improve their customer experience in response to changing consumer preferences whilst accessing a much wider community of global consumers.
“Ireland is a really exciting market for us, as people turn away from credit cards. As the older-style financial institutions exit the market we’re here to create more competition, which is in the best interest of the consumer. At Klarna we believe that everyone deserves a better way to shop and pay, with more control, choice and flexibility. Traditional high-cost models like credit cards are built on charging interest and late fees to the rest. That’s why we offer flexible, transparent and fair payment options without charging interest or fees.”
– Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Co-founder and CEO, Klarna
“We’ll be working with our Irish retailer partners to help them access a global marketplace. With coverage in 17 markets across three continents, we can accept payments from almost every country in the world, unlocking huge growth opportunities for our partners. As a key European market with a population of keen digital adopters, Ireland has long been part of our expansion strategy in our mission to offer safer, more sustainable payment options to customers around the world.”
– Colin Creagh, Head of Business Development, Klarna Ireland
What Klarna Ireland offers
Through the Klarna app, people can shop anywhere online and split the payment into 3 equal monthly payments, with no interest or fees. All payments can be managed and tracked within the app, which is designed to help consumers manage their spending and payments.
The Klarna app also gives Irish consumers:
- Wish lists
Save the items you love, spark your inspiration with curated wish lists or find the hottest items from your favourite retailers. Wish lists can contain items from any retailer and can either be kept for private use, or shared with friends and family.
- Price drop notifications
Consumers can set up alerts for the products they love, and only pay for them when they’re comfortable with the price, offering the best value for money on their purchases.
- Exclusively curated content
From the world of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
Klarna say that they carry out robust eligibility assessments on each and every transaction. Its business model is built on people paying back on time – because consumers aren’t charged interest or late fees Klarna has a strong incentive to only lend to those who can shop responsibly and meet repayments.
