Is Klarna safe to use?

Klarna is a regulated financial service trusted by millions of people and used safely at thousands of retailers across the UK. Here’s how Klarna protects your information, helps you stay in control of your spending, and how you can use it responsibly.

Security, fees, and credit checks explained

Your payment details, protected

Encryption keeps your details secure at checkout and in the Klarna app. Merchants never receive your full card or bank details, so your information stays safe and private.

Clear terms up front

You’ll see the payment schedule, fees, and terms before you confirm. No hidden steps or unexpected fees after checkout.

Credit transparency

Pay in 3 and Pay in 30 days use a soft credit check that won’t affect your credit score.¹ Paying in full doesn’t involve a credit check.

¹ Borrowing more than you can afford or paying late may negatively impact your financial status and ability to obtain credit. Credit subject to status. Ts&Cs and late fees apply.

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Buyer protection

For eligible purchases, you can raise a dispute if your order doesn’t arrive or isn’t as described, so you can shop with peace of mind. Exclusions apply.²

Learn more

Klarna and your credit score

At checkout

Pay in 3, Pay in 30 days, Financing, and your Klarna Card all use a soft credit check.

How the check works

This won’t affect your credit score or be visible to other lenders. We don’t carry out any kind of credit check when you sign up for Klarna or use the Pay in full payment method.³

If you miss a payment

Late or missed payments can affect your creditworthiness, separately from the check carried out at checkout. We’ll send you reminders before any late fees apply.

Continued missed payments

If you continue to miss payments, your ability to use Klarna may be restricted and any outstanding balance may be sent to collections. If you’re having trouble paying, contact us in the app.

Is Klarna legitimate?

Klarna is a legitimate, regulated, and licensed financial services company. Here’s what that means in practice.

This means Klarna is subject to consumer protection standards and regulatory oversight – the same protections you'd expect from any regulated financial institution.⁴

Scammers sometimes impersonate financial institutions to steal personal information, so it's worth knowing how to spot the difference. You'll only find Klarna through the Klarna app, klarna.com, and authorised merchant checkouts.

If you're contacted by someone claiming to be from Klarna outside these channels, or receive an unexpected email or text message asking for your password, PIN, or card details, don't click any links. Open the app or go directly to klarna.com instead.

Read more about Klarna's security measures at klarna.com/uk/security/.

Every payment option comes with its own terms, which you’ll see before confirming a purchase, including how much you owe, when payment is due, and any costs that may apply.

Interest and late fees are separate charges, and both are shown clearly so nothing is added without warning after checkout. Late fees only apply if we’re unable to collect a payment after several attempts, not on the due date itself. If we still can’t collect the payment, a late fee may be added to your next payment, subject to the limits set out in your order terms. We’ll send you reminders before any fee applies.

Approval is decided separately for each purchase, so seeing the terms up front doesn’t mean that every future order will be approved.

The takeaway

Klarna’s payment terms are shown up front before you buy. We also have strong measures to protect your payment details from fraud, and a credit check at checkout isn’t the same as a missed payment. These protections are built into the way Klarna works, helping to keep your money and data secure.