At Klarna we are on a mission to become people’s favourite way to shop, offering the smooothest experience possible both online and in-store.
With our interest-free and flexible Pay later solutions – Pay in 3 instalments and Pay in 30 days – we have revolutionised how people shop and pay. But we did not stop there. We like to challenge the status quo in every possible way and have also found a new approach to speak with our customers. We are proud to have a very different voice than mainstream financial services firms, but that does not mean that we do our job less seriously or responsibly.
On the contrary, we are customer obsessed which means that we always put our customers’ best interest first. We have grown so fast because people love what we offer and how we connect with them. Since our launch in the UK, over 10 million consumers have chosen Klarna products and we want to explain how we make sure that their financial wellbeing is always at the centre of what we do, also when working with our retail partners.
Our rules for merchants’ responsible advertising
We recognise that we operate in an ecosystem and that many of the messages that consumers see come not from us but from our retail partners. We love it when our merchants talk about Klarna in their marketing channels, but it is critical that this messaging is responsible. That’s why we publish clear and transparent guidelines for retailers to help them ensure they are communicating about our products in a considered way. Retailers who wish to promote our regulated (Financing) and unregulated products (Pay in 30 days and Pay in 3 instalments) must comply with these guidelines, which we regularly update.
Being clear, fair and not misleading towards consumers is the baseline requirement for all promotions. Retail partners must also ensure their ads are “socially responsible to consumers and society” and include “appropriate risk warning”, such as: “‘Please spend responsibly – Borrowing beyond your means could seriously affect your financial status, ensure you can afford to make your monthly repayments on time by the due date”. In our guide we also stress that risk warnings should be given sufficient prominence in a way that it is likely to draw the attention of the consumer to it. Here you can find one of the examples of advertising we provide merchants.
We constantly monitor our partners’ usage of these guidelines and immediately get in touch if we find examples where our partners have not fully complied, helping them work on new messaging that is more appropriate.
Our initiatives dedicated to financial education
We are profoundly committed to an efficient and responsible communication and that’s why we always use accessible and transparent language in all our messages. On top of that, we launched ad-hoc campaigns to promote responsible spending and educate our customers on how to best manage their money. In 2020, the largest marketing investment was an initiative called Klarnasense, which was specifically designed to reduce impulse shopping. We also created a programme, called MindfulMoney to offer tips and guidance on financial wellness. The material we’ve published includes “How to manage your money in times of uncertainty” and “Money saving tips for new parents”.
By either working in partnership with the over 10,000 merchants in the UK or by taking our own ambitious initiatives, we are committed to engaging with our customers effectively and responsibly. We want our customers to feel empowered and to take control of their finances, because their wellbeing lies at the core of our success.