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Klarna UK: what you need to know

KLARNA

Founded: 2005 Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden CEO: Sebastian Siemiatkowski

Before Klarna, online shopping meant paying upfront and hoping for the best. Siemiatkowski flipped this model, letting customers receive goods first and pay later – a radical concept that sparked the buy-now-pay-later( BNPL) revolution. Starting in Sweden, Klarna’ s“ Pay in 4” option is now embedded in hundreds of thousands of online stores worldwide. With 150 million active users, it’ s evolved far beyond payments into a shopping platform offering price comparisons and personalised recommendations. Despite recent market turbulence affecting the BNPL sector, Klarna’ s early-mover advantage and brand recognition keep it ahead of newer competitors.

26 August 2025