Klarna

Overview

Klarna is a Swedish fintech company that provides buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) financing and flexible payment options at e-commerce checkout. The Klarna widget appears on product pages (showing installment pricing) and checkout pages (offering pay-in-4, pay-later, and financing options). Klarna has integrated into hundreds of thousands of online stores worldwide, making it one of the most widely deployed alternative payment methods in e-commerce.

What This Script Does

Klarna embeds its payment options through the Klarna JavaScript SDK and on-site messaging widgets.

• Scripts loaded:
  • js.klarna.com/web-sdk/v1/klarna.js — the Klarna Web SDK that initializes payment widgets and handles the checkout flow
  • Klarna On-Site Messaging (OSM) script loads on product and cart pages to display installment price breakdowns (e.g., "4 payments of $25.00")
• Payment flow: At checkout, the Klarna widget opens an iframe or popup from klarna.com where the customer authenticates (via phone number/email), selects a payment plan, and completes a soft credit check. Klarna performs a real-time risk assessment using browser signals, purchase context, and the customer's Klarna history.
• Cookies set:
  • Session cookies on the klarna.com domain for maintaining the payment flow state
  • The Klarna SDK may set first-party cookies on the merchant domain for session correlation and to remember the customer's selected payment method
• Data collected: The SDK collects browser fingerprint signals (screen resolution, browser version, installed plugins, timezone), device identifiers, purchase amount, merchant identifier, and session data for fraud prevention and credit risk assessment. On product pages, the OSM widget reads the product price from the page to calculate installment amounts.
• On-Site Messaging: The OSM widget is primarily a display component that shows pre-calculated payment plans. It loads asynchronously and renders price breakdowns without collecting personal data until the customer initiates a payment flow.

Consent & Compliance

Klarna falls under the essential consent category when integrated as a payment method at checkout.

Under GDPR and ePrivacy, Klarna's payment processing at checkout is a strictly necessary service explicitly requested by the customer when they select Klarna as their payment method. Session cookies required for the payment flow fall under the ePrivacy Directive's exemption. Klarna's collection of browser signals for fraud prevention during checkout is tied to the payment transaction. However, the On-Site Messaging widget on product pages sets cookies and loads scripts before any payment intent, which may require separate assessment. Klarna is headquartered in Stockholm and processes EU data under GDPR with no cross-border transfer concerns for EU customers.

Under CCPA/CPRA, Klarna's processing of personal information for credit assessment and fraud prevention during checkout is necessary for the requested financial service. Klarna's privacy notice addresses California consumer rights.

Should You Block This Without Consent?

No. Klarna is a payment service that customers explicitly select during checkout. Blocking it would remove a payment option and prevent customers from using installment financing. The checkout payment flow and its associated cookies are strictly necessary. For the On-Site Messaging widget on product pages, consider lazy-loading it or treating it under functional consent if your compliance posture requires distinguishing between checkout-essential and promotional payment messaging.