Klarna is a mobile application that allows users to pay for items through point-of-sale loans when making in-store and online purchases from popular retailers worldwide. Unfortunately, while buy-now-pay-later apps like Klarna might seem like a good idea at the time, they can be harmful to your wallet, your credit score, and your financial health.
Thankfully, there are alternative payment methods that allow you to purchase the things you need without using Klarna. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about buy now pay later apps and alternatives to apps like Klarna that you may want to consider.
What does buy now, pay later mean?
Apps like Klarna offer buy-now-pay-later options that make it possible for users to purchase items via point-of-sale loans on the spot, both in-store and online. Buy now pay later apps were designed to solve the problem of needing immediate access to items while not having enough money to purchase them outright.
With a few clicks of their computer mice, customers can receive fast, on-the-spot financing, making it possible to buy what they want now and pay for it later. As enticing as it sounds, this can lead people into financial traps, so let’s take a closer look at how these platforms work.
How do buy-now-pay-later platforms work?
Buy-now-pay-later platforms don’t all work in the same way because each company has its own rules and regulations. However, there are some similarities regarding how they all function.
Typically, to use these platforms, you’ll be required to follow these steps:
- First, you’ll need to find a participating retailer. From there, choose the option to buy now and pay later when you’re checking out, whether that’s online or in-store.
- Next, you’ll need to fill out personal information to see if you’ll be approved for the mini-loan. If you are approved, you’ll have to make a small initial payment to receive the loan, which could be anywhere from 5% to 40% of the total purchase amount.
- After you complete your purchase, you’ll have to pay back the loan via installments that were established at the time you took out the loan.
- Once you have successfully paid all of your installments, your buy-now-pay-later loan will be fully paid off.
Hope this helps you find what you are looking for.
