Klarna
BNPL giant with full banking accounts.
- Who holds it
- The company itself — it holds a full banking licence — Swedish banking license.
- The ledger
- The bank’s own core ledger.
- If it fails
- A covered-deposit payout through the local scheme, up to its limit.
Derived from Klarna’s regulation type and custody — a class of protection, not a guarantee. Limits and eligibility vary by scheme, balance and jurisdiction; confirm before you rely on it. What happens if a neobank shuts down →
The facts
| Category | traditional |
| AI | AI assistant as the interface |
| HQ | Stockholm, SE |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Custody | Custodial |
| Regulation type | Licensed bank |
| License detail | Swedish banking license |
| Card | Visa · Debit + BNPL |
| Cashback | Rewards club |
| Yield | Savings (region) |
| Stablecoins | No |
| KYC | Yes |
| Active regions | Europe |
| Countries | Sweden, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, European Union |
| Founders | Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth, Victor Jacobsson |
| Funding | Public (KLAR, 2025) |
Verified links: official site ↗ · terms ↗ · privacy ↗ · @Klarna ↗
Common questions about Klarna
What is Klarna?
Klarna is a fiat neobank, headquartered in Stockholm, SE and founded in 2005. Your money is held custodially, so Klarna or its partner bank holds the balance and you hold a claim on it. It is regulated as a licensed bank (Swedish banking license).
Does Klarna have a card, and where can you use it?
It issues a Visa debit and bnpl card. It is available in 6 countries, across Europe.
Does Klarna require KYC?
Yes. Klarna requires identity verification (KYC) to open an account, as a licensed bank.
What does Klarna cost?
From the verified fields: cashback Rewards club; yield Savings (region). Cashback and yield are "up to" figures that change constantly and often depend on a paid plan — confirm current terms with Klarna before relying on them.
Early investors
Peers
Monzo · Wise · Starling Bank · Atom Bank · Zopa Bank · Chase UK
Klarna appears in
Neobanks that hold their own banking license (132) · Neobanks available in Europe (144) · Neobanks that issue a Visa card (182)
Figures compiled from public sources, for comparison only — not financial advice. "Up to" rates change constantly; always confirm with the issuer. Spotted an error? Suggest a fix.