Does Zara Offer Klarna in 2024? (Try This Instead!)
Klarna has become one of the most popular "buy now, pay later" services, allowing shoppers to split purchases into manageable monthly payments. With over 12 million users in the US, Klarna‘s financing plans are accepted at over 200,000 retailers including H&M, Sephora, and Aldo. However, Spanish fast-fashion giant Zara is not one of them.
Why Zara Doesn‘t Accept Klarna
According to Klarna‘s own website, Zara is not listed as one of their online retail partners. This indicates that Zara does not currently offer Klarna as a payment option either in-store or online.
There are a few potential reasons why Zara does not accept Klarna:
Exclusive partnerships – Zara has existing payment agreements with Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, American Express and likely wants customer payment data.
Risk avoidance – With installment plans, there‘s always a risk of nonpayment. Zara may want to avoid this.
Marginal costs – Klarna charges retailers fees for offering their service. Zara may not want to take on these extra costs.
Company policy – Zara‘s parent company Inditex may have decided not to offer installment financing options as part of their business strategy.
According to Credit Karma, the most common reasons retailers avoid installment plans are the additional costs and risks involved. For fast-fashion brands like Zara with razor-thin profit margins, the extra merchant fees and possibility of nonpayment may not be worth the benefit of offering Klarna.
Zara‘s Payment Options
Instead of Klarna, here are the payment options Zara does accept:
- Credit cards – Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
- Debit cards – From major providers like Visa and Mastercard
- PayPal – Customers can checkout with PayPal account
- Apple Pay – iPhone/Apple Watch users can use Apple Pay
- Zara gift cards – Both physical and e-gift cards
- Quadpay – In some countries, Zara offers Quadpay installment plans
Zara accepts most major credit and debit cards from providers like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. They also take mobile payments like Apple Pay. While installment plans through Klarna are not available, Zara does offer payment plans through QuadPay in some countries. This allows shoppers to split purchases into 4 interest-free installments.
Zara Financing Alternatives to Klarna
If you were hoping to finance your Zara purchases over time, here are some services similar to Klarna you can try:
- Affirm – 3, 6, and 12 month installment plans at 0-30% APR
- Afterpay – Pay in 4 installments every 2 weeks, no interest
- PayPal Credit – 6 months financing on purchases over $99
According to Zara‘s website, they accept online installment payments through Affirm. This allows you to split your purchase into 3, 6 or 12 month payments at a 0-30% APR based on credit.
Afterpay and PayPal Credit also offer installment plans that may work for financing Zara purchases. However, these tend to come with interest charges, so the cost ends up higher than Klarna‘s interest-free option.
Here‘s a comparison of some key financing differences:
| Service | # Installments | Interest | Credit Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klarna | 4 | No | Yes |
| Affirm | 3-12 | Yes | Yes |
| Afterpay | 4 | No | No |
| PayPal Credit | 6 | Yes | Yes |
Should You Use Installment Payments at Zara?
Installment plans seem appealing for expensive purchases, but are they always the best option? Here are a few pros and cons to consider:
Pros
- Pay over time for more flexibility
- No missed payment fees with Affirm
- No credit check needed for Afterpay
Cons
- Interest charges add to total cost
- Late fees if you miss installment payments
- Risk of overspending and taking on debt
At fast fashion retailers like Zara, installment payments may make it easy to overspend on discretionary purchases. If you tend to lack impulse control with clothes shopping, financing plans could lead to excess spending and credit card debt.
The Bottom Line
While Klarna would be a useful payment option at Zara, the popular fast-fashion brand unfortunately does not accept Klarna for installment payments in 2024. Your best alternatives are using a general credit card, Affirm‘s installment plans, or paying upfront if you can afford it. With Zara‘s affordably priced inventory, it may be healthiest not to finance purchases if possible.
