Klarna, the international buy-now-pay-later (BNLP) financing platform, is expanding from digital banking to the world of mobile phones.
In partnership with Gigs — a mobile operating system provider that allows tech companies to connect their services to mobile "revenue streams" — the Swedish-based company will now let users enroll in and pay for a 5G monthly phone plan directly in its BNLP app. Coverage is provided by AT&T, and customers can transfer over existing numbers with no activation fee. Plans start at $40 per month.
Gigs powers mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) with integrated end-to-end service, including "premium connectivity, a hosted checkout, billing, subscription management, analytics, and AI-powered customer service," the company explains.
"Klarna is uniquely positioned to shake up the telecom industry by offering plans with no hidden fees, flexible contracts, and a smooth set-up experience," the fintech company wrote in a press release. "Consumers already know and love Klarna’s super smooth services and now, with one tap in the Klarna app, they’ll be up and running with their new phone plan — no hassle, no hidden fees, just great value,” said Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski.
Siemiatkowski is leveraging Klarna's popularity to revolutionize the world of digital "neobanking," and has been a vocal proponent of investing early in burgeoning tech, including generative AI. The co-founder said in 2024 that the company was massively scaling down its workforce in favor of AI for customer service and marketing duties — Klarna later doubled back on the plan, even as Siemiatkowski used an AI avatar to address employees. Meanwhile, Klarna's borrowers are increasingly falling behind on making their payments and relying on the platform to finance daily purchases amid a national debt strain, NBC reported.
Klarna's mobile plan launches in the U.S. in the coming weeks and will expand internationally to the United Kingdom and Germany soon. Interested customers can join the waitlist now.
