From the 1st of June, 2022, Klarna will begin sharing Buy Now Pay Later purchases made in the UK with the credit reference agencies (CRAs) Experian and TransUnion.
This means purchases you make on or after the 1st of June using Klarna Pay in 30, Pay in 3, in-app shopping and Klarna Card will become visible on your credit reports held by Experian and TransUnion.
This is most likely welcome to anyone with a good track record on paying their Klarna bills, but for anyone who pays late or misses a payment, this will negatively impact their credit score.
Your credit file is visible to any potential lenders and could impact your eligibility for applications ranging from mortgages and loans to car insurance and mobile and utility bills.
Klarna has said it will begin sharing the use of Buy Now Pay Later products with the UK credit reference agencies (CRAs) to help UK consumers build a positive credit history using Buy Now Pay Later, protect consumers from taking out unsustainable amounts of debt with multiple providers, and provide the financial industry with greater visibility of Buy Now Pay Later use.
A CRA is an independent organisation which holds information about consumers’ use of credit products. The information includes credit applications – such as if a consumer has recently applied for a credit card; current credit status – for example, if a consumer currently owes money to a financial institution; and financial behaviour, which includes whether the consumer regularly pays their bills on time—some BNPL providers, including Klarna, when making lending decisions.
Any debts and repayments will only affect customer credit scores after 18 months, meaning the change will not have any formal impact until 2023. Most large purchase schemes, which allow customers to spread costs over six to 36 months, are already reported to credit agencies by Klarna and its rivals.