Klarna is a popular payment service that allows shoppers to pay for purchases in installments over time. With Klarna, customers can split their payments into 4 interest-free installments or pay 30 days after delivery. This flexible payment option makes buying expensive items more accessible.
Klarna is commonly used for fashion, beauty, furniture, electronics, travel tickets, and other online purchases. But can Klarna also be used specifically for tickets to events, concerts, theaters, and more? Here is what you need to know about using Klarna to pay for tickets.
How Klarna’s payment plans work
Klarna offers customers different payment plan options depending on the retailer. Here are the most common plans:
- Pay in 4: Pay for your purchase in 4 interest-free installments over 6-8 weeks
- Pay in 3: Pay for your purchase in 3 interest-free installments over 3-8 weeks
- Pay now: Pay the full amount now or pay later in 30 days
- Financing: 12-36 month financing for purchases $199-$10,000
To use Klarna, you simply select the payment plan you want at checkout. Klarna will then perform a soft credit check to see if you pre-qualify. If approved, you can complete your purchase immediately and pay Klarna back over time according to your selected payment schedule.
Can Klarna be used for event tickets?
The short answer is yes, Klarna can often be used to pay for tickets! Many popular ticket retailers and marketplaces now offer Klarna as a payment option during checkout.
For example, you can use Klarna when buying tickets at:
- Ticketmaster
- Stubhub
- Vivid Seats
- SeatGeek
- Gametime
- AXS
- Ticket Club
This means you can split up the cost of expensive concert, sports, theater, or festival tickets over time with Klarna. Rather than paying the full ticket price upfront, you can make 4 smaller installment payments or pay 30 days later.
Using Klarna at Ticketmaster
As an example, let’s look at how to use Klarna when buying tickets on Ticketmaster.
- Search for the event tickets you want and select your seats.
- Proceed to checkout and select the tickets in your cart.
- When you reach the payment page, choose “Klarna” as your payment method.
- Select which Klarna payment plan you want: Pay in 4, Pay in 3, or Pay later in 30 days.
- Complete the quick Klarna approval process.
- Finish checking out and receive your Ticketmaster purchase confirmation.
- You will receive instructions from Klarna on how/when to make your payments over time.
It’s a very simple process that only adds an extra step or two at checkout. This makes paying for expensive tickets much more manageable.
Types of tickets that can be purchased with Klarna
Klarna gives you flexibility with all types of live event tickets, including:
- Concert tickets – For solo artists, bands, music festivals, etc.
- Theater tickets – For Broadway shows, plays, musicals, etc.
- Sporting event tickets – For NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, soccer, etc.
- Comedy show tickets
- Festival tickets – Like Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, etc.
- Racing tickets – Motorsports, horse racing, etc.
- Cirque du Soleil tickets
- Amusement park tickets
- Rodeo tickets
- Museum exhibit tickets
As you can see, Klarna works with a very diverse range of ticketed events and attractions. As long as the seller integrates Klarna checkout on their website, you can use it to pay.
The pros of using Klarna for tickets
There are some great advantages to using Klarna installment payments for your ticket purchases:
- Pay over time – Avoid having to pay the full ticket price all at once by spreading payments out.
- No interest – Klarna’s payment plans have 0% APR.
- No credit card required – You don’t need a credit card to qualify and build credit.
- Improved budgeting – Four smaller payments are easier to budget than a single large payment.
- Buy now, pay later – Get your tickets immediately while deferring payment by 30 days.
- Instant approval – Get a quick decision on whether you pre-qualify when checking out.
- Flexibility – Change your payment dates through your Klarna account if needed.
- Consumer protections – Klarna orders are covered by consumer protection laws.
For expensive, in-demand tickets that sell out quickly, Klarna can help you secure tickets now so you don’t miss out. You then have the option to pay the full amount later or in installments that work for your budget.
Potential downsides of using Klarna
While there are many benefits to using Klarna for your ticket purchases, there are a few drawbacks to consider as well:
- Missed payment fees – If you miss an installment payment, Klarna may charge a fee around $10.
- Credit check required – Klarna does a soft credit check which can impact your credit score if done frequently.
- Extra steps at checkout – Using Klarna requires a few extra clicks which can slow the ticket checkout process.
- Purchase tracking – You’ll need to actively track and pay your Klarna payments across different ticket purchases.
- Refund challenges – Refunds get credited back to your Klarna account which complicates the process.
- Total cost obfuscation – Splitting payments can hide the full price of expensive ticket purchases.
However, for most customers, the flexibility and convenience Klarna offers outweighs these minor issues. Just make sure you have the budget to cover all the installments and don’t miss payments.
Tips for using Klarna for tickets
If you plan to use Klarna when buying event tickets online, keep these tips in mind:
- Compare total costs – Look at the total ticket price both with and without Klarna to understand the real cost.
- Budget for all installments – Don’t commit to payments you can’t afford down the line.
- Pay early – You can always pay your full Klarna balance early with no penalties.
- Autopay installments – Set up autopay through your Klarna account to avoid missed payments.
- Limit credit checks – Try not to do too many Klarna financing applications to limit credit check impacts.
- Track purchases – Log into your Klarna account to see upcoming payment timelines.
- Understand refunds – If tickets are refunded, it may take time for the money to be credited back to you through Klarna.
As long as you closely manage your Klarna account and budget accordingly, using installment payments can be an effective way to pay off large ticket purchases over time.
The bottom line on Klarna for tickets
Klarna brings much needed flexibility to paying for often expensive event tickets online. With venues, artists, and teams vying for huge per-ticket prices, installment plans help make tickets more accessible to fans.
By letting you pay for tickets in interest-free installments or pay later in 30 days, Klarna prevents you from having to pay expensive ticket prices all at once. This can significantly improve budgeting for concerts, games, festivals, theater performances, and other ticketed events.
Just make sure to closely track your Klarna purchases and account to avoid missed payments or hidden costs. Used responsibility, Klarna can be a smart choice to lock in tickets to your favorite events while paying over time.