BUY NOW PANIC LATER
You will have seen its baby pink logo, placed seductively at the bottom of the checkout window. Today it's ubiquitous, lurking on practically every online shop, from Amazon and Asos to Deliveroo and John Lewis. I avoided clicking it for a while, then eventually gave in: this is Klarna, one of the many buy now, pay later (BNPL) services that allow you to split payments for everyday items into three, zero-interest instalments, or pay within 30 days. Sounds like a perfect way to create some financial flexibility, right? That’s until you get completely hooked.
It began when I needed a dress for a special occasion, but couldn’t afford one until payday. So I opted to actually pay for it 30 days after purchase. I was amazed by how easy it was. I didn’t have to jump through any major hoops to obtain the credit from Klarna, or fill out any lengthy forms. But then I got trigger-happy.
Gym trainers, a pair of headphones, a cute winter cardi – you name it, I’ve probably Klarna’d it. Just last week I decided to buy a ticket for a European music festival in nine separate instalments. I’ve somehow become allergic to paying for anything outright. But, when it’s time to pay up, I continually find myself struggling to balance my multiple payment deadlines. I’ve been living beyond my means and I know I’m in a dangerous cycle. But why has this kind of payment culture become so normalised?
Denne historien er fra November 11, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 11, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Israeli airstrikes kill dozens of Palestinians in Gaza Strip
Starving people also being shot while waiting for aid as locals fear Iran-Israel war has shifted focus from their catastrophe
Who is really to blame for miserable failures of HS27
Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, was determined to blame the Conservatives when she announced that what is left of the High Speed Two rail project will be delayed again.
City cruise to victory in Club World Cup opener
The late sending off of Rico Lewis marred a comfortable victory for Manchester City in their Club World Cup opener.
Food prices have risen again are supermarkets at fault?
No, say retail giants who point the finger at the chancellor's tax rises as food inflation jumps to 4.4 per cent. James Moore follows the supply chain to explain why we are paying more
Draper into quarter-finals after victory over Popyrin
When Jack Draper played at Queen's last year he was still something of an unfinished article.
Why Labour's bid to reform ECHR is freighted with risk
Shabana Mahmood has said the European Convention on Human Rights must be reformed to restore public confidence as Keir Starmer's government seeks to tackle the issue head-on.
Meditation, reading and three modest meals a day
Prison logs offer a glimpse into Aung San Suu Kyi's life
THE PACE RACE
James Anderson and Stuart Broad assess England's seamers ahead of 'era-defining' Tests against India and Australia
Two million more to get £150 winter fuel discount
Around 2 million more people will receive an automatic discount on their energy bills this winter as Labour confirms the expansion of an annual scheme.
Trump risks giving Tehran the final showdown it wants
In the feverish rhetoric of this new age of chaos, Donald Trump has upped the temperature dangerously close to delirium with a threat to kill the supreme leader of Iran - not yet, but maybe and Trump knows where he's hiding.
