The Klarna membership programme has expanded in the United Kingdom and the European Union, introducing four tiers to offer travel benefits, cashback, and lifestyle perks without linking them to borrowing or debt. The new Core, Plus, Premium, and Max plans are structured to provide users with a range of premium credit card-like advantages.

Stepping towards digital banking

The addition of the Premium and Max tiers signifies Klarna’s ambition to expand beyond just being a payments provider, moving toward becoming a comprehensive digital banking platform. These membership levels include airport lounge access, travel insurance, and subscriptions from brands such as The New York Times, Headspace, Vogue, and GQ.

Klarna stated that the new membership structure simplifies how users access these lifestyle and financial benefits by eliminating spending thresholds or hidden fees typical in traditional reward systems. Monthly fees provide predetermined rewards for members without the need to spend more to unlock perks.

The company highlighted that this approach consolidates travel, lifestyle, and digital rewards into a single transparent subscription, aiming to simplify what has often been a complex system of credit-linked rewards. Klarna’s membership base now exceeds one million users globally, positioning this expansion as a significant step in its ongoing efforts to operate as a full-scale digital bank.

A Klarna representative said the programme aims to provide financial products that prioritize transparency and consumer control, aligning with their goal to reshape perceptions of value in financial services by separating premium experiences from debt-based spending.