Klarna Docs Glossary
Understand the key terms used in our documentation.
9 min read
A - D
Acquiring Partner
A licensed and regulated company that processes payments from customers to Partners through the Klarna Payment Services. As detailed in the corresponding Klarna Network Distribution Agreement, the Acquiring Partner is responsible for the Know-Your-Customer ("KYC") and Anti-Money Laundering ("AML") checks required to onboard Partners. Acquiring Partners handle the authorization, settlement and management of Klarna transactions, and continuously monitor their Partners. Any term defined in the respective Klarna Network Distribution Agreement keeps its meaning throughout the Klarna Network Rules unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Action
A task you can perform with Klarna's APIs. For example, canceling and refunding a payment are actions you can perform with transaction management.
Allowlist
A list of files, programs or systems that are allowed to run or to access a database. Sometimes called a "whitelist". Some platforms require the Partner to allowlist Klarna APIs or IP addresses explicitly.
API
An Application Programming Interface (API) is a software intermediary that lets applications interact with each other and share data.
Authorization token
The identifier of a purchase authorization, returned in response to an Authorize() call in a Klarna Payments integration. Use it to create the order and complete the purchase.
Calendar days
Every day counts, including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Deadlines for responding to a dispute are counted in calendar days.
Chargeback
A customer's request to get back money they paid to a Partner. Chargebacks typically happen after the Partner has refused a refund.
After a chargeback is opened, the Partner can dispute it in some cases. If a dispute is allowed, the Partner provides the necessary documents to Klarna, or to their Distribution Partner if they accept Klarna through one.
Claim
The right to collect payment from the respective customer.
Consumer foreign exchange (Consumer FX)
The foreign exchange rate applied to the price shown to the customer at checkout, when the customer's payment currency differs from the Partner's settlement currency.
Customer
A person who makes purchases online or in-store and pays for them with the Klarna Payment Services. Also called a "consumer" or "shopper".
Deep link
A short-lived URL that gives secure, time-limited access to Klarna Partner Portal without a manual sign-in. Partners use deep links to open their portal environment for a limited time, typically when granting temporary or delegated access.
Direct Partner
A business entity that integrates Klarna's products, such as payments, identity or marketing services, through a direct commercial agreement with Klarna, without an Acquiring Partner.
Dispute
A Klarna dispute arises when a customer contests their obligation to pay for purchases made from a Partner. Disputes are categorized by dispute reason.
Dispute ID
The short identifier of a dispute, shown on the dispute page in the Disputes app in Klarna Partner Portal. Partners use it to search for a dispute and when they contact Klarna about it.
Dispute states
The states a Disputes Flow 2026 dispute goes through in the Disputes app:
- Initiated: Klarna has escalated the dispute to the Partner and is waiting for the Partner's response.
- Representment: the Partner has responded, and Klarna is reviewing the response.
- Closed: the dispute is finished, for example because Klarna decided, the Partner accepted the loss or the Partner refunded the payment.
- Pre-Arbitration and Arbitration: states used only for appeals, for disputes opened on or after March 1, 2027.
Disputes Flow 2020 and Disputes Flow 2026
Klarna's two processes for handling disputes in the Disputes app. In Disputes Flow 2026, Klarna sends one request for evidence, the Partner responds once with PDF evidence, and Klarna decides on that response. Disputes Flow 2020 is the previous process, with up to three requests. From November 2026, Klarna moves Stores that handle their disputes only in the Disputes app to Disputes Flow 2026. The app lists the two kinds of dispute under DISPUTES FLOW 2026 (NEW) and DISPUTES FLOW 2020 (LEGACY).
Distribution Partner
An entity that Klarna has authorized to market, distribute, resell or otherwise extend the availability of Klarna's products and services in broader or more specific markets.
E - H
Escalate
In a dispute, Klarna first collects information from the customer, who has time to sort out the problem with the Partner directly. If the problem isn't solved, Klarna escalates the dispute to the Partner: it sends one request for evidence, and the Partner's deadline to respond starts.
Fraud assessment
Klarna's review to make sure a purchase is made by a real person and is safe to fulfill. It confirms the purchase details and verifies the customer's identity.
Hosted payment page (HPP)
A webpage, popup or embedded section of a checkout that a customer is redirected to, to pay and complete their purchase. The page is "hosted": it belongs to, and is maintained by, a third party. When customers select Klarna as their payment method in a Partner's checkout, they're redirected to a new page, or shown a popup window, where they complete their purchase with Klarna. After the purchase, the customer is redirected back to the Partner's order confirmation page.
I - L
Identifiers
Only identifiers generated by Klarna are exposed through properties suffixed with
_id. Identifiers generated by Partners are accepted through properties suffixed with _reference.To get a Klarna
_id when you only have the corresponding _reference (and other required context), see Resolve identifiers.In-app
Electronic payments that customers make in mobile apps. These payments can use built-in mobile APIs or web pages optimized for mobile (also called mobile web).
In-store
Transactions that take place in a physical, brick-and-mortar store.
Indirect Partner
A Partner that accesses Klarna's services through an Acquiring Partner, rather than through a direct agreement with Klarna.
Integration method
The technical approach used within an integration path to connect to Klarna, for example Web SDK, REST API or Mobile SDK.
Integration path
The overall technical setup used to connect a Partner to Klarna, for example a hosted page, the API, a plugin or the Web SDK.
Klarna Partner Portal
Klarna's online platform for all Partners. Partners use it to view and manage their payments, access settlement information, update their payment details, and opt into specific Payment Programs. It also gives them technical guides, API documentation, integration tools and updates on new features.
Klarna Payments
The Klarna product that lets a Partner offer Klarna payment methods on their online store and create orders.
M - P
Merchant
A business or business owner that sells goods or services. In Klarna Docs, businesses that use Klarna are called Partners.
Merchant category code (MCC)
A four-digit number that classifies the type of goods or services a business offers.
Merchant ID
A several-digit code that Klarna assigns to a business when it creates an account with Klarna. It identifies the business in Klarna's systems.
The Merchant ID is unique per environment, so a Partner can have several Merchant IDs: for the test and production environments, and for different websites or regions.
Merchant portal
A former name of Klarna Partner Portal.
On-site messaging
The Klarna solution that lets Partners show dynamic Klarna messages on their online store.
One-time payments
Payments that happen once and aren't charged again. Most purchases are one-time payments.
Order management
The Klarna product for handling Klarna Payments orders after they're created, with actions such as captures, cancellations and refunds. Called transaction management elsewhere in Klarna Docs.
Partner
A business entity that uses Klarna's Product Suite (for example payments, placements, identity, Express checkout or advertising services) through an active Klarna business account, whatever type of integration it uses.
Partners can be Direct Partners or Indirect Partners.
Payload
The part of transmitted data that is the actual intended message. The payload excludes any headers or metadata sent only to deliver it.
Payment
A transfer of money from one party to another, for example from a customer to a Partner for a purchase.
Payment Account
In Klarna Partner Portal, a Store that accepts Klarna through a Klarna Network Payment Account is listed as a payment account, including in the store selector and store filters. It works the same way as any other Store.
Payment provider
The acquirer, payment platform or other company that set up Klarna for a Partner's Store. See also PSP.
Platform
A software system that gives a business the tools and infrastructure to build, run and manage an online store, including product listings, checkout, payment processing, inventory, marketing and analytics.
Plugin (or extension)
A software component that connects a platform to Klarna's services (payments, transaction management, messaging and more), so the Store can offer Klarna features through the platform's existing architecture.
Production environment
The live version of a website or system. For a Partner selling online, it's the public website where customers make real purchases. After signing up with Klarna, Partners get access to the Klarna production environment: the live integrations, so customers can pay with Klarna, and the live Klarna Partner Portal, where Partners manage their payments and their account.
PSP
Short for Payment Service Provider: a company that gives Partners a wide range of payment methods for their customers, and manages their payments. In Klarna Docs, a PSP that processes Klarna payments is called an Acquiring Partner.
Q - T
Recurring payments
Payments that are charged several times, at regular intervals. Subscriptions are an example of recurring payments.
Settlement
The process of transferring funds from Klarna to a Partner.
Settlement foreign exchange (Settlement FX)
The foreign exchange rate used when Klarna settles funds to a Partner in a different currency from the customer's payment currency.
Test environment
A test version of a website or system, where you can use the features without real consequences. Also called "playground" or "sandbox". Klarna offers a free test environment, with test versions of the integration and of Klarna Partner Portal. Partners use it to go through the integration, make test payments and see Klarna on their site, without a live Klarna account. See also Before you test.
U - X
Webhook
An automated notification that one application sends to another when something happens. A webhook is an HTTP-based callback that allows lightweight, event-driven communication between systems.
Related articles
Jump to section...