• IDs: These are unique identifiers generated by Klarna. They are exposed through properties suffixed with _id. IDs are used to uniquely identify resources or entities within Klarna's systems.
  • References: These are identifiers generated by partners. They are accepted through properties suffixed with _reference. References are used to link Klarna's systems with the partner's systems, allowing for seamless integration and tracking (1).
  1. Source of Generation:
    1. IDs are generated by Klarna.
    2. References are generated by the partner.
  2. Purpose:
    1. IDs are used internally within Klarna's systems to uniquely identify resources.
    2. References are used to map or link Klarna's resources to the partner's systems.
  3. Naming Convention:
    1. IDs are suffixed with _id.
    2. References are suffixed with _reference.
  4. Use Cases:
    1. IDs are critical for Klarna's internal operations and API functionalities.
    2. References are essential for partners to track and manage transactions or resources in their own systems.

This distinction ensures clarity and proper mapping between Klarna's and the partner's systems, facilitating smooth integration and operations.

To ensure accurate correlation, reconciliation, and customer experience, Klarna supports the use of multiple reference types in its APIs. As an Acquiring Partner, correctly handling and mapping these references is essential for integrating with Klarna Payments and ensuring visibility across systems for you, your subpartners, and end-customers.

Klarna provides the following Partner References

Reference TypePurposeHow to Provide
payment_request_referenceReference to the payment session or equivalent on your sideInclude in the payment_request_reference field when creating a payment request.
API ReferenceAPI
payment_transaction_referenceReference to the payment resource or transaction on your sideInclude in the payment_transaction_reference when capturing or authorizing the transaction
API ReferenceAPI
purchase_referenceCustomer-facing order number, generated by the subpartnerInclude in the purchase_reference field as part of supplementary_purchase_data when creating a payment request.
API ReferenceAPI
session_referenceLong-lived integration/session identifier used for internal tracingInclude in the Klarna-Integration-Metadata header as part of the request metadata
API ReferenceAPI
Partner-Correlation-IdAn optional identifier that the partner can use to correlate and to use for troubleshooting. This value will be returned in the response.Include in the Partner-Correlation-Id header as part of the request
API ReferenceAPI