Financial services are highly regulated. This means that Klarna and our merchants who advertise with us need to follow the laws and regulations that govern advertising financial products.
The following advertising guidelines provide a general overview of the requirements you need to follow. Remember that it is also your responsibility to learn and understand the laws governing the advertising of financial products. If you ever have any questions or are unsure, please reach out to your Klarna marketing contact or us.comarketing.support@klarna.com.
When advertising financial products, it is important that you make the right disclosures so that consumers can easily understand what is being advertised. You MUST include the disclosure. It MUST be easy for consumers to see. If you cannot put the disclosure directly next to the messaging, it must be on the same page using a reference text or reference symbol, or One click away using a hyperlink. Disclosures inform customers of actually available terms, they must be clear and conspicuous, they must be legible—no one should have to squint to read them: 8 pt. font size minimum is usually sufficient and contrast text with background color for full visibility.
If disclosures are separate from the messaging they modify, you need to connect the messaging and the disclosure together with one of the following:
Hyperlink: Learn more.
Reference text: See footer for details.
Reference Symbol: (e.g., *,†) If using a reference symbol, the claim ends with the reference symbol and the disclosure begins with the same reference symbol.
Product Referenced | Example Advertising Messaging (list not exhaustive) | Required Disclosure |
---|---|---|
Pay in 4 |
| *CA resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law license. |
Pay in 30 |
| *CA resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law license. |
Financing |
| *Monthly financing through Klarna issued by WebBank. |
Pay in 4 and Financing, Pay in 30 and Financing, Pay in 4 and Pay in 30 and Financing | See above examples. | *Monthly financing through Klarna issued by WebBank. Other CA resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law license. |
The following additional disclosures need to be made when referencing payment terms of Pay in 4/Pay in 30 Products.
Product Referenced | Example Advertising Messaging (list not exhaustive) | Required Disclosure |
---|---|---|
Pay in 4 |
| *See payment terms. A higher initial payment may be required for some consumers. CA resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law license. |
Pay in 30 |
|
|
The following disclosures are required under TILA if you use “trigger terms” in your advertising.
Trigger Term | Trigger Term Example (examples not exhaustive) | Required Disclosure |
---|---|---|
Periodic Payment Amount |
| Representative Example required. See Financing Advertising Legal Guideline for more information. |
Number of payments or period of repayment |
| Representative Example required. See Financing Advertising Legal Guideline for more information. |
Amount of interest (APR) |
| Representative Example required. See Financing Advertising Legal Guideline for more information. |
Amount of down payment |
| Representative Example required. See Financing Advertising Legal Guideline for more information. |
If you use social media influencers, bloggers, or other third parties to advertise Klarna and your business, there is more you need to know!
When social media influencers, bloggers, or other individuals receive any type of payment to endorse or otherwise mention a product (called an “endorsement”), they are required to disclose the existence of the relationship on the post where the endorsement was made. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released a guide you can share with bloggers that explain in plain language when and where they need to make disclosures here. There is also more information available to social media influencers and bloggers here.
When social media influencers and bloggers endorse Klarna’s products, they are endorsing a financial product. Therefore, they need to do two things.
The following Pay in 4/Pay in 30 Advertising Guideline provides a general overview of the requirements you need to follow when advertising Klarna’s Pay in 4 and Pay in 30 products. Remember that it is also your responsibility to learn and understand the laws governing the advertising of financial products. If you ever have any questions, please reach out to your Klarna marketing contact or us.comarketing.support@klarna.com. Please ensure that you obtain advice from your own lawyers on all marketing activities.
This Pay in 4/Pay in 30 Advertising Guideline should be reviewed along with the Financing Advertising Guideline the Legal Disclosure Table and the Social Media Disclosures
If your ad mentions Pay in 4 or Pay in 30, the following disclosure is required to be included in the marketing materials.
Messaging that references Pay in 4
Examples of messaging that references Pay in 30 (this list is not exhaustive).
If your ad mentions both Pay in 4 and/or Pay in 30 and monthly financing, the following disclosure is required to be included in the marketing materials:
When referring to payment terms for Pay in 4, e.g., 4 interest-free payments of $X or Pay in 30, “Only pay for what you keep,” the following disclosures must be included:
If you list payment terms when referring to Klarna’s monthly financing products offered through Klarna’s partnership with WebBank, you need to understand the Truth-in-Lending Act. Please review the Financing section carefully and seek advice from your lawyers on advertising requirements under the Truth-in-Lending Act to ensure you understand and follow the laws and regulations related to advertising Klarna’s financing products offered in partnership with WebBank.
You should always have a Klarna educational page on your site. This page will educate your customers about Klarna’s products and make required disclaimers and disclosures. Your Klarna educational page can be automatically generated using Klarna’s On-Site Messaging tools, using these guidelines.
Emails with Klarna messaging must include disclosures as outlined in the disclosures section and on the legal disclosures table.
If you advertise using phone calls or text messages, then you are subject to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the requirements of carriers. These laws and rules require prior express written consent to send advertising via (a) calls to traditional home, business, or wireless phones or (b) texts to wireless numbers, among numerous other requirements. For example, you may not contact anyone on the national do not call registry.
The TCPA and carrier requirements are complex, and violating them comes with the potential for lawsuits and fines. You should obtain the advice of your own lawyers before sending advertising via telephone or text.
Do not use the following terms:
If coupons/discounts/rewards are offered, they should be redeemable across all tender types, including Klarna. Avoid “no money down” deferral messages when advertising Klarna as a financing option. Depending on eligibility criteria, certain customers may be asked to make a down payment at checkout.
If you are ever in doubt, contact your Klarna marketing contact or us.comarketing.support@klarna.com.
In addition to what we have covered so far, your advertising must also follow all of the laws that apply to financial advertising and advertising generally. This section summarizes key laws and regulations.
Unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices can cause significant financial injury to consumers, erode consumer confidence, and undermine the financial marketplace. UDAAP was established to prevent consumer harm by misleading or deceitful actions. There are both federal and state UDAAP laws and regulations.
What you need to do.
What else you need to know.
Fair lending applies to the entire lifecycle of a loan, including advertisement of the credit product. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) is a law that requires credit products, like those offered by Klarna, to be advertised fairly to everyone.
The CAN-SPAM Act covers all commercial messages, which the law defines as “any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service,” including email that promotes content on commercial websites. CAN-SPAM includes business-to-business email. The Federal Trade Commission has provided the below guidance to comply with CAN-SPAM: