Is Adyen or Klarna better?

Neither clearly leads. Adyen starts at $0.13/per-transaction and Klarna at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Adyen or Klarna?

Adyen starts at $0.13/per-transaction and Klarna at On request.

Does Adyen or Klarna run on more platforms?

Adyen runs on Web, Api, Pos. Klarna runs on Web, iOS, Android.

What is Adyen best used for?

Adyen is most often used for card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants, accepting local payment methods across multiple countries, settling in several currencies through linked bank accounts, unified online and in-person payments. Of those, card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants and accepting local payment methods across multiple countries are not what Klarna is typically brought in for.

What can Adyen do that Klarna cannot?

Adyen covers Payment processing, Risk management, Unified commerce, Issuing. Klarna covers Pay in 4, Pay in 30 days, Longer-term financing, Klarna app placement.

Accounting · head to head

Adyen vs Klarna

Adyen

Accounting

The payments platform built for growth

From: $0.13/per-transaction
Rated: -

Full review Website

Klarna

E-Commerce

Buy now pay later and instalment checkout for online and in-store merchants

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Adyen there is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic; Klarna merchant fees for the short-term products run around 5.99% plus a fixed fee in the United States, roughly double a standard card rate, so unless Klarna measurably lifts average order value or conversion it is a straight margin loss.
They diverge on capability: Adyen covers Payment processing, Klarna covers Pay in 4.
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adyen and Klarna actually diverge.

Attributes where Adyen and Klarna differ
Attribute	Adyen	Klarna
Starting price	$0.13/per-transaction	On request
Pricing model	usage-based	quote
Platforms	Web, Api, Pos	Web, iOS, Android
Category	Accounting	E-Commerce
Founded	2006	Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adyen

Payment processing
Risk management
Unified commerce
Issuing
Platform payments
SAP
Salesforce
Oracle

Only in Klarna

Pay in 4
Pay in 30 days
Longer-term financing
Klarna app placement
Klarna Checkout
In-store payments
On-site messaging
Merchant portal

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adyen

Card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchantsnot Klarna
Accepting local payment methods across multiple countriesnot Klarna
Settling in several currencies through linked bank accountsnot Klarna
Unified online and in-person paymentsnot Klarna

Klarna

A fashion or furniture retailer with average order values high enough that a 3% fee uplift is repaid by a larger basketnot Adyen
A merchant selling to younger shoppers who have low credit card penetration and would otherwise abandon at checkoutnot Adyen
A European retailer wanting a single hosted checkout that handles instalments, invoice and card in one flownot Adyen
A brand that wants distribution inside Klarna's shopping app as an acquisition channel rather than only a payment optionnot Adyen

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adyen

There is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic
Published fees are indicative rather than a rate card, with real pricing negotiated
Interchange++ means the card cost varies per transaction rather than being a single predictable percentage
Alternative payment methods carry their own rates on top, such as 3.3 percent plus $0.10 for American Express in North America

Klarna

Merchant fees for the short-term products run around 5.99% plus a fixed fee in the United States, roughly double a standard card rate, so unless Klarna measurably lifts average order value or conversion it is a straight margin loss.
Rates are negotiated and unpublished, which means small merchants pay the standard rate while large ones negotiate down, and you cannot benchmark what you are being charged without going to market.
Returns and partial refunds are handled through Klarna's systems rather than your payment processor, so your finance team reconciles a second settlement flow and customer service handles a second dispute process.
Buy now pay later is being brought under consumer credit regulation in the UK, the EU and Australia, which is already changing affordability checks and disclosures; the checkout experience that converts today may be legally required to add friction.
Klarna owns the post-purchase relationship, sending payment reminders and marketing in its own name, so a shopper who has a poor collections experience associates it with your brand while you have no control over the messaging.

Pricing, plan by plan

Adyen

$0.13/per-transaction

Transaction-Based Pricing$undefined/mo
- Fixed $0.13 USD per transaction
- Variable fee determined by payment method
- No setup fees

Klarna

On request

Klarna for Business$undefined/year
- Per-transaction percentage plus a fixed fee, negotiated by merchant
- No published rate card; rates vary by market, product and volume
- Short-term products priced materially above card interchange

Which should you pick?

Choose Adyen if

You need payment processing.
You work on Web, Api, Pos.
You also want risk management.

Adyen review

Choose Klarna if

You need pay in 4.
You work on Web, iOS, Android.
You also want pay in 30 days.

Klarna review

Questions people ask

Is Adyen or Klarna better?: Neither clearly leads. Adyen starts at $0.13/per-transaction and Klarna at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adyen or Klarna?: Adyen starts at $0.13/per-transaction and Klarna at On request.
Does Adyen or Klarna run on more platforms?: Adyen runs on Web, Api, Pos. Klarna runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Adyen best used for?: Adyen is most often used for card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants, accepting local payment methods across multiple countries, settling in several currencies through linked bank accounts, unified online and in-person payments. Of those, card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants and accepting local payment methods across multiple countries are not what Klarna is typically brought in for.
What can Adyen do that Klarna cannot?: Adyen covers Payment processing, Risk management, Unified commerce, Issuing. Klarna covers Pay in 4, Pay in 30 days, Longer-term financing, Klarna app placement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Adyen: How much does Adyen charge per transaction?

Adyen charges a fixed $0.13 USD per transaction plus a variable fee based on the payment method used. Credit cards typically cost $0.13 + 0.60% + interchange, while digital wallets and BNPL options cost between $0.13 + 0.99% to $0.13 + 4.99%+, depending on the specific method and region.

Source

Klarna: What does Klarna cost a merchant?

Klarna does not publish a rate card. In the United States most merchants pay around 5.99% plus $0.30 for short-term products, with longer-term financing nearer 3.29% plus $0.30, and large merchants negotiate lower.

Adyen: Does Adyen have monthly subscription or setup fees?

No, Adyen has no setup fees or monthly recurring charges. You pay only for each transaction processed. The transaction fee structure remains the same regardless of transaction volume or business size.

Source

Klarna: Does the merchant carry the credit risk?

No. Klarna pays the merchant the full amount less fees and takes the risk of the shopper not paying.

Adyen: What's Adyen's Interchange++ pricing option?

Adyen offers an Interchange++ transparent pricing model that passes interchange and scheme fees directly to merchants instead of bundling them into a percentage rate. This allows visibility into exact costs for each payment method.

Source

Klarna: Can I use Klarna alongside my existing processor?

Yes. It is normally added as an additional payment method through Shopify, Adyen, Stripe or a direct integration rather than replacing your card acquirer.

Adyen: Can I process payments in multiple currencies with Adyen?

Yes, Adyen supports 100+ payment methods across multiple currencies. You can link multiple bank accounts in different currencies to avoid currency conversion fees on international transactions.

Source

Klarna: Is Klarna still independent?

Yes. It listed on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2025 and holds a Swedish banking licence.

Adyen vs Klarna

Adyen

Klarna

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Adyen

Only in Klarna

What people use each for

Adyen

Klarna

Where each one falls short

Adyen

Klarna

Pricing, plan by plan

Adyen

Klarna

Which should you pick?

Choose Adyen if

Choose Klarna if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Adyen

More on Klarna

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