Softwr

Email Marketing · head to head

Attentive vs Klarna

Attentive logo

Attentive

Email Marketing

Enterprise SMS and email marketing for retail brands, sold on quarterly minimum spend commitments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Klarna logo

Klarna

E-Commerce

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Attentive minimum spend commitments are use it or lose it: if quarterly usage falls short, the shortfall is invoiced anyway, which makes Attentive expensive for any brand whose sending is seasonal rather than even.; 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: Attentive covers SMS-first journeys, Klarna covers Pay in 4.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Attentive and Klarna actually diverge.

Attributes where Attentive and Klarna differ
AttributeAttentiveKlarna
CategoryEmail MarketingE-Commerce

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Attentive

  • SMS-first journeys
  • Two-tap sign-up units
  • TCPA compliance tooling
  • Email channel
  • Revenue attribution
  • Concierge
  • Identity resolution
  • Negotiated order form rates

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.

Attentive

  • A direct-to-consumer brand where SMS is the primary revenue channel and needs cart abandonment triggered within minutes of a sessionnot Klarna
  • A retailer capturing in-store phone numbers at the till and needing TCPA-compliant consent records to go with themnot Klarna
  • A consumer brand running SMS and email from one audience so subscribers are not messaged twice for the same promotionnot Klarna
  • A high-volume merchant with predictable year-round send patterns that can commit to a quarterly minimum and negotiate rates down against itnot Klarna

Klarna

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

Where each one falls short

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

Attentive

  • Minimum spend commitments are use it or lose it: if quarterly usage falls short, the shortfall is invoiced anyway, which makes Attentive expensive for any brand whose sending is seasonal rather than even.
  • No rates are published anywhere, so a buyer cannot benchmark a quote before entering a sales process, and the effective per message cost is only visible once an order form is drafted.
  • Contracts commonly run six to twelve months, so a brand that finds performance disappointing after two months still owes the balance of the term.
  • Total cost combines a platform fee, per message SMS and MMS charges and carrier pass-through fees, and MMS at two to five cents per message means image-heavy campaigns cost several times what the SMS rate suggests.
  • It is priced and built for established consumer brands, and the entry commitment puts it out of reach of small merchants that Postscript and similar tools serve on usage-based plans with no floor.

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

Attentive

On request
  • Attentive$undefined/year
    • No public rate card; rates are set in an individual order form
    • Platform fee plus per message SMS and MMS charges
    • Contracts commonly six to twelve months

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 Attentive if

  • You need sms-first journeys.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want two-tap sign-up units.
Attentive 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 Attentive or Klarna better?
Neither clearly leads. Attentive starts at On request and Klarna at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Attentive or Klarna?
Attentive starts at On request and Klarna at On request.
Does Attentive or Klarna run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Attentive best used for?
Attentive is most often used for a direct-to-consumer brand where sms is the primary revenue channel and needs cart abandonment triggered within minutes of a session, a retailer capturing in-store phone numbers at the till and needing tcpa-compliant consent records to go with them, a consumer brand running sms and email from one audience so subscribers are not messaged twice for the same promotion, a high-volume merchant with predictable year-round send patterns that can commit to a quarterly minimum and negotiate rates down against it. Of those, a direct-to-consumer brand where sms is the primary revenue channel and needs cart abandonment triggered within minutes of a session and a retailer capturing in-store phone numbers at the till and needing tcpa-compliant consent records to go with them are not what Klarna is typically brought in for.
What can Attentive do that Klarna cannot?
Attentive covers SMS-first journeys, Two-tap sign-up units, TCPA compliance tooling, Email channel. Klarna covers Pay in 4, Pay in 30 days, Longer-term financing, Klarna app placement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Attentive: How much does Attentive cost?

It does not publish rates. Costs are a platform fee plus per message charges set in your order form, with minimum spend commitments commonly around 2,000 to 3,000 USD per quarter.

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.

Attentive: What happens if I do not use my minimum?

You are invoiced for the shortfall at the end of the quarter. Unused commitment is not carried forward.

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.

Attentive: How long is the contract?

Typically six to twelve months, billed monthly or quarterly.

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.

Attentive: Does it do email as well as SMS?

Yes, with shared audiences and journeys, though the product was designed SMS-first and that remains its strength.

Klarna: Is Klarna still independent?

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

Share

Related pages

More on Attentive

More on Klarna

Keep looking

Other head to heads