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E-Commerce · head to head

Depop vs Klarna

Depop logo

Depop

E-Commerce

Fashion resale marketplace popular with younger sellers, owned by Etsy, with a per-item plus percentage fee

From
Free
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

  • Only Depop has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Depop the 2024 shift away from a flat 10 percent fee increased the effective cost per sale for sellers moving high volumes of low-priced items, a group that was previously well served by the app.; 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: Depop covers Curated seller shops, Klarna covers Pay in 4.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depop and Klarna actually diverge.

Attributes where Depop and Klarna differ
AttributeDepopKlarna
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree to list; percentage plus per-order seller fee, separate payment processing feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

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 Depop

  • Curated seller shops
  • Social discovery feed
  • Per-order seller fee
  • Depop Payments
  • Offers and bundles
  • Boost and promoted listings

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.

Depop

  • A younger seller building a curated vintage or streetwear shop with a distinct aesthetic identitynot Klarna
  • A buyer who discovers items through a social-style feed rather than direct searchnot Klarna
  • A seller moving higher-priced individual pieces where the current fee structure is more favourable than the old flat ratenot Klarna
  • Someone who wants social features like likes and follows as part of the buying and selling experiencenot Klarna

Klarna

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

Where each one falls short

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

Depop

  • The 2024 shift away from a flat 10 percent fee increased the effective cost per sale for sellers moving high volumes of low-priced items, a group that was previously well served by the app.
  • Payment processing is a separate fee on top of the per-order seller fee, so the total deduction from a sale is not fully captured by the headline percentage alone.
  • Discovery leans heavily on an algorithmic social feed, so newer sellers without an existing following can find it harder to get visibility without paying for Boost promotion.
  • As an Etsy subsidiary since 2021, Depop's roadmap and fee decisions are set within a larger public company strategy rather than independently, and past fee changes reflect that broader commercial pressure.
  • Buyer protection and dispute resolution for item condition or authenticity issues rely on Depop's own policies, which are less standardised than the seller-rating-driven trust systems on some competitors.

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

Depop

Free
  • SellingFree
    • Percentage-based fee on sale price plus a small fixed per-order fee
    • Separate payment processing fee applies on top
    • Sellers should check current published rates, as the fee structure changed from a flat 10 percent in 2024

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 Depop if

  • You need curated seller shops.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want social discovery feed.
Depop 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 Depop or Klarna better?
Neither clearly leads. Depop starts at Free and Klarna at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depop or Klarna?
Depop has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Depop and On request for Klarna.
Does Depop or Klarna run on more platforms?
Depop runs on iOS, Android, Web. Klarna runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Depop for free?
Yes. Depop has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Klarna starts at On request.
What is Depop best used for?
Depop is most often used for a younger seller building a curated vintage or streetwear shop with a distinct aesthetic identity, a buyer who discovers items through a social-style feed rather than direct search, a seller moving higher-priced individual pieces where the current fee structure is more favourable than the old flat rate, someone who wants social features like likes and follows as part of the buying and selling experience. Of those, a younger seller building a curated vintage or streetwear shop with a distinct aesthetic identity and a buyer who discovers items through a social-style feed rather than direct search are not what Klarna is typically brought in for.
What can Depop do that Klarna cannot?
Depop covers Curated seller shops, Social discovery feed, Per-order seller fee, Depop Payments. Klarna covers Pay in 4, Pay in 30 days, Longer-term financing, Klarna app placement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Depop: Is Depop seller fee still a flat 10 percent?

No, Depop moved to a percentage plus small fixed per-order fee structure in 2024, replacing the earlier flat 10 percent rate.

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.

Depop: Who owns Depop?

Etsy, which acquired Depop in 2021 for 1.625 billion dollars.

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.

Depop: Does Depop charge for payment processing separately?

Yes, Depop Payments carries its own fee in addition to the per-order seller fee.

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.

Klarna: Is Klarna still independent?

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

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