Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The Independent's lifestyle newsletter.
You will have seen its baby pink logo, placed seductively at the bottom of the checkout window. Today it's ubiquitous, lurking on practically every online shop, from Asos to Deliveroo and John Lewis. I avoided clicking it for a while, then eventually gave in: this is Klarna, one of the many buy now, pay later (BNPL) services that allow you to split payments for everyday items into three, zero-interest instalments, or pay within 30 days. Sounds like a perfect way to create some financial flexibility, right? That's until you get completely hooked.
It began when I needed a dress for a special occasion, but couldn't afford one until payday. So I opted to actually pay for it 30 days after purchase. I was amazed by how easy it was. I didn't have to jump through any major hoops to obtain the credit from Klarna, or fill out any lengthy forms. But then I got traigger happy. Gym trainers, a pair of headphones, a cute winter cardi – you name it, I've probably Klarna'd it.
I've been living beyond my means and I know I'm in a dangerous cycle. But why has this kind of payment culture become so normalised?
As it turns out, I'm not alone in my reliance on Klarna. BNPL services have become commonplace in the digital shopping sphere: Klarna alone has more than 85 million users, and Gen Zs and millennials are its biggest clientele. But, as experts tell me this week, there can be dangerous consequences for being over-reliant on BNPLs. Read more here.
In this week's newsletter you can expect:
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