On January 22, the Dutch government announced its efforts to restrict the implementation of "buy now, pay later" services in physical retail stores, citing potential financial risks for consumers. Finance Minister Eelco Heinen's letter to parliament emphasized growing concerns about these installment-based payment plans, popularized during the pandemic for online purchases, notably by companies like Sweden's Klarna.
While an outright ban is not currently viable under EU regulations, the government, along with Minister for Legal Protection Teun Struycken, highlighted the potential for increased debts, especially among younger consumers. The letter encouraged Klarna to refrain from expanding its services in physical stores in the Netherlands.
Responding to these measures, a Klarna spokesperson pointed out the high repayment rate of Klarna loans in the Netherlands and underscored the importance of addressing the risks associated with credit options such as credit cards.
Concurrently, discussions between the Dutch government and other providers like Zalando and Amazon are ongoing. Unlike Klarna, these companies have yet to commit to verifying the age of all customers as part of a code of conduct.
Last September, Dutch payments group Adyen and Klarna extended their partnership to cover in-store terminals across several continents. However, Adyen clarified that Klarna's BNPL expansion plans were still in the pilot phase in certain countries and had not yet launched in the Netherlands.