Klarna's pizza BNPL earns social media ridicule

Klarna, bound for an IPO this year in New York, is creating a new partnership with delivery business Door Dash, allowing customers to pay for their pizzas in instalments. It hasn't gone down well. “Announced on March 20, 2025, this collaboration is DoorDash’s first BNPL alliance in the United States,” notes Daily Dot. “According to Klarna’s Chief Commercial Officer, David Skyes, the partnership ‘marks an important milestone in Klarna’s expansion into everyday spending categories.’ DoorDash users now have the option to pay in full at checkout, split payments into four equal interest-free instalments, or defer payments to dates that align with their paychecks.” However, financial analysts will tell you that this type of consumer behaviour indicates people acting under financial strains. Mehmet Sezgin of myGini tweeted: “This is a very misguided partnership. No perishable item, especially food, must be financed at point of sale. It is a clear invitation to over indebtedness.” Social media users provided meme-worthy responses, such as “It’s 2026. I just defaulted on my burrito loan”, “Born too late to ever own a home, born just in time to finance a pizza from Dominos”. Several memes feature stills from the Big Short with titles such as ‘Collateralised Burrito Obligations’, while several writers comment that it’s giving very pre-crash vibes.