Shopify Partners with Klarna for Payments in Germany

Shopify is expanding its payments platform in Germany, thanks to a new relationship with Klarna. 

The company is launching Shopify Payments in the German market, offering payment methods that include the major card brands as well as local payment options including Klarna’s Pay Now solution – which is also called Sofort –  it said in a blog post. Klarna’s Pay later will follow in a few weeks.

Sofort is a European online payment method that enables users to pay directly from their bank accounts. Pay later allows users to pay up to 30 days after their purchase with no interest or fees.

“Shopify accidentally went global when merchants around the world began using our software. Now, we’re strategically going local. We want to make sure that Shopify works perfectly in Germany, and Klarna and its payment alternatives really complete our checkout system,” Tobi Lütke, CEO of Shopify, said in a press release.

Shopify said it would integrate the Klarna payment options as default payment methods. This announcement builds on a previous relationship between the two companies. Shopify already offers its merchants Klarna’s payment gateway in nine markets, it said.

“We have a shared vision of helping merchants, especially SMEs, to unlock growth by providing an exceptional customer experience by removing unnecessary friction associated with the checkout process. This will also help merchants to meet customers’ increasing demands on a smooth experience and thereby enable them to compete more effectively on key markets and ultimately achieve their full potential,” Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO and co-founder of Klarna, said.