Adyen vs Klarna: A Complete Guide for Merchants

Note that the information about Adyen and Klarna found in this article was taken from their respective websites on 20 November 2024. This information is subject to change.

The modern world is all about swiftness, and for merchants, choosing a third-party payment processor that lets their customers do transactions faster is everything. Adyen and Klarna are some of the biggest names known in Europe and cater to different types of merchants.

But which one is better? In this article, we are covering Adyen vs Klarna, understanding their unique selling points, pricing, and some of the most unique features they offer.

Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy payment solution for your business or just a simple transaction system for your online store, our guide will help you navigate toward a decision.

Adyen vs Klarna for Online Payments

Adyen for Online Payments

Adyen is a one-stop solution for businesses to accept payments across various channels, including online, mobile, and even in-store, making it a great choice for merchants. The tool provides you with various features like end-to-end payments, financial management, and data management in a single solution.

The company was founded back in 2006 and was established in Amsterdam, Netherlands. But with time, Adyen’s demand rose and they opened multiple offices around the world, in cities like Dubai. Today, they have become a global hub for providing secured payment systems for different industries including Digital Businesses, Mobility, Food & Beverage, Retail, Subscription, and more.

Adyen payment methods are also versatile, allowing you to accept payments in multiple currencies from customers all over the world, which is generally a good sign since businesses can integrate it to make payments easier.

With enhanced security and customisable checkout, Adyen is a tool that is trusted by big brands like Spotify, McDonald’s, WIX, eBay, and even Uber. Adyen accepts payments in almost 100 countries and their employees sprawl across 115+ countries too.

Here are some of the features it provides:

• Online Payments: Adyen allows businesses to accept, process, and settle payments and potentially scale them via multiple payment methods.
• In-Person Payments: Easy Point of Sale (PoS) is set up, terminals and mobile solutions available.
• User verification: For platforms, Adyen offers an integrated payments processing and seller/contractor verification solution.
• Real-Time Insights: Get valuable insights into your payment data to make important business decisions.

Klarna for Online Payments

Klarna is a global payment provider that caters to consumers and makes their online shopping a breeze. The main appeal of this payment processing tool is its buy now, pay later services.

The company describes itself as “the shortcut to shopping,” enabling its customers to split online payments by linking their credit or debit cards and in select markets, pay via bank transfer. The best part about using Klarna is that there is no interest to be paid, which makes it affordable for customers to buy things and brings more consumers to online businesses. But at the same time, it is a more costly method for the merchant.

To make things interesting, Klarna also offers a 3-36 month financing plan thanks to its partnership with different banks from different countries, and it is perfect for online stores. This makes Klarna’s target different from Adyen's. Here are some of the features merchants get by choosing Klarna:

• Flexible Payment Solution: There are 3 payment methods which is installments, the second one is 30 days, and the third one is financing (canbe interest-free or interest bearing). The option to pay the full amount at once is available too.
• Subscriptions: Subscriptions are available for Klarna for recurring and on-demand purchases.
• In-store: Klarna provides a card that allows you to make in-store and physical purchases. In addition, customers can pay in-store with Klarna through their app or using a QR code.
• Advanced Fraud Protection: Provides ultimate protection against fraud and chargebacks.

Adyen vs Klarna Pricing Comparison

According to Adyen’s own documentation, you can usually get payment in around two days but most of the time, it’s much sooner than that.

When it comes to Klarna, Payouts are usually made in 3 business days. So when it comes to having quick payments, Klarna might be slower than Adyen but it is still reliable.

However, pricing for Adyen is much more transparent – fees vary by payment method and location, whereas fees for Klarna will vary by location and aslo depending on whether you work with Klarna directly or integrate via third parties. Here’s a complete breakdown of what you can expect as a merchant.

In the world of online payments, many payment titans exist and amongst those, Klarna and Adyen are one of the most popular solutions. However, there are many key differences between the two companies that make them distinct from each other.

First of all, Klarna is the consumer’s choice that has revolutionised online shopping for both merchants and online shoppers. By offering flexible payments and the ability to leverage BNPL, consumers can get whatever they want in easy installments while businesses can get more customers and a higher number of transactions in general.

By working with retailers, Klarna provides a seamless checkout process, reducing cart abandonment issues. Lastly, with its user-friendly interface, online shopping has become more engaging in general.

On the other hand, we have Adyen, which is the merchants’ powerhouse. Working with some of the biggest businesses, such as Uber, provides a unique suite of useful payment solutions like credit and debit card processing, digital wallets, and a lot more. Lastly, Klarna is usually chosen not as a standalone solution but as an additional payment method offered by other payment gateways. Larger enterprises might prefer integrating with Klarna directly.

What’s interesting is that Klarna and Adyen have already formed a partnership to enhance their offering. While they seem like competitors, they are both integratable and businesses can make the best out of their offerings online.

Here are some of the integration options that are available in both payment giants:

Klarna and Adyen Alternatives: Introducing Noda

Both Klarna and Adyen are great fit for merchants with their own unique use cases. But are you looking to make your payments simpler, effective, and stress-free? In that case, Noda’s Open Banking API is the perfect solution that offers direct payments with the best user experience, lower fees, and no chargeback. With direct bank payments, the overall fee is cheaper, and the payments are faster too because there are no cards and processing involved in the process.

So, no matter where you’re situated, you are getting a flow of payments like anything else. Noda offers simple integration with payment plugins for different e-commerce platforms, including WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart and PrestaShop, as customisable integration via API.

Features of Noda

Noda is a pay-by-bank solution that eliminates the middleman, enabling secured transactions and creating a better link between the business and the consumer. Our advanced Open Banking API can be integrated to your online platform, making it easily manage various transactions.

Here are some of the features you get with Noda:

• C2B2C Payment Cycle: Noda goes beyond just handling pay-ins; it also manages payouts. The whole Customer to Business Customer cycle is covered by Noda, which gives a lot of leverage when it comes to handling refunds or rewarding customers.
• Identity Verification: With Noda, staying compliant is made easier because it allows businesses to verify important user data, including age, address, and more via open banking, without document submission.
• Payment links: Noda allows you to generate payment links in seconds and share them via email, SMS, or any channel of your choice – with no coding or your own website required.
• High Payment Acceptance Rate: Noda has a high payment acceptance rate of up to 94%, making successful transactions for businesses that make them worry-free.

Reach More Customers

Currently, we partner with over 2,000 banks in 28 countries in Europe as well as the UK, Brazil, and Canada, supporting multiple currencies.

By using Noda, you can leverage the pay-by-bank technology internationally, avoiding any middlemen fees and chargebacks and offering your customers a user-friendly way of paying through their trusted local bank.

From growing your business to verifying the KYC, Noda helps you with all things payments. Our tools are designed to give your business the true control over payments that you deserve. Talk to our expert today to explore how Noda can address your unique payment needs.