Even Klarna is launching a mobile phone service now

Klarna, the buy-now-pay-later service, is launching a mobile phone service. The $40 per month phone plan is launching in the US in the βcoming weeks,β offering unlimited 5G data, calls, and texts on AT&Tβs network β making it yet another MVNO in an increasingly crowded space.
MNVOs, or mobile virtual network operators, are companies that sell phone service on another carrierβs network. Theyβve become more popular in recent years, and include brands like Mint Mobile, Visible by Verizon, Cricket Wireless, Xfinity Mobile, and now the Trump Organizationβs new phone service.
Klarna says its service is powered by Gigs, a firm thatβs supposed to make it easier for companies to launch their own MVNOs. Users can sign up directly from the Klarna app with no contracts or hidden fees. Customers can also transfer their phone number to the service or get a new one with βinstant eSIM activation.β
Klarnaβs primary business is its buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) service, which lets customers split purchases into four separate payments. A study from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from earlier this year discovered that frequent BNPL users have more debt than people who donβt use the services at all, while a recent survey from LendingTree found that 41 percent of BNPL users said they paid late in the past year. Last month, the Trump administration dropped the CFPBβs plan to subject BNPL companies to stricter rules.
But with the launch of a mobile phone service, itβs clear Klarna wants to move beyond just offering BNPL. On Wednesday, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski told CNBC that he wants the app to serve as a βdigital financial assistantβ that uses AI to detect when youβre overpaying for services and βoffer you both a suggestion of a better price model, but also with a click, implement that and make it a reality.β
For now, users in the US can join the waitlist for Klarnaβs mobile phone service. Itβs planning to launch the service in the UK, Germany, and other countries βsoon.β