Comparison · Updated October 8, 2026
Klarna vs Scalapay for merchants in Italy
Klarna
B
Klarna is a Swedish-founded, UK-parented digital bank and flexible payments provider that listed on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2025. Its full year 2025 results put it at $127.9 billion of gross merchandise volume, $3.5 billion of revenue, 118 million active consumers and 966,000 merchants. For a retailer it is not a merchant account — it is an additional payment method that sits alongside card acceptance, sold on the promise of higher conversion and larger baskets, and priced far above card interchange. Klarna publishes no US rate card, its dispute process runs on its own rules rather than the card networks', and it is defending a securities class action filed after its IPO.
Scalapay
B
Scalapay is a buy now, pay later provider founded in 2019 and run from Milan, with an Irish-registered parent company, Scalapay Limited. Its payment services are provided by Scalapay IP S.p.A., an Italian payment institution supervised by the Bank of Italy, which Scalapay acquired as Cabel IP in March 2023. Shoppers split a purchase into three or four monthly payments, or pay later, online or in store. The merchant is paid the full order value less Scalapay's fee, and Scalapay carries the risk that the shopper does not pay. In July 2026 Scalapay said it had more than 13 million users and over 12,000 brand partners, and named Italy, France, Spain, Belgium and Portugal as its markets. Scalapay does not publish each merchant's rate, but its regulated merchant information sheet (version 8, updated 15 June 2026) caps the fee at 10% of the order plus €1.00 per transaction. The agreement has no fixed term, and either side can leave free of charge on 30 days' notice. Scalapay only takes payments in euros and only signs businesses registered in the EU countries it lists, so it is not an option for a US business selling to US shoppers.
VS
Overview
This comparison is for a business selling to shoppers in Italy, priced in euros. Klarna and Scalapay both pay you the full order up front, less their fee, and both carry the risk that the shopper does not pay. Through Stripe in Italy they cost almost the same: 4.99% + €0.40 for Klarna and 4.99% + €0.35 for Scalapay. Signing directly is where they differ. Klarna's latest published price list for merchants in Italy (April 2025) charges 4.99% + €0.35, and the rate you actually get is shown in your merchant portal. Klarna's standard European cooperation agreement (October 2025 version) makes Klarna your only pay-later provider, pays weekly three weeks after shipment, and can be ended on one month's notice, though your own contract may differ. Scalapay does not publish your rate. Its regulated information sheet caps the fee at 10% + €1.00 an order and lets either side leave free of charge on 30 days' notice, and its help centre says money reaches you within about 5 to 7 business days. For your customers, Scalapay offers Pay in 3 or 4 and accepts prepaid cards, which are common in Italy. Klarna offers Pay in 3 in Italy and does not accept prepaid cards for it. Klarna is far larger, with 120 million active consumers worldwide and merchants in 26 countries, against Scalapay's 13 million users in Southern Europe. Payment Review grades both B, so the right choice depends on where your customers are and how you want to contract.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Scalapay is slightly cheaper through Stripe in Italy: 4.99% + €0.35 against Klarna's 4.99% + €0.40, or €5.34 against €5.39 on a €100 order. Klarna costs 2.99% + €0.35 when the shopper is in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands or Switzerland.
- ✓Scalapay's direct terms are more open and easier to leave: a published 10% + €1.00 fee cap, no fixed term, free exit on 30 days' notice and 60 days' notice of changes. Klarna's standard European agreement (October 2025) makes it your only pay-later provider and gives 30 days' notice of changes.
- ✓Scalapay pays faster on its standard terms: its help centre puts the money in your account within about 5 to 7 business days of each order. Klarna's standard European agreement pays weekly, three weeks after shipment, unless your contract sets a different schedule.
- ✓Scalapay suits more Italian shoppers: Pay in 3 or Pay in 4, prepaid cards accepted, and longer plans of 6 to 36 instalments up to €4,000 with Deutsche Bank. Klarna's Pay in 3 in Italy needs a debit or credit card.
- ✓Klarna reaches far more shoppers: 120 million active consumers and merchants in 26 countries, against Scalapay's 13 million users and checkout in 9 EU countries. It also plugs into more payment providers, including Nexi, Adyen and Worldpay.
Klarna
Klarna suits a merchant selling across Europe or beyond who wants one pay-later provider in many markets, a large and well-known consumer brand, or access through an existing Nexi, Adyen, Worldpay or Stripe account. Contract directly only if you are content to make Klarna your sole pay-later provider, as its standard European terms require.
Scalapay
Scalapay suits a merchant selling mainly to shoppers in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal or Belgium who wants Pay in 4, prepaid-card shoppers, faster standard payouts and a contract with a published fee cap and a free 30-day exit.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Payment Review grades both B, and for a merchant in Italy the choice turns on reach against terms. Scalapay has the better merchant terms on paper. It is €0.05 an order cheaper through Stripe, publishes a regulated fee cap of 10% + €1.00, lets you leave free of charge on 30 days' notice, gives 60 days' notice of changes, and pays within about 5 to 7 business days. Its checkout also fits Italian shoppers better: Pay in 3 or Pay in 4, prepaid cards accepted, and longer plans with Deutsche Bank. Its catch is that your actual rate is unpublished until you register, and it works only in euros and in nine EU countries. Klarna wins on scale and reach: 120 million active consumers, merchants in 26 countries, many more payment-provider routes including Nexi, and a published direct price of 4.99% + €0.35 in its April 2025 price list for Italian merchants. But its standard European agreement (October 2025) makes it your only pay-later provider and pays weekly three weeks after shipment, and its Pay in 3 in Italy excludes prepaid cards. A shop selling mainly to Italian, Spanish, French or Portuguese shoppers should look at Scalapay first. A business selling across many countries, or one already on a provider that offers Klarna, will usually do better with Klarna. Through Stripe you can offer both.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Merchant fees (Italy, October 2026)
| Feature | Klarna | Scalapay |
|---|---|---|
| Rate through Stripe (Italy) | 4.99% + €0.40 | 4.99% + €0.35 Winner |
| Both are Stripe's published Italian prices per transaction, read on 8 October 2026. Klarna's 4.99% + €0.40 applies to shoppers in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Czechia, Poland, Romania and the UK. Shoppers in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland cost 2.99% + €0.35. Scalapay has one rate. With the same percentage, Scalapay is €0.05 cheaper on every order: €5.34 against €5.39 on €100. Stripe says some businesses get Klarna at 1.5% + €0.25 for at least two months when Stripe switches it on for them. Both add 2% if currency conversion is needed. | ||
| Standard rate, direct agreement | 4.99% + €0.35 (April 2025 price list) | Not disclosed |
| Klarna's price annex for merchants in France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the UK, dated 15 April 2025 and the newest version we found on Klarna's servers, charges 4.99% plus €0.35 when the shopper is in the euro area, including Italy. It says Klarna may add a cross-border fee when you sell outside those six countries but does not state the percentage. Earlier versions from 2022 to March 2025 carried the same 4.99% + €0.35. Klarna's documentation says your own rate and terms are shown in your merchant portal, so confirm before you sign. Scalapay sends your rate by email after you register and does not publish it. | ||
| Published maximum fee | Not disclosed | 10% + €1.00 per order |
| Scalapay IP's merchant information sheet (version 8, updated 15 June 2026), which Bank of Italy transparency rules require, caps the variable fee at 10% of the order and the fixed fee at €1.00. Your actual rates are in your Activation Agreement. Klarna publishes no maximum fee for merchants. | ||
| Setup or monthly fee | None listed | None listed |
| Klarna's April 2025 price annex lists only the per-transaction fee and a possible cross-border fee. Scalapay's current information sheet, which must list its charges, has no activation or monthly fee. Its March 2025 version charged a €299 activation fee, and a Confcommercio Milano members' offer for 2026 still promises to waive it, so confirm in writing. Italian stamp duty applies to Scalapay's contract: €16 once at signing, and €2 in any month when your commission invoice exceeds €77.47. | ||
| Dispute fee, direct agreement | €15 if decided against you (€30 at an excessive dispute rate); card chargebacks charged either way from 1 March 2027 | Not disclosed |
| Klarna's dispute-fee page, read on 8 October 2026, applies to merchants with a direct Klarna agreement and charges €15 in Italy when a dispute is closed against you and nothing when it is resolved in your favour. The fee is €30 if your dispute rate stays above 1.5% for three consecutive months on more than 100 orders. For card chargebacks opened on or after 1 March 2027 Klarna will charge the fee whatever the outcome, except on unauthorised-purchase disputes where your response meets its requirements, and from the same date a lost appeal costs €50. Merchants who reach Klarna through a payment provider are not charged by Klarna directly, though the provider may pass fees on. Scalapay's information sheet lists no dispute fee, and its full agreement is not public. | ||
| Dispute fee through Stripe | €20 per lost dispute | Not disclosed |
| Stripe's Italian price list charges €20 for a lost Klarna dispute and lists no dispute fee for Scalapay. Through Stripe, Scalapay shoppers can dispute for 210 days, you have 7 days to send evidence, and Scalapay decides within 30 days. | ||
Rate through Stripe (Italy)
Klarna
4.99% + €0.40
Scalapay
4.99% + €0.35
Winner
Both are Stripe's published Italian prices per transaction, read on 8 October 2026. Klarna's 4.99% + €0.40 applies to shoppers in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Czechia, Poland, Romania and the UK. Shoppers in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland cost 2.99% + €0.35. Scalapay has one rate. With the same percentage, Scalapay is €0.05 cheaper on every order: €5.34 against €5.39 on €100. Stripe says some businesses get Klarna at 1.5% + €0.25 for at least two months when Stripe switches it on for them. Both add 2% if currency conversion is needed.
Standard rate, direct agreement
Klarna
4.99% + €0.35 (April 2025 price list)
Scalapay
Not disclosed
Klarna's price annex for merchants in France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the UK, dated 15 April 2025 and the newest version we found on Klarna's servers, charges 4.99% plus €0.35 when the shopper is in the euro area, including Italy. It says Klarna may add a cross-border fee when you sell outside those six countries but does not state the percentage. Earlier versions from 2022 to March 2025 carried the same 4.99% + €0.35. Klarna's documentation says your own rate and terms are shown in your merchant portal, so confirm before you sign. Scalapay sends your rate by email after you register and does not publish it.
Published maximum fee
Klarna
Not disclosed
Scalapay
10% + €1.00 per order
Scalapay IP's merchant information sheet (version 8, updated 15 June 2026), which Bank of Italy transparency rules require, caps the variable fee at 10% of the order and the fixed fee at €1.00. Your actual rates are in your Activation Agreement. Klarna publishes no maximum fee for merchants.
Setup or monthly fee
Klarna
None listed
Scalapay
None listed
Klarna's April 2025 price annex lists only the per-transaction fee and a possible cross-border fee. Scalapay's current information sheet, which must list its charges, has no activation or monthly fee. Its March 2025 version charged a €299 activation fee, and a Confcommercio Milano members' offer for 2026 still promises to waive it, so confirm in writing. Italian stamp duty applies to Scalapay's contract: €16 once at signing, and €2 in any month when your commission invoice exceeds €77.47.
Dispute fee, direct agreement
Klarna
€15 if decided against you (€30 at an excessive dispute rate); card chargebacks charged either way from 1 March 2027
Scalapay
Not disclosed
Klarna's dispute-fee page, read on 8 October 2026, applies to merchants with a direct Klarna agreement and charges €15 in Italy when a dispute is closed against you and nothing when it is resolved in your favour. The fee is €30 if your dispute rate stays above 1.5% for three consecutive months on more than 100 orders. For card chargebacks opened on or after 1 March 2027 Klarna will charge the fee whatever the outcome, except on unauthorised-purchase disputes where your response meets its requirements, and from the same date a lost appeal costs €50. Merchants who reach Klarna through a payment provider are not charged by Klarna directly, though the provider may pass fees on. Scalapay's information sheet lists no dispute fee, and its full agreement is not public.
Dispute fee through Stripe
Klarna
€20 per lost dispute
Scalapay
Not disclosed
Stripe's Italian price list charges €20 for a lost Klarna dispute and lists no dispute fee for Scalapay. Through Stripe, Scalapay shoppers can dispute for 210 days, you have 7 days to send evidence, and Scalapay decides within 30 days.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Online fashion or beauty shop selling mainly to shoppers in Italy
Recommended
Scalapay
Scalapay is built around Southern European shoppers. It offers Pay in 3 or Pay in 4, accepts prepaid cards, which Klarna's Italian Pay in 3 does not, and its standard payout arrives in about 5 to 7 business days rather than weekly three weeks after shipment. Through Stripe it is also €0.05 an order cheaper.
Retailer selling across many European countries or beyond
Recommended
Klarna
Klarna has merchants in 26 countries and 120 million active consumers, and through Stripe it costs 2.99% + €0.35 for shoppers in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Scalapay works only in euros and in nine EU countries.
Merchant who wants to offer more than one pay-later option
Both. Through Stripe in Italy you can switch on both. Signing Klarna's standard European agreement directly would make Klarna your only pay-later provider, so read section 14 before you sign, or negotiate it out.
Shop already processing cards with Nexi, Adyen or Worldpay
Recommended
Klarna
Klarna is available through Nexi, Adyen, Worldpay, Worldline, Mollie and Checkout.com as well as Stripe. Outside Stripe, Scalapay needs its own contract and integration or one of four payment orchestrators.
High-ticket retailer such as furniture or electronics
Both. Scalapay's 6 to 36 instalments run up to €4,000 with Deutsche Bank, and through Stripe it accepts orders up to €4,999.99. Klarna offers financing over 6 or 12 months on its Italian site, and Stripe lists Klarna financing up to €3,000. Compare the plans each will actually offer your shoppers.
Klarna: Best for 2 use cases
Scalapay: Best for 1 use case
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
Through Stripe in Italy, Klarna costs 4.99% + €0.40 per transaction for Italian shoppers and Scalapay costs 4.99% + €0.35. Directly, Klarna's latest published price list for Italian merchants (April 2025) is 4.99% + €0.35, and the rate you get is shown in your merchant portal. Scalapay does not publish your rate. It sends it after you register, but its Bank of Italy information sheet caps the fee at 10% of the order plus €1.00. Neither lists a monthly fee in its published terms.
Through Stripe, yes: both are payment methods you can switch on in Italy. Klarna's standard European cooperation agreement (October 2025 version), section 14.1, makes Klarna your sole provider of deferred and instalment payments in the countries it covers, so if you sign those terms directly you could not add Scalapay without changing that clause. Scalapay's published information sheet has no exclusivity term, but its full agreement is not public.
Scalapay's help centre says the money reaches your account within about 5 to 7 business days of each order; its pages differ slightly on the exact timing. Klarna's standard European agreement pays weekly, three weeks after shipment, and the actual schedule and delay are set in your contract. Through Stripe, both pay out on your normal Stripe schedule.
Neither charges interest on Pay in 3. Klarna may add a service fee of up to €3.99, shown at checkout, and charges late fees of up to €8 per instalment. Scalapay's help centre says Pay in 3 is free and Pay in 4 has a small fee on the first instalment. It publishes two current versions of its Italian shopper terms, one with no service fee and one with a service fee on both Pay in 3 and Pay in 4. Its late fees are up to €6 after 24 hours and up to €6 more after nine days, never more than 15% of the order.
Both pay you the full order up front and carry the risk that the shopper does not pay. Klarna's merchant contract is with Klarna Bank AB, a Swedish bank whose parent, Klarna Group plc, has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since September 2025. Scalapay's merchant contract is with Scalapay IP, an Italian payment institution supervised by the Bank of Italy, which lets merchants take complaints to the Italian banking ombudsman. Both can hold back money if you breach the agreement.
With Scalapay, yes: its terms accept credit, debit and prepaid cards. Klarna's Italian Pay in 3 terms require a valid debit or credit card and exclude prepaid cards.
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