Vend and Klarna link up to level the playing field for boutique retailers

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jan 15, 2020

Vend, the preferred retail point-of-sale software of the British Independent Retail Association, has announced a partnership with payments provider Klarna to roll out an assortment of flexible payment options.

For retail businesses using Vend, the partnership means that customers will be able to access Klarna’s easy payments, including ‘buy now, pay later’, when shopping in-store or online.

Some of the UK’s biggest fashion brands also offer Klarna’s services, such as Asos, Superdry, Topshop and Boohoo, as flexible payment options continue to rise in popularity among millennials.

Klarna said the checkout experience is easy to set up. Connecting to any smartphone, customers can pay with Klarna by scanning a QR code or using a payment link provided by SMS or email, before filling out their details and selecting a payment option. Klarna then makes a real-time decision, and Vend’s ePOS system will automatically reconcile Klarna sales at the end of the day.

“Consumers love to buy at independent retail shops, and the ability to pay flexibly with Klarna gives shoppers more opportunity to do this, and retailers the ability to attract more customers,” said Higor Torchia, managing director, EMEA at Vend.

The company offers a cloud-based software that allows retailers to manage their inventory in-store, online and on-the-go. The software is popular with independent shops, which is why it said the partnership will make shopping with boutique retailers more convenient.

“Our partnership with Vend shows our commitment to supporting small businesses. Combining our flexible payments with Vend’s ePoS system offers a superior shopping experience for customers and retailers alike,” said Luke Griffiths, UK general manager at Klarna.

“As we grow as a business and redefine the way people pay, we’re excited to continue these partnerships and bring flexible payments to more shoppers and retailers globally.”

The partnership kicks off across the United Kingdom this month and is expected to follow in the United States later this year.