Prohibited and restricted businesses
This document was previously known as “Ethical instructions for Partners, including Prohibited and Restricted segments”.
The below businesses are either prohibited or restricted to use Klarna’s services. Any business using Klarna’s services and operating in a restricted segment listed below shall comply with the requirements outlined by Klarna.
In addition, businesses using Klarna’s services are at all times responsible for adhering to local legislation in all markets where they operate. This, for example, includes adherence to local consumer protection laws as well as to age requirements, product restrictions and payment method limitations.
Violation of these terms may result in the suspension or termination of Klarna’s services, depending on the severity of the breach.
The lists with items in the tables below are not exhaustive, hence Klarna may in sole discretion decide on businesses, concepts, products and services that are not allowed to process via Klarna’s services. The assessment of prohibited and restricted businesses is based on:
- Laws and regulations
- Third party restrictions
- Market individual adaptations
- Risk appetite
Prohibited businesses
None of the prohibited items or services listed below can be processed using Klarna’s services. The following list is not exhaustive but outlines the types of businesses prohibited by Klarna.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Abuse of Klarna's services | Content, products, marketing, or services encouraging or inappropriately related to hate, violence, racism, or discrimination. Products, services, or practices intended to cause danger, injury, or suffering to humans or animals. Trade with protected animals or plants or products originating from protected animals or plants. |
| Adult | Prostitution and escort services, sexually oriented massage parlors. Products or services (including images and marketing) related to pedophilia, non-consensual sexual behavior, sexual exploitation of a minor, non-consensual mutilation of a person or body part. Products related to bestiality, zoophilia, incest, and prostitution. |
| Deceptive or unfair marketing | Practices misleading or deceiving consumers or avoiding consumer protection laws. Illegal pyramid-type schemes for marketing, distribution, and sales. |
| Drugs and illegally derived substances and products | Illegal drugs and substances (or substitutes for such). Illegal products or services associated with illegal drugs. Substances designed to mimic illegal drugs. |
| Financial and legal services | Financial services provided without appropriate licenses as required by law. High-risk securities, share dealing services ('Tipser'), short-term payday loans, tax evasion services, timeshares. |
| Gambling | Gambling, betting, or lotteries provided without appropriate licenses, as required by law. |
| Illegal products or services | Counterfeit products and illegally acquired goods, including copyright infringements, services designed to promote infringements of intellectual property rights, e.g., by bonus programs for uploading unauthorized digital content and unauthorized file sharing or streaming, unlicensed copies. Goods and services, or marketing of such, violating any law. Orders, services, and practices related to illegal activity, including but not limited to money laundering, terrorist financing, human trafficking, political corruption, VAT fraud, tax evasion, and illegal wildlife trafficking. Illegal business methods, practices, products, or services. Practices misleading or deceiving consumers or avoiding consumer protection laws. Practices or methods constituting acts of modern slavery in any part of a business or its supply chains, including any deprivation of a person’s liberty to exploit them for personal or commercial gain. Products and services provided without a license as required by law. Sanctioned goods or services, or goods or services originating from sanctioned countries or individuals, including travel to and accommodation in countries subject to sanctions. Sale of age-restricted services or products, including alcohol, e-cigarettes, tobacco, and tobacco substitutes to minors. |
Prohibited jurisdictions and regions
Klarna’s services may not be used by businesses registered or operating in the following jurisdictions. Additionally, Klarna’s services may not be used to process payments for the sale of goods or services shipping from, or for the purchase of goods that would be shipped to consumers with a billing or shipping address in the below regions.
| Jurisdictions and Regions | |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan Belarus Central African Republic Crimea Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Donetsk Guinea Guinea Bissau Haiti Iran Iraq Kherson Korea, North (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Lebanon Libya Luhansk Mali | Myanmar Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Pakistan Palestine Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Venezuela West Bank (Palestinian Territory) Western Sahara Yemen Zaporizhzhia Zimbabwe |
Restricted businesses
The section below outlines goods and services classified as restricted businesses by Klarna. While these businesses are not prohibited, they may be subject to additional due diligence—including license verification, compliance checks, and an in-depth assessment of their business model—before being approved to use Klarna's services. Any approval granted applies to specific businesses and may be modified or revoked at Klarna’s discretion.
| Category | Goods and services |
|---|---|
| Adult | Adult, sexual or pornographic products and services, including live web cameras. Services including sex chat lines/chat rooms, streaming services. |
| Age restricted items | Alcohol. E-cigarettes. Fireworks. Tobacco and Tobacco substitutes. |
| Financial and legal services | Bailiffs, bankruptcy/insolvency services, claims management, debt collection management agencies. Crowdfunding. Down payment. Financial advice and investment services. Insurance. Money services, including binary options, currency exchange, money transfer, virtual, digital and crypto currencies, tokens, and other crypto assets. |
| Gambling & gaming | Appropriately licensed gambling, betting, or lotteries. In-game purchases. |
| High risk businesses, products and services | Art and antiques. Auction houses. CBD. Charities. Digital downloads (e.g., film and music download/streaming). Dropshipping. Drug paraphernalia. Marketplaces. Medical devices. Medical treatments and services. Multi-level marketing. Pawn shops. Political parties. Prescription eyewear. Prescription pharmacies. Prepaid phone services. Religious organizations. Testing labs. Vouchers/gift cards. |
| Travel, tours and events | Airlines & cruise lines. Event organizers and ticketing platforms. Hotels and other accommodations. Rentals & housing. Tour agencies & tour operators. |
| Weapons | Sale of weapons requiring a license. Goods and services related to firearms, explosives, and instruments designed for harm or destruction. Replica weapons, soft air guns, and related accessories. |