Global buy now pay later (BNPL) solution provider Klarna has partnered with UK-headquartered account-to-account payments solution provider GoCardless.

The partnership will enable Klarna to provide bank debit payments to over 21 million US customers, a statement from Klarna said.

More specifically, GoCardless will support the Swedish company’s Pay in 4 interest-free payment offering and monthly financing solution.

GoCardless entered the US market in 2019, and has been working with Klarna in the UK since 2018. The company has plans to grow its US team by 125%.

Koen Köppen, CTO at Klarna said,

“The US is a key market for Klarna and we continue to see strong growth, doubling our customer base to over 21 million from last year.

 

To continue along that trajectory we need partners that not only provide our consumers and retailers more choice and control but also offer us cutting-edge technology and best-in-class service,”

Hiroki Takeuchi, co-founder, and CEO of GoCardless, noted that account-to-account payments was likely to compete even strongly with payment cards.

“With card fees rising and the appetite for debt dropping, we predict rapid growth for alternative payment methods.

 

Not only does this include making purchases with [BNPL], it also extends to how shoppers prefer to pay off their balances — namely, through their bank account, whether that’s powered by ACH debit or newer technology like open banking,”

Takeuchi said.

This article first appeared on Fintech News Switzerland.

Featured image: Klarna