Klarna's New Paid Memberships: Are the Perks Worth the Price?
Published on December 5, 2025, 9:00 PM
Klarna, the "buy now, pay later" company, is jumping into the subscription game with "Premium" and "Max" memberships. Premium will run you $19.99/month and gives you 1.5% cashback on Klarna balance purchases, a metal card, and a subscription to one of many services, including The New York Times and Headspace. "Max" costs $44.99/month and boosts cashback to 2%, throws in worldwide lounge access (via LoungeKey), a fancy rose gold card, and more subscription options.
Here's where it gets interesting for award travelers: Klarna points can transfer to airline and hotel partners like Air France-KLM, British Airways, SAS, Accor, Radisson, Global Hotel Alliance, and Wyndham. However, the transfer rates aren't great – KLM/BA/Finnair are a poor 1:0.71, SAS is 1:1.1, and Accor is a dismal 1:0.48. So, before you get excited about earning points on everyday spending with Klarna, crunch the numbers. The monthly fees and less-than-stellar transfer rates might not make sense compared to using a dedicated travel rewards credit card. Unless you really value the included subscriptions and can maximize the cashback, this might be a pass for most award trail enthusiasts.
