How to Add Klarna Buy-Now-Pay-Later to Your Thinkific Courses

Buy-now-pay-later changes how people make purchase decisions. Instead of asking "can I afford this course right now?", customers ask "can I afford this course spread over a few payments?"

That's a much easier yes.

Klarna is one of the original BNPL platforms, trusted by millions of customers across Europe, North America, and Australia. But Thinkific doesn't support Klarna natively. If you want to offer flexible payment options, you're stuck with whatever Stripe provides.

CheckoutJoy connects your Klarna merchant account directly to Thinkific. Customers choose how they want to pay — now, in 30 days, or spread over instalments — and you get paid upfront by Klarna.

Why Klarna Increases Course Sales

Price is the most common objection to buying a course. Not because people don't see the value — but because the full amount creates friction.

Klarna removes that friction by offering:

Pay in 30 days — Customer gets access immediately, pays nothing today. Great for customers who want to "try before they pay."

Pay now — Full payment immediately for customers who prefer that.

Pay over time — Split into 3, 6, or 12 monthly payments. Turns a €600 course into €50/month.

The psychology matters: €50/month feels manageable. €600 feels like a decision that needs consideration. One converts, the other gets bookmarked for later (and forgotten).

What You Get

By connecting Klarna to Thinkific through CheckoutJoy:

• Customers choose their preferred payment schedule
• Klarna handles credit checks and payment collection
• You receive the full amount upfront (minus Klarna's fee)
• Students are automatically enrolled after purchase
• All Thinkific automations work normally

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Connect Klarna to CheckoutJoy

1. In CheckoutJoy, go to Settings → Payment Methods
2. Find Klarna and click Setup
3. In your Klarna merchant dashboard, go to Payment Settings → Klarna API Credentials
4. Generate new API credentials (username and password)
5. Copy both into CheckoutJoy

Important settings:

• Session Type: Choose "Checkout Session" (works for all accounts)
• API Location: Select your region (Europe, North America, or Oceania)
• Checkout Language: Match your audience

Save your credentials. The Klarna password is only shown once, so download the file.

2. Install the Thinkific App

CheckoutJoy has a dedicated app on the Thinkific App Store:

1. In Thinkific, go to Integrations → App Store
2. Search for "CheckoutJoy"
3. Click Install
4. Authorize the connection

Once installed, you'll have new custom sections available in the Thinkific page builder.

3. Create a CheckoutJoy Product

Import your Thinkific course or create a new product:

1. Go to Products → Add Product
2. Select Thinkific Course or import from your connected products
3. Set your currency (EUR, SEK, NOK, USD, GBP, etc.)
4. Set the price Klarna will use

Klarna works with most currencies in supported regions. Check Klarna's documentation for your specific market.

4. Create a Checkout Widget

1. Go to Checkouts → Widgets → New Widget
2. Select your Thinkific product
3. Set your thank you page URL (create a custom page in Thinkific)
4. Enable Klarna under Payment Methods
5. Customize the button text to "Pay with Klarna"

Note the Widget ID and Widget Key from the Embed tab.

5. Build Your Thinkific Checkout Page

1. In Thinkific, create a new Custom Page
2. Click Add Section
3. Find and add the Checkout Widget section (from CheckoutJoy)
4. Enter your Widget ID and Widget Key
5. Add supporting content — course preview, testimonials, FAQs
6. Save and publish

Three Ways to Use Klarna with Thinkific

CheckoutJoy gives you options depending on how much control you want:

Option 1: Embedded Widget

Embed the checkout directly on a Thinkific page. Best when you want full control over the page design and want customers to stay on your site.

Option 2: Product Checkout Page

A hosted checkout page that's ready immediately when you create a product. Share the link directly or point your Thinkific buttons to it. Includes automatic VAT calculation.

Option 3: Custom Checkout Page

A hosted page with CheckoutJoy's page builder. Add testimonials, FAQs, and custom content. More flexibility than the widget, less setup than a full Thinkific page.

Go to Checkouts → Pages to create custom checkout pages.

Automatic VAT Handling

Selling to European customers means dealing with VAT. CheckoutJoy handles this automatically:

• Detects customer location
• Adds the correct VAT rate (25% for Sweden, 21% for Germany, etc.)
• Validates EU VAT numbers for B2B sales
• Removes VAT for valid business purchases (reverse charge)
• Generates compliant invoices

No manual calculations, no tax headaches.

The Customer Experience

Here's what your students see:

1. Land on your checkout page
2. Fill in name, email, country
3. Click "Pay with Klarna"
4. Redirected to Klarna checkout
5. Choose payment option (pay now, pay later, or instalments)
6. Complete verification
7. Redirected to your thank you page
8. Automatically enrolled in the course

Klarna handles identity verification and credit decisions instantly. Customers know within seconds if they're approved.

Who Should Offer Klarna?

Klarna works best for:

Higher-priced courses — The €500+ range benefits most from instalment options. At €50, BNPL doesn't move the needle as much.

European audiences — Klarna is huge in Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, and the UK. It's growing in the US but less dominant.

Professional development — Courses that help people earn more or advance careers. Customers rationalize instalments as an investment.

Certification programs — Multi-module programs where the total investment is significant.

If you're selling a €99 course primarily to US customers, Klarna probably isn't your priority. If you're selling a €800 certification to Swedish professionals, it should be.

Getting Started

You need:

• A Thinkific account with courses to sell
• A Klarna merchant account
• A CheckoutJoy account (14-day free trial)

The setup takes about 15 minutes. Test with a small purchase to see the flow, then launch to your audience.

For course creators in Klarna's key markets, this integration often pays for itself within the first week — just from the sales that would have bounced on price.