First, confirm it is actually Klarna and not your store. Then contain the damage and communicate. Here is exactly how to do that during a Klarna outage, plus what usually breaks and how long incidents tend to last.
How do I confirm Klarna is actually down?
Check two independent sources before changing anything in your store. First, StatusBird's live Klarna status page, which is based on independent checks every 2 minutes. Second, Klarna's own status page at status.klarna.com. If the official page still shows green, do not assume you are wrong: vendors often acknowledge incidents well after they start. If both look clean, the problem is more likely your store's configuration or a specific integration.
What does a Klarna outage look like?
- Checkout fails or hangs specifically when Klarna is the selected payment method
- Klarna authorization popup or redirect not loading
- Klarna installment messaging missing from product pages
- Refunds and captures through Klarna failing in the order admin
- Spike in abandoned checkouts while other payment methods still work
What breaks in your store
When Klarna is down, customers who select it at checkout hit errors or endless loading during the Klarna authorization flow, and their purchase fails unless they switch payment methods. Stores where a large share of customers pay with Klarna see an immediate drop in completed checkouts. On-site messaging widgets showing installment pricing may also fail to render, and order management calls like captures and refunds against the Klarna API error out.
For context, Klarna has had no major incidents in the last 90 days of StatusBird's independent monitoring (100.0% availability), so a real outage is unusual. That makes it easy to mistake one for a problem on your end, which is why confirming first matters.
What to do during the outage
- Verify other payment methods like cards and PayPal still complete, since a Klarna outage usually leaves the rest of checkout healthy.
- Add a checkout notice suggesting customers use another payment method temporarily.
- Temporarily hide or deprioritize Klarna at checkout if your platform allows it, and restore it after recovery.
- Queue Klarna refunds and captures to retry once the API recovers instead of retrying immediately.
- Email customers who abandoned checkout during the outage with a recovery link once Klarna is back.
Frequently asked questions
Are customers charged when their Klarna checkout fails during an outage?
Generally no. If Klarna's authorization never completed, no purchase agreement was created and there is no charge. If a customer believes they were charged for a failed order, check for an authorized Klarna order on your side; genuine mismatches should be resolved through Klarna merchant support once service recovers.
Should I disable Klarna at checkout during an outage?
If the failing option is confusing customers or causing repeated failed attempts, temporarily hiding it can save conversions by pushing shoppers to working payment methods. Just remember to re-enable it promptly, since BNPL availability itself drives conversion for many stores.
After the outage
Once Klarna recovers, verify the affected workflows end to end rather than trusting the status page. Note the start and end times while they are fresh: if you are on a paid Klarna plan with an SLA, documented downtime is what a service credit claim is built on. See how to claim SLA credits for the process.
How this data is measured
StatusBird checks Klarna's status every 2 minutes, around the clock, independently of the vendor. The availability figure counts major and critical outages only; minor degradation is excluded so numbers are not skewed by vendors that report small blips near-continuously. Grades run from A+ to F. See the live numbers on the Klarna reliability page and current status on the Klarna status page, or browse all 84 service grades.
Know before your customers do
StatusBird monitors Klarna and 83 other services online stores depend on, plus your own storefront, every 2 minutes. When something goes down you get an SMS, email, or Slack alert with plain-English context, usually before the official status page catches up. Start monitoring free, no card required for the free plan.