Klarna’s deal with DoorDash is a dystopian reminder that groceries are so expensive you need a loan to shop

DoorDash just penned a deal with Klarna that will let you pay for your take-out burrito in installments. This week, DoorDash announced it would be teaming with Klarna to offer a range of payment options to customers, including a “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) plan that allows users to defer payments to a more convenient time, as well as another plan that lets meal payments be divided into four interest-free installments. Klarna, a fast-credit fintech company, uses BNPL loans as a kind of consumer credit, similar to a standard credit card. When users are late on their payments, they’re typically charged a fee—though Klarna’s main profits come from charging other merchants to offer their payment options, which attract consumers who, for a number of reasons, would rather pay in chunks than all at once. The DoorDash deal comes a week after Klarna filed paperwork signaling its intention to debut an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. As the company gears up to go public, it appears to be highlighting its dealmaking abilities; it also announced that it would become Walmart’s exclusive provider of BNPL loans. But while the Walmart deal, announced earlier this week, was largely heralded as a positive sign for Klarna, the DoorDash agreement is garnering some strong pushback on the internet. In an era when groceries are increasingly expensive, the prospect of paying off a McDonald’s hamburger in four installments is dystopian to say the least. Why does buying a burrito feel like an investment? The rising cost of living is a serious problem in the U.S., one that more and more people are citing as the top reason for wanting to leave the country. According to a report last month from the Labor Department, the consumer price index (which accounts for rises in key purchases like gas, cars, and groceries) increased 3% year over year. And new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that food prices have gone up 23% since February 2021. Rising prices for groceries, especially fresh produce, were enough for Fast Company to predict that vegetables could become celebrities’ hot new status symbol. It’s no surprise, then, that the internet has been quick to point out the near-ghoulish tone-deafness of Klarna’s new partnership, which positions take-out as a kind of investment. “Excited to announce that I closed on a $31.38 transaction to secure a burrito and side of chips,” reads one tweet with 87,000 likes. “20-year senior fixed rate financing was provided by Klarna. DoorDash provided delivery of the asset. Congratulations to all involved.” “just doordashed a burrito lunch special that only cost me $1.04/monthly for 2 years,” another X user wrote. “thank you klarna! the future is here!” Other responses have run the gamut, from parodying a celebratory LinkedIn post to comparing Klarna to the hitmen in Pulp Fiction and Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street. While Klarna’s IPO is still highly anticipated in the fintech space, it seems like the company might benefit from focusing on partnerships its customers actually asked for, rather than deals that make the experience of ordering some chicken tenders to go feel one step closer to paying off a mortgage.

Mar 22, 2025 - 12:08

Klarna’s deal with DoorDash is a dystopian reminder that groceries are so expensive you need a loan to shop

DoorDash just penned a deal with Klarna that will let you pay for your take-out burrito in installments.

This week, DoorDash announced it would be teaming with Klarna to offer a range of payment options to customers, including a “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) plan that allows users to defer payments to a more convenient time, as well as another plan that lets meal payments be divided into four interest-free installments.

Klarna, a fast-credit fintech company, uses BNPL loans as a kind of consumer credit, similar to a standard credit card. When users are late on their payments, they’re typically charged a fee—though Klarna’s main profits come from charging other merchants to offer their payment options, which attract consumers who, for a number of reasons, would rather pay in chunks than all at once.

The DoorDash deal comes a week after Klarna filed paperwork signaling its intention to debut an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. As the company gears up to go public, it appears to be highlighting its dealmaking abilities; it also announced that it would become Walmart’s exclusive provider of BNPL loans. But while the Walmart deal, announced earlier this week, was largely heralded as a positive sign for Klarna, the DoorDash agreement is garnering some strong pushback on the internet.

In an era when groceries are increasingly expensive, the prospect of paying off a McDonald’s hamburger in four installments is dystopian to say the least.

Why does buying a burrito feel like an investment?

The rising cost of living is a serious problem in the U.S., one that more and more people are citing as the top reason for wanting to leave the country. According to a report last month from the Labor Department, the consumer price index (which accounts for rises in key purchases like gas, cars, and groceries) increased 3% year over year. And new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that food prices have gone up 23% since February 2021.

Rising prices for groceries, especially fresh produce, were enough for Fast Company to predict that vegetables could become celebrities’ hot new status symbol. It’s no surprise, then, that the internet has been quick to point out the near-ghoulish tone-deafness of Klarna’s new partnership, which positions take-out as a kind of investment.

“Excited to announce that I closed on a $31.38 transaction to secure a burrito and side of chips,” reads one tweet with 87,000 likes. “20-year senior fixed rate financing was provided by Klarna. DoorDash provided delivery of the asset. Congratulations to all involved.”

“just doordashed a burrito lunch special that only cost me $1.04/monthly for 2 years,” another X user wrote. “thank you klarna! the future is here!”

Other responses have run the gamut, from parodying a celebratory LinkedIn post to comparing Klarna to the hitmen in Pulp Fiction and Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street.

While Klarna’s IPO is still highly anticipated in the fintech space, it seems like the company might benefit from focusing on partnerships its customers actually asked for, rather than deals that make the experience of ordering some chicken tenders to go feel one step closer to paying off a mortgage.