Missed a Klarna or Clearpay Payment? UK Rules from July 2026

By Hamid Ali, Founder of DebtShift · Updated October 21, 2026 · United Kingdom

The payment failed and nobody has called, which is exactly why it is easy to leave it. Both companies have a ladder, and the rungs are close together.

Short answer: Clearpay pauses your account straight away and charges £6, then another £6 if the instalment is still unpaid 7 days later. Klarna retries, adds the missed amount to your next payment, and can charge fees and send the debt to collection if the last reminder date passes. Both can affect your credit file, and neither page we read gives a day count to collections. Free advice: StepChange on 0800 138 1111.

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The ladder, rung by rung

	Klarna	Clearpay
First miss	Retries; missed amount added to your next scheduled payment	Account paused immediately; no new purchases
Fees	Late fees possible; amounts not given on the pages we read	£6, then a further £6 if unpaid 7 days later
Credit file	Says late payments are reported	Says missed payments may affect future credit access
Collections	If not paid by the last reminder due date	Details may be passed to a collection agency
After that	Cannot use Klarna again until the debt is paid	Account may be declined or restricted

Sources: Klarna, Klarna on collections, Clearpay. Terms change, so check the app for yours.

What if I stop paying?

Klarna’s three products are not treated the same

Product	If you miss a payment	Late fee	Collections	Credit file
Pay in 3 (also 6 or 12)	Klarna tries to collect again. The missed amount is added to your next scheduled payment.	May apply. Klarna gives no amount on its help page.	May go to debt collection. No timing given.	Klarna says it reports its BNPL purchases to credit reference agencies. It gives no detail on timing.
Pay in 30	You get a reminder after the due date. The page mentions no automatic retry.	May apply. No amount given.	Overdue purchases may go to debt collection. No timing given.	Same general reporting statement.
Financing	If the automatic payment fails you can pay by hand in the app. A missed payment is added to the next month.	Not mentioned for this product.	If payments keep being missed, the debt and fees may go to collection.	Late and unpaid balances are visible to other lenders on your credit file.

Source: Klarna, “What happens if I can’t pay on time?”. Klarna does not publish the fee amounts or the number of days on that page, so check your own agreement or the app before you assume a figure.

What changed on 15 July 2026

Buy now, pay later became FCA-regulated in the UK on 15 July 2026. The rules cover interest-free credit repaid in 12 instalments or fewer over 12 months or less, where the lender and the shop are different businesses. An agreement you made before 15 July stays outside the new rules.

Moment	What the lender must now do
Before you borrow	Check you can afford to repay. Tell you the repayment dates and amounts, any late fee, and your rights.
You miss a payment	Contact you and explain what happens next.
You are struggling	Offer support. The government says people in difficulty are pointed to debt advice before a debt collector is used.
Something goes wrong	Complain to the lender first, then to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you are not happy. Section 75 may give you a refund route for faulty or undelivered goods.

The FCA lists Clearpay among 15 lenders allowed to keep trading under its temporary permissions while their full authorisation is processed. Its page does not say how each Klarna product fits the definition, so ask Klarna in writing if your case depends on it. Sources: FCA, Buy Now Pay Later and GOV.UK announcement. More: what the new FCA BNPL rules mean for you.

What one missed Clearpay instalment can cost

Our own illustration, not a quote, using the fee rules on Clearpay’s page: £6 for a late instalment, a further £6 if it is still unpaid 7 days later, with a cap of £6 on orders under £24 and the lower of £24 or 25% of the order above that (Clearpay). We assume one missed instalment that stays unpaid past 7 days.

Order value	Most you would pay in late fees
£20	£6
£60	£12
£200	£12

The fees are the smaller problem. A paused account and a mark on your credit file last longer. For a side-by-side of fees across providers, see our Klarna vs Clearpay vs PayPal guide.

Worked example: one missed instalment on a £60 Clearpay order

When	What happens	Running cost
Day 0	The £15 instalment (four equal parts) fails. The account is paused and a £6 late fee is added.	£6
Day 7, still unpaid	A second £6 fee is added.	£12
You pay late	You owe the £15 instalment plus the fees.	£15 + £12 = £27

The £12 in fees is 20% of the £60 order, charged for being a week late. Paying on day 1 instead keeps the cost at £6.

Before the last reminder

Open the app and check which payment failed and the date you were given.
Pay what you can now, or use Extend due date in the Klarna app if it is offered.
If you cannot pay, contact the provider before the date. Clearpay lists chat in the app, a form and a phone line.
Keep every email and letter.

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Straight answers to the follow-ups

Will Klarna send me to collections if I miss one payment?

Klarna’s UK pages say that if payments keep being missed, the debt and fees may go to debt collection, and that the transfer happens if the payment is not registered by the last reminder due date (Klarna, Klarna on collections). They do not give a number of days.

How long does Clearpay give me before debt collectors?

Clearpay does not give a day count on the page we read. It says your details may be passed to a debt collection agency working on its behalf, and that a second £6 fee applies if an instalment is still unpaid 7 days later (Clearpay).

Will a missed payment show on my credit file?

Klarna says it reports Credit Card, Financing and BNPL purchases to credit reference agencies, and that late payments will be reported (Klarna, Klarna on collections). Clearpay’s missed-payment page says missed payments may affect your future access to credit but does not say how they are reported (Clearpay). Our BNPL and credit score guide goes through what each reports.

Can I still use Klarna after I miss a payment?

Klarna says you may lose access to its payment options for later orders, and that you cannot use Klarna again until a debt in collection is paid off (Klarna, Klarna on collections).

Can I get more time to pay?

Klarna says that, if it is offered, you can open the app, go to the purchase, choose Payment options and tap Extend due date (Klarna). Clearpay says it has a hardship policy and lists chat in the app, a web form and a phone line (Clearpay).

A debt collector has written to me about a Klarna or Clearpay balance. What now?

Keep the letter and do not ignore it. Our know your rights guide explains what collectors can and cannot do, and our what happens if you stop paying guide covers the longer road. StepChange offers free, impartial advice on 0800 138 1111 (StepChange).

Disclaimer: DebtShift is an educational platform operated by H Ali Logistics Ltd, which is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This article is general education, not financial or legal advice. For free, impartial debt advice, contact StepChange on 0800 138 1111.

Sources

Last reviewed October 2026

Missed a Klarna or Clearpay Payment? What Happens Next