It’s now possible to buy plane tickets on TAP by instalments
The Portuguese airline has become the second in Western Europe to launch "buy now pay later" through Klarna, which also has agreements with Turkish Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa.
Phased payments have officially arrived on the TAP website. As of this Thursday, passengers in Portugal can book flights and choose to pay for their tickets in a maximum of three equal instalments without interest. The feature is the result of a strategic agreement between the airline and personal finance technology company Klarna.
The partnership makes the carrier led by Luís Rodrigues the second in Western Europe to launch ‘buy now pay later’ products (formally known as BNPL – Buy Now Pay Later) from Klarna, which also has agreements with competitors such as Turkish Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa.
Klarna’s country manager for Portugal and Spain believes that booking flights should be a process that is “as smooth” as the journey being made. “Whether they’re travelling to Madeira for a family holiday or to New York for work, Portuguese passengers can now choose Klarna at the time of payment, opting for interest-free flexibility”, explains Alexandre Fernandes, making a comparison between the two businesses, because while TAP connects travellers to the world, Klarna connects them to modern payment methods.
“TAP is leading the way in innovation by providing its customers with innovative, reliable and seamlessly integrated travel payment solutions. This partnership with Klarna increases our flexibility when it comes to payments and allows our customers to choose the option that best suits their needs”, said TAP’s Senior Director of Corporate Finance, Renato Inácio, in a press release.
The flexible payment option, strategically launched during Easter week, is available for around 90 destinations in Europe, the Americas and Africa.
Two weeks ago, Klarna suspended its plans to go public in the United States. Donald Trump’s wave of tariffs led the phased payments unicorn to suspend its Initial Public Offering (IPO). The decision comes just a few weeks after the company submitted the necessary documentation to proceed with the IPO, which aimed for a valuation of 15 billion dollars (around 13.6 billion euros).
