Australian shoppers are among the first worldwide to gain access to Klarna’s rewards club ahead of the peak shopping season and following 350,000 US consumers signing on in the last month alone.

The leading global shopping service was the first company in the buy now, pay later space to launch a customer loyalty program that is free to join and rewards consumers for shopping in any online store.

The program’s benefits include an immediate one-off reward of a $10 ebay shopping voucher after the first purchase and successful repayment, receive 1 vibe (or point) for every $1 spent, no interest and no fees if paid on time, the ability to use at any online retailer and not just Klarna-affiliated stores, as well as a wider variety of rewards and bonuses than frequent flyer points alone.

Klarna CEO and co-founder, Sebastian Siemietkowski said, “Klarna wants Aussies to enjoy rewards for their shopping, no matter the store, without the fees and high interest rates often attached when using credit cards and their accompanying loyalty programs.

“Klarna is laser-focused on providing our customers with the best, most convenient, seamless and enjoyable shopping experience from beginning to end. Klarna’s rewards club builds on this philosophy and offers benefits for our customers and the businesses they shop with.”

Klarna Australia and New Zealand country head, Fran Ereira added: “Klarna’s rewards club focuses on rewarding consumers who pay on time and encourage responsible spending. Aussies are some of the world’s most discerning shoppers and this is a leading market in this space, so we are excited to bring this program to Australia before our other major markets around the world.

“Members will have the freedom to shop everywhere and will enjoy access to unique, tailored benefits from hand-picked partners in addition to exclusive offers, deals and other rewards.

“From a retailer perspective, the great thing about Klarna’s rewards club is that it adds value to their existing loyalty program, rather than detracting from it. Members continue to participate in the retailer’s program – and they earn an extra layer of Klarna vibes on top of that.

“We developed our approach with direct input from customers, who said they often find traditional credit card loyalty memberships confusing and difficult to navigate and that they wanted more freedom within a rewards program.

“Combine the benefits of our club with the ability to create and share your own wishlists, set price drop notifications and be inspired by the unique deals and other content in our app and you have the app that delivers everything you need for the peak shopping season.”

Members will have access to exclusive online and offline sales and shopping experiences and can earn an extra layer of rewards if they are already part of an existing loyalty program through the retailer that they are purchasing items from.