Walmart has announced a major change to the way you pay at stores
Big retailers are continuing to add more flexible checkout options as installment lending becomes a bigger part of everyday shopping in the US. Walmart said on March 17, 2025, that it is changing its buy now, pay later offering by bringing Klarna to Walmart stores and Walmart.com through OnePay. The update affects purchases nationwide, though the company has not released a store-by-store rollout schedule.
Walmart switches its buy now, pay later partner
Walmart announced on March 17 that Klarna will become the installment loan option offered through OnePay at checkout, replacing Affirm. The company said customers will be able to use the option for purchases in stores and online, marking a broad change in how eligible shoppers can split payments over time.
The rollout will happen later in 2025, according to Walmart and Klarna, and OnePay will handle the customer experience inside Walmart’s ecosystem. Klarna said it will make installment loans available to Walmart shoppers through OnePay, while OnePay said the move is designed to add another payment choice at checkout.
Affirm confirmed the Walmart change in a securities filing after the announcement. The filing said Walmart had decided not to renew its agreement with Affirm, which had previously powered buy now, pay later services for Walmart in the US.
What the change means at stores across the US
For shoppers, the most immediate impact is that eligible purchases at Walmart will eventually have Klarna-backed installment options instead of Affirm-backed ones. Walmart confirmed the new setup will cover both physical stores and Walmart.com, which gives the change national reach across the retailer’s US footprint.
What is not yet known is exactly when each location will begin offering the Klarna option. Walmart has not released a full list of affected stores or a state-by-state launch timeline, and the company has not said whether the in-store experience will look different at self-checkout, staffed lanes, or inside the Walmart app.
The announcement also did not include any new fees, credit thresholds, or approval details beyond saying the service will be available to eligible customers. Those terms are expected to come through the OnePay and Klarna checkout flow once the rollout begins later in 2025.
Why Walmart is making the payment change now
The change comes as Walmart continues to expand OnePay, its consumer financial services platform backed by Walmart and Ribbit Capital. Walmart has been building OnePay into a larger payments and banking hub, and the Klarna deal adds a nationally recognized installment lender to that strategy.
Klarna said the agreement will help it reach Walmart’s large customer base in the US, while OnePay said the partnership supports its goal of offering simple financial tools in one place. Those company statements frame the switch as part of a broader push to keep more of the checkout and payments experience inside Walmart’s own platform.
For customers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: the option to split purchases into installments is staying at Walmart, but the lending partner is changing. Walmart said the Klarna integration will arrive later in 2025, so shoppers should expect the current experience to remain in place until the new checkout option goes live.
