By Robert Dean
Carter County Times
This past week, DoorDash announced its partnership with Klarna, the buy now, pay later lender. DoorDash customers, “will now be able to pay in full at checkout, split payments into four equal interest-free installments, or defer to dates that align conveniently with payday schedules.” So, can someone pay for their Chipotle burrito in installments on a rough day? This is dystopian. We’re now financing burritos. It’s not just the system squeezing people—it’s doing it while asking if they want to split the cost of their child’s dinner into four payments. While the kids need to eat, this is the real problem in American society: we’re all broke as hell, and now there’s a payment plan for a turkey sub. It’s hard for a working mom to have a few extra bucks before payday when the freezer’s empty, but this entire process feels greasy.
We used to finance sofas. Now we’re financing sandwiches. The normalization of debt culture isn’t creeping in—it’s already here. I know because I bought a bed using a predatory loan. I thought I could make the payments easily, but when other debts demanded attention, that expense ended up costing me double. What used to be reserved for big-ticket items like furniture or electronics is now applied to fast food and groceries. It’s a trap that keeps people paying off small debts indefinitely.
According to a 2023 LendingClub report, 61% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, including nearly half of those making over $100K a year. That’s the playing field Klarna is walking onto.
There’s a clear dog whistle in who will use this service the most—and it isn’t the family with a three-car garage in the suburbs. It’s low-income folks already stretched thin. The promise of “interest-free” payments is misleading; late fees and penalties stack fast. It creates a predatory cycle where people are forced to rely on these services just to afford basics, and punished for the circumstances that put them there.
The buzzwords “flexible” and “convenient” offer Chinese food now, but come payday, that debt’s coming straight out of the check—one that’s likely already too thin.
This “convenience” is a Band-Aid solution to systemic economic problems, allowing corporations and policymakers to avoid addressing the root causes of financial insecurity: the minimum wage is still in the basement, rent is unmanageable, and car notes aren’t back to pre-COVID prices. (I pay $500 for insurance and $500 monthly for my car.)
DoorDash and Klarna both benefit. DoorDash gets more orders. Klarna gets more users. And both profit off the financial struggles of everyday people. The ones using this option aren’t looking for luxury—they’re trying not to die broke and starving.
This isn’t a lifeline. It’s a leash. And Klarna? They’re filing for their IPO soon. Wonder where they got the juice to do such a thing?
Contact us at news@cartercountytimes.com
