10th June 2019 — Payments leader Klarna has today entered several new verticals — joining forces with healthcare payment specialist Finance 4 Group, to revolutionise payments in the veterinary, optical and dental industries. The new partnership means practices signed up to Finance 4 Group will now have access to Klarna’s Slice it, credit account solution.
Slice it will allow everyone from patients to pet parents to ‘slice’ their bills into monthly instalments, making treatments more accessible and affordable. The new partnership will aid consumers who need to pay for significant work, where cost could be a barrier to making the best decisions for themselves or their families’ health.
The partnership comes as part of Finance 4 Groups’ continuing focus on offering the best possible experience for its partners and consumers, by taking advantage of best in class technology that allows for payments that are simple, swift and secure.
Working together, the two businesses are innovating an area in the health sector which often remains traditional : payments. The first practices in the veterinary, optical and dental markets are expected to go live with Slice it this week, with the remaining companies introducing the service gradually over the next six months. In total, Slice it will be available to approximately 500 new businesses in the veterinary, optical and dental markets.
The collaboration is the first step in a wider partnership, as Klarna and Finance 4 Group look to add more innovative payment options in future, highlighting the demand for flexible payment methods in the sector.
Luke Griffiths, General Manager at Klarna UK, commented:
“When it comes to the dentists, opticians, or trips to the vet, bills can often be high and come in unexpectedly. For customers, being able to choose how they pay — and ultimately spread the cost — in these instances, will be invaluable. Incorporating flexibility into the checkout is a simple way for vets, opticians and dentists to soothe any financial anxiety their customers may feel when booking an appointment. There’s no question that Slice it will transform the way that patients pay for their (or their pets’) treatments and we can’t wait to see how the different industries benefit from the convenience of simple payments.”
Brian Thompson, Founder and Managing Director at the Finance 4 Group, added:
“Dental work, eye tests, pet medicine — it can all stack up. When it comes to health, either our own or that of our furry friends, up-front costs should not hold people back from making the best choices. We chose to partner with Klarna as they are next-generation innovators in payments who can help us bring something different and exciting to the health sector. For too many years patients have been asked to complete long application forms and have received a poor post-purchase experience. Our newly-integrated solution with Klarna removes much of this friction and means that returning patients never need to re-apply for finance.”
“Our partnership with Klarna means that our clients in the veterinary, optical and dental industries can now provide their patients with flexible payments — helping them access treatments with their wellbeing, not cost, front of mind.”
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About Klarna
It’s all about smoooth (yes, with 3 ooo’s). Klarna is Europe’s leading payments provider and a newly-licensed bank, which wants to revolutionise the payment experience for shoppers and merchants alike. Founded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2005, the fintech unicorn gives online consumers the option to pay now, pay later or over time — offering a trusted, frictionless and smoooth checkout experience.
Klarna now works with 130,000 merchants, including ASOS, Topshop, H&M and JD Sports in the UK, to offer payment solutions to users across Europe and North America. Klarna has 2,500 employees and is active in 14 countries.
About Finance 4 Patients
Finance 4 Group have multiple subsidies, specialising in their different verticals including Finance 4 Patients, Finance 4 Eyecare and Finance 4 Vetcare.
The Finance 4 Group are committed to helping clients achieve maximum results and profitability through the use of innovative financial products. The team provide a premium concierge service, offering a full suite of business, compliance support and training that helps our healthcare providers increase sales revenue and patient satisfaction. As part of the business support service, Finance 4 Group advise practices on how to best promote finance and offer clients a range of marketing materials that will help to make their patients aware of the finance options available to them.