About

DoorDash Klarna Payments refers to memes and discussions about the American food delivery and takeout service DoorDash partnering with Swedish fintech company Klarna to provide food delivery with a buy-now, pay-later scheme that allows consumers to pay for their food in installments. The move sparked controversy and discourse online after it was announced in late March 2025, with many people viewing taking on debt to buy food as an indicator of financial instability. Online, the news drew comparisons with the film The Big Short in which banks bundled risky loans and sold them as safe investments, creating a financial bubble that eventually collapsed when borrowers defaulted (known as the 2008 financial crisis).

Origin

On March 20th, 2025, DoorDash and Klarna announced buy now, pay later options to its U.S. customers. ​Several internet users shared the news online, including Twitter / X^[1] account @MorePerfectUS on March 20th, writing, "DoorDash and Klarna have signed a deal where customers can choose to pay for food deliveries in interest-free installments or deferred options aligned with payday schedules." The tweet received over 34.4 million views, 7,200 likes and 8,900 retweets in 15 hours.

Also on March 20th, X^[6] user @unusual_whales wrote, "DoorDash, $DASH, and Klarna have signed a deal where customers can choose to pay for food deliveries in interest-free installments," gathering over 15,000 likes in a day.

Spread

The announcement faced backlash from people concerned that enabling installment payments for everyday expenses like food could lead to increased personal debt, particularly among economically vulnerable individuals. The buy now, pay later industry is less regulated than traditional credit, increasing the potential for exploitation and long-term financial consequences for consumers.

For instance, on March 20th, 2025, X^[2] user @Azradok wrote, "They're doing the meme," and shared a Born Too Soon meme that joked about financing a pizza from Dominos. The post gathered over 50,000 likes in a day.

Later on March 20th, X^[3] user @beboobfa tweeted a meme joking about someone being halfway through paying off their Raising Caine's meal, gathering over 14,000 likes in a day.

Also on March 20th, 2025, X^[4] user @Jack_Raines tweeted a Don Draper Cereal Pitch meme that read, "Mortgage-backed securities for college kids' burritos," gathering over 15,000 likes in a day.

On March 20th, X^[5] user @ZacMabry shared a Your Outie Likes X meme, writing, "Your outie financed a cheesy gordita crunch," gathering over 49,000 likes in a day.

Various Examples

pic.twitter.com/KIvlcQG1Ba https://t.co/PlZC1gonWt

— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) March 20, 2025

Search Interest

External References