Buy Now, Pay Later in the Netherlands: New Klarna-Style Rules Before Black Friday

Published 4 November 2026. The legal status, dates and rules below were checked on 4 November 2026 against the Dutch government, the Eerste Kamer and the explanatory memorandum to the bill. The law is not final yet and dates can change, so check the sources before you rely on a date.

“Buy now, pay later” services such as Klarna let you receive an item first and pay later. The Netherlands is about to bring them under the consumer credit rules. The Dutch government says the stricter rules apply from 20 November 2026, but only if the Eerste Kamer (the Senate) approves the law. That vote has not happened yet.

1. The new rules at a glance

Sources: Rijksoverheid, Eerste Kamer and the explanatory memorandum (Kamerstuk 36924, nr. 3), checked 4 November 2026.

2. Where the law stands today

According to the Eerste Kamer, the Tweede Kamer adopted the bill on 6 October 2026. Only FVD voted against. In the Eerste Kamer, the committee gave its input on 27 October 2026 and the committee report is still being prepared. The page lists no plenary date and no final vote.

The Eerste Kamer page also gives no entry-into-force date. It says the law takes effect at a time to be set by royal decree. The date of 20 November 2026 comes from the Dutch government’s page and depends on the Senate’s approval. The explanatory memorandum mentions the same date as the deadline under the EU directive.

In practice, this means you should treat 20 November as the planned date, not as a certain one.

3. What counts as “buy now, pay later”

The Dutch government says the tightened rules cover paying afterwards through buy-now-pay-later credit, credit cards, private lease with a purchase option, and overdrafts (“rood staan”) at the bank.

The explanatory memorandum adds that “koop nu, betaal later” services and cards with deferred debiting now fall within the scope of the directive. Before, credit that was repaid within three months with only insignificant costs was exempt. That exemption is removed. Providers of deferred-debit cards get a six-month transition period after the law takes effect.

4. What changes for you as a shopper

• No credit for minors. The government says minors may not have buy-now-pay-later credit or credit cards. The explanatory memorandum says such deferred-payment agreements can never be made with a minor, even with a parent’s consent. Providers must have adequate processes to establish your age.
• A check on whether you can repay. Providers must assess your ability to repay. They can look at other loans or payment arrears, for example through the BKR register, and they may ask for information such as income or housing costs. The assessment may not use data from social networks or special categories of personal data.
• Providers join the BKR. According to the explanatory memorandum, providers in scope must register credit with the BKR and consult it before lending. A separate bill on credit registration is still being prepared.
• Clear information and your consent. An agreement only comes into being after your explicit consent. Before you sign, you must receive the standard European information form, and this information must be free of charge.
• The right to cancel. The memorandum describes a right to dissolve a credit agreement without giving a reason within fourteen days (article 7:66 of the Civil Code).
• Help if you struggle to pay. Providers must refer consumers in financial difficulty to debt advice services.

The practical effect: expect more checks at the moment you choose “pay later”, and expect that you can be refused.

5. What stays outside the rules

Not every kind of deferred payment is covered. The explanatory memorandum keeps an exception for deferred payment that a seller offers itself, without a third party, as long as no interest or costs are charged (apart from limited costs for payment arrears) and you pay in full within a set period. The memorandum says platforms that offer deferred payment are always in scope.

The memorandum also mentions that some deferred-payment arrangements may fall outside the directive, because you pay after you receive the goods. Whether a specific shop or provider falls inside or outside the rules is something the provider has to decide, so look at the terms it shows you.

6. Before you use it on Black Friday

Black Friday is on 27 November 2026, a week after the planned start. These steps follow directly from the rules above:

• Find out who the lender is. Check the payment terms to see whether the shop or a separate provider lends you the money.
• Keep the information form. Save the standard information form and the confirmation you receive.
• Know your cancellation window. If the new rules apply to your agreement, you can dissolve it within fourteen days according to the memorandum. Note the start date.
• Watch your return rights separately. The right to return goods and the right to cancel the credit are two different things. See our guide to Black Friday return rights in the Netherlands.
• Ask for help early. If you fall behind on payments, the provider must point you to debt advice.

If you are under 18, you cannot use these services once the law applies to them.

7. What is still open

• The Eerste Kamer still has to vote, and no plenary date is listed.
• The entry-into-force date is set by royal decree and can differ by article.
• The rules on the BKR credit register are in a separate bill that is still being prepared.
• How individual providers apply the rules to their own products is not yet known.

8. FAQ

When do the new buy-now-pay-later rules start?

The Dutch government says 20 November 2026, but only if the Eerste Kamer approves the law. The Eerste Kamer has not voted yet.

Can a 17-year-old use buy now, pay later?

No. The government says minors may not have this credit. The explanatory memorandum says even a parent’s consent does not change that.

Will providers check my finances?

Yes. Providers must check whether you can repay, for example through the BKR, and they can ask for information such as income or housing costs.

Is every “pay later” option covered?

No. A seller’s own interest-free deferral, without a third party and with payment in full within a set period, can stay outside the rules. Platforms offering deferred payment are always in scope.

Can I cancel a buy-now-pay-later agreement?

According to the explanatory memorandum, you can dissolve a credit agreement without giving a reason within fourteen days. Check the terms of your own agreement.

🇳🇱 Dutch Corner

Sources

• Rijksoverheid – Consumentenbescherming financiële diensten (scope, 20 November 2026 and its condition, age and credit checks)
• Eerste Kamer – Implementatiewet herziene richtlijn consumentenkrediet (36.924) (vote status, committee dates)
• Memorie van toelichting – Kamerstuk 36924, nr. 3 (exceptions, minors, BKR, consumer rights, transition for deferred-debit cards)