The food-delivery app and installment lender say they’re offering a flexible alternative to high-interest credit cards. Some see it as a sign of hard times.

Sebastian Siemiatkowski said U.S. customers would discover the many ways to use Klarna, as DoorDash deal inspires "The Big Short" memes.

DoorDash said the arrangement with the financial tech service Klarna would allow customers to defer payments on orders such as takeout from restaurants, makeup and electronics.