DoorDash said today it's adding Klarna's buy-now-pay-later payment options into the delivery app.

• Why it matters: Enjoying a sandwich today and paying for it some other time just got a lot easier, exactly the kind of decision BNPL watchdogs fear can saddle consumers with "phantom debt."

Zoom in: Klarna will provide multiple payment options for DoorDash, including:

• Pay immediately.
• "Pay in 4," which allows customers to pay in four equal interest-free installments.
• "Pay Later," which allows them to defer payments until what Klarna calls "a more convenient time."

State of play: DoorDash rival Grubhub was already offering Klarna payment services.

• But DoorDash is the market leader in restaurant delivery services, commanding nearly 63% of the market, according to Earnest Analytics, making its move into BNPL a seismic moment for the payment option.
• In addition to food, DoorDash also offers delivery from a wide variety of other retailers.

💭 Our thought bubble via Axios Pro: Fintech Deals co-author Ryan Lawler: This deal is less about adding a buy-now-pay-later offering to DoorDash customers, and more about Klarna pitching itself as the default payment platform for everyday spending categories.

The intrigue: The announcement comes as Klarna is barreling toward an IPO in pursuit of a $15 billion valuation.

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Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants reported earnings today, providing investors with more inputs on two evolving questions: the appetites of increasingly pessimistic consumers, and how exposed restaurants are to the impacts of tariffs.

• Answer: So far so good, and no sweat.

What they're saying: "People, even if they say they're feeling less optimistic, we haven't seen a huge correlation between that and dining out," Darden CEO Rick Cardenas said on the company's earnings call. "Right now, we're still feeling okay about it."

• Yes, but: That spending might be dependent on income growth continuing to outpace inflation, Cardenas said. "It doesn't mean that [confidence] won't change in the future."

On tariffs, despite them being "top of mind" at Darden, the company said only 20% of its food costs come from foreign products.

• And "we could switch easily to domestic" sources for "a portion" of it, CFO Rajesh Vennam said today on an earnings call.

Market impact: Darden shares rose 5.9%.

🔩 Tesla is recalling substantially all units of the Cybertruck pickup over a defect that could cause a panel to fly off in traffic. The vehicle has been dogged by quality issues. (Axios)

🇪🇺 The European Union is postponing retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. — including 50% on American whiskey — until mid-April. The EU cited a desire for "additional time for discussions." (BBC)

🌍 Amazon is now selling carbon credits to business customers, suppliers and others. The company said buyers must commit to publicly report their greenhouse gas emissions. (Reuters)

🌖 Aerospace company Rolls-Royce is in discussions to provide micro-nuclear reactors for lunar exploration purposes. The manufacturer, which is separate from the automaker of the same name, hopes to send a reactor to the moon by the early 2030s. (Bloomberg)

The Boston Celtics have agreed to be sold to private equity investor Bill Chisholm for an initial $6.1 billion, with the final valuation to reach $7.3 billion, Axios has learned from sources familiar with the situation.

• Why it matters: This is the most ever paid for a professional sports team, topping the $6 billion that Josh Harris paid in 2023 for the NFL's Washington Commanders.

Zoom in: The deal is split into two parts. The initial purchase this summer of a majority stake is at the $6.1 billion valuation, but the rest is expected to be valued at a whopping $7.3 billion.

Zoom in: Chisholm, born and raised in Massachusetts, is the billionaire co-founder of Symphony Technology Group.

• Also participating is Sixth Street Partners, which earlier this week agreed to acquire a 10% stake in MLB's San Francisco Giants.

Look ahead: The NBA still would need to approve the sale, which most likely will be near or after the season ends.

• Chisholm, meanwhile, is said to still be looking for co-investors on the deal.

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