Offline payments

Card payments are the most common way to pay in shops, so it is important that card payments work even in the event of disruptions in data communication, i.e. offline. Together with representatives from the payments market, the Riksbank has reached an agreement to enable card payments to be made even in the event of disruptions in data communication lasting up to seven days. The payments covered include purchases of essential goods in physical shops, such as food, medicines and fuel. This applies to the vast majority of cardholders aged 18 or over who hold cards issued by card issuers covered by the agreement. The card issuers are set out in the list below, together with other organisations.

Expanded options for offline card payments are in place with effect from 1 July 2026.

Parties covered by the agreement

Card issuers: Danske Bank, Handelsbanken, Ica Banken, Länsförsäkringar Bank, Nordea, SEB, Swedbank

Card networks: Mastercard, Visa

Card acquirers: Adyen, Nets, Swedbank Pay, Worldline

Representatives from the retail sector and fuel companies: Apoteket, Apoteket Hjärtat, Axfood, Coop, Ica, Svensk Handel and Drivkraft Sverige

How offline payments work

1. A card payment usually involves four actors: the cardholder (customer), the payment recipient (merchant), the card acquirer and the card issuer. If there is a disruption – for example, the internet is down – operators cannot carry out their usual checks. Then the payment needs to be made offline.
2. In an offline mode, the customer has to insert the card’s chip into the terminal and enter the PIN. If the card has an offline function, the chip can authorise the purchase itself without contacting the acquirer or card issuer, up to a certain amount
3. Once the payment has been authorised and executed offline, it is saved in the terminal.
4. Once the connection is working again, offline transactions are sent to the acquirer. The acquirer pays out money to the merchant, the card issuer deducts money from the customer’s account and pays the acquirer.