Payments in Sweden 2019

Key drivers and trends

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PSD2 enables greater competition

Published: 7 November 2019

The EU has been working to increase competition on the payment market. A modified regulatory framework gives payment service providers the opportunity to access customers’ payment accounts and thereby initiate payments and compile account information. The second payment services directive (PSD2) has been fully implemented since September of this year (about the payment services directive on fi.se). It opens the door for innovations that can make it easier and cheaper to pay. For example, an account transfer can be initiated directly from an e-trader’s website (direct payment). These new payment services compete with traditional payment services, such as cards, and give consumers and companies more options. This should lead to cheaper and smoother payment services, which is also one of the objectives of PSD2. The directive also contains provisions to make electronic payments safer.