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Difficult to help others with payments

As access to manual payment methods has deteriorated, people who, for various reasons, cannot pay digitally themselves increasingly need help. This has been emphasised by the Riksbank before, as well as by the county administrative boards and the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority. However, helping someone with payments entails some problems, for instance it is often much more complicated than doing so in one’s own name, and it can be difficult to determine who is responsible if something goes wrong.

Published: 12 March 2026

A register for representatives can reduce inconvenience and uncertainty

To get help with payments, you can authorise someone else to do it for you, such as a relative. You may also need a representative, i.e. a guardian or trustee. Making payments on behalf of someone else is often more complicated than making payments in your own name. For example, an authorised representative often needs to visit a bank branch, with the original power of attorney, to carry out banking transactions on behalf of the principal. In this way, the bank can ensure that the authorisation is still valid. For guardians and trustees, the digital service offering varies between banks, and they may also need to visit a bank branch for some banking transactions.

The Riksbank believes that there should be better digital solutions for people who help others make payments. In particular, there should be simple and traceable payment methods, which are important to prevent fraud.

In December 2025, the Government proposed the creation of a national register of representatives.^[84] Ett ställföreträdarskap att lita på (Prop. 2025/26:92) (Government, Swedish only). The proposal will make it easier for banks to check the eligibility of guardians and authorised representatives and to adapt digital services for them. The Riksbank assesses that a register of authorised representatives could facilitate the management of persons who help others to make payments, and therefore welcomes the Government's proposal.