Payments Report 2026 (Sveriges Riksbank)

Summary

• In the Riksbank's survey, 91 per cent of respondents used Swish in the past month, making mobile payments increasingly widespread.p.12
• Among small businesses surveyed, 92 per cent accept debit cards, 74 per cent accept Swish, and 67 per cent accept cash.p.18
• Over-the-counter bill payment services for non-bank customers have dropped by 80 per cent since 2021, leaving only 32 locations available across Sweden.p.48
• The Riksbank recommends that households keep around SEK 1,000 in cash per adult as a benchmark for emergency preparedness.p.59

Key insights

1. In-store cash payment share in 2025 stood at 5 per cent in Sweden, compared to 2 per cent in Norway and 8 per cent in Denmark.p.14
2. Bankomat ATM cash withdrawals have decreased by an average of 10 per cent per year over the last ten years.p.15
3. A total of 56 per cent of small businesses state that receiving funds immediately rather than after 1 to 3 days is important.p.19
4. The Riksbank recommends introducing a maximum limit of SEK 10,000 for cash purchases in the retail sector to deter criminal activities such as money laundering.p.8
5. An agreement enabling offline card payments for essential goods during data disruptions enters into force on 1 July 2026.p.9
6. The Riksbank expects payment service providers to offer instant payment services via online banking by March 2027 or present a plan to do so.p.9