Digital payments dominate, offline readiness critical for Danes
Danmarks Nationalbank reports that over 90 percent of Danish payments are now digital, while citizens increasingly hold cash as a contingency. This shift highlights the critical need for robust offline payment solutions following recent technical outages.
The digital shift and cash paradox
More than 90 percent of all payments in Denmark are now digital, driven by a strong increase in mobile phone payments.
Wallet payments, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, account for one in three physical trade transactions.
Conversely, cash usage in physical trade declined to 9 percent in 2025, down from 23 percent in 2017.
Despite this trend, 41 percent of citizens now hold more than kr.
1,000 in cash, an increase from 33 percent in 2023.
Seven out of ten individuals who hold cash view it as a crucial contingency for digital payments.
Governor Ulrik Nødgaard emphasized the importance of a payment contingency adapted to this pattern, particularly strengthening retailers' ability to accept digital payments offline and expanding instant payment availability.
Outages expose payment vulnerabilities
Technical failures at Nets in July 2025 and May 2026 exposed vulnerabilities in Denmark's payment infrastructure, underscoring the need for robust contingency.
Danmarks Nationalbank, with the retail and financial sectors, launched an offline card contingency.
This system allows citizens over 18 to pay by card and mobile wallet in essential stores for up to seven days, even during infrastructure outages.
Governor Ulrik Nødgaard highlighted its success.
The Nationalbank recommends citizens carry two physical payment cards, a small amount of cash (kr. 250/person guideline), and a mobile account transfer solution.
Retailers are advised to prepare for outages, accept offline card payments, and consider diverse payment options.