Swish and payments in Sweden: how it works

Most people in Sweden pay by card or with Swish, a mobile payment that moves money straight from one bank account to another. To send money with Swish you need a Swedish bank account and Mobilt BankID, the electronic ID issued by Swedish banks, and Swedbank, for one, only issues it to people with a Swedish personnummer (personal identity number). Until then a card will do. Below: how to get Swish, the banks' limits, what Swish costs a business and the rules for cash in 2026.

What is Swish?

Swish is a mobile payment in real time. You send money from your bank account to the recipient's account using a mobile number, and it arrives at once. The service has been around since 2012, according to Swish. In the Payments Report 2026 from the Riksbank (Sweden's central bank), 91 per cent had used Swish in the past month.

Companies, associations and organisations have their own Swish numbers, which begin with 123. Swish is free for private individuals at the banks we checked: Swedbank lists an annual fee of SEK 0, and Nordea says it is free until further notice.

How to get Swish

You order Swish from your bank, not from Swish.

What you need

• An account with a Swedish bank that is connected to Swish.
• Mobilt BankID. Without it you cannot send money, say both Swedbank and SEB.
• A smartphone with the app Swish betalningar. Swedbank says the BankID app must be on the same device.
• A mobile number that can be linked to the account. Nordea says only Finnish foreign numbers can currently be connected.

Step by step

The steps at Swedbank:

• Step 1: Download the app Swish betalningar.
• Step 2: Log in to the bank's app or internetbanken (online banking).
• Step 3: Choose Du (You), then Swish and Beställ Swish. In online banking it is under Övriga tjänster.
• Step 4: Enter your mobile number, ask for a verification code and choose the account.
• Step 5: Approve with Mobilt BankID.

At Nordea your Mobilt BankID must be at least seven days old before you can connect to Swish.

What does not work without a personnummer

Mobilt BankID is the key. To issue it, Swedbank requires a Swedish personnummer and an approved Swedish ID document that shows it. With only a samordningsnummer (coordination number), or no number at all, you cannot send money with Swish.

You can still get a bank account. Swedbank sees newcomers from outside the EU and EEA at its drop-in branches. Bring an approved passport and, if you have a coordination number, the Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) extract showing it. Ask for a bank card too; it covers most purchases until BankID and Swish are in place.

Amount limits and how to raise them

Each bank sets its own limit (beloppsgräns), and you change it in the bank's app or online banking. You can raise the ordinary limit or set a temporary one before a large payment.

Swedbank

At Swedbank you start at SEK 3,000 per day to individuals if you are 18 or older. You can raise it yourself to SEK 10,000 per day. In the app choose Du (your profile) and then Swish; in online banking, Övriga tjänster and then Swish. Payments to companies have a separate limit on top. Swedbank's pages give different amounts for it, so check the app for yours.

Before a larger payment you set a temporary limit of up to SEK 100,000 in the same place. It lasts until midnight on the day you choose.

Other banks

At Nordea you change the limit under Betalningar and Hantera Swish. For payments to companies and associations Nordea's limit is SEK 100,000 per payment.

Paying in shops with Swish, including ICA

In a shop you scan the shop's QR code or enter its Swish number and approve with Mobilt BankID. It only works where the shop accepts Swish, so ask at the till.

Swish at ICA

At ICA, the grocery chain, the answer depends on the shop. ICA's customer service says that with self-scanning you pay at the till by card, mobile or other payment options, but does not promise Swish in every shop. Some shops do list Swish on their own pages: ICA Nära Norrviken in Sollentuna states card, Swish and cash for home delivery and collection.

If you shop online at ICA, the terms of purchase say you pay by card, or by invoice if the shop offers it. Swish is not mentioned there, and the card must be issued within the EU.

Swish for business and what it costs

Each bank sets its own price, so there is no single price. The banks sell two services: Swish Företag, where the customer pays to your Swish number or QR code, and Swish Handel, which is built into a web shop or a till system. These were the prices on the banks' websites on 6 October 2026.

With 100 payments a month, that is SEK 244 at Handelsbanken, SEK 260 at Nordea and SEK 290 at SEB. At Swedbank the payments cost SEK 200; the bank's page states no fixed fee. Ask the bank to confirm the price before you sign.

Cash: withdrawals and where it is accepted

Cash is used less and less. In the Riksbank's survey, 5 per cent paid in cash for their latest purchase in 2025, against 10 per cent in 2023.

How much you can withdraw

Your bank decides the maximum amount, says Bankomat, the ATM operator. The machine also gives at most 30 notes per withdrawal. If the card issuer is not a customer of Bankomat, the limit is SEK 2,000 per withdrawal, and for American Express SEK 5,000. With a foreign card, that limit may apply to you.

Where cash is accepted

Cash is legal tender, but a shop can in principle refuse it, the Riksbank explains. Since 1 July 2026, however, grocery shops and pharmacies must accept cash, with certain exceptions. Under the Act (2026:769) this applies to payments of at most 0.1 prisbasbelopp (price base amount) and at most 25 coins. With the 2026 price base amount of SEK 59,200, that is SEK 5,920.

The shop is exempt if security cannot be maintained or if the cost of handling cash means it cannot stay open. Other shops and restaurants may still be cash-free.

Cash at home

As a benchmark the Riksbank gives about SEK 1,000 in cash per adult, in mixed denominations, and notes that a smaller amount also strengthens preparedness. Myndigheten för civilt försvar, the civil defence authority, gives the same basic advice: make sure you can pay in several ways, and use cash now and then in everyday life too.

Cards and contactless payment

Cards are the most common way to pay in shops. Debit cards, credit cards and cards in a mobile phone together account for about 92 per cent of payments at the latest purchase in a physical shop, says the Riksbank's Payments Report 2026.

Tapping your card, blippa in Swedish, works without a PIN for small amounts. Swedbank has set the limit at SEK 400 for its Mastercard debit card, and SEB says you enter your PIN when you buy for SEK 400 or more.

The Riksbank advises households, where possible, to have cards from different card networks, to keep physical cards and PINs to hand, and to have a mobile payment service such as Swish. So keep your card from home as a reserve once you have a Swedish one.

For public transport in Stockholm, see SL: hur man betalar. Local businesses are listed under Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö.

Sources

• Swish: mobile payments in real time since 2012
• Swedbank: Swish for private customers, limits and how to order
• Swedbank: Swish for business, prices
• Handelsbanken: Ta betalt med Swish, prices
• SEB: current prices for business customers
• Nordea: questions and answers about amount limits
• Bankomat: frequently asked questions about withdrawals and deposits
• Riksbanken: recommendations to the public on payments

The facts were checked on 6 October 2026.