Nordic shoppers turn to local payment methods online

Local payment options are becoming the first choice for ecommerce shoppers in the Nordics. According to PostNord’s latest E-commerce in the Nordics Spring 2026 report, 86 percent of consumers in the region bought something online in the month before the survey.

Local payment apps overtake cards

PostNord surveyed 4,000 consumers aged 18 to 79 in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in January and February. The report shows that online shopping remains common across the region, with the share of monthly ecommerce shoppers rising by 3 percent compared to the Autumn 2025 report. It is also 2 percent higher than last year.

A major shift is visible in how consumers pay. Since 2024, Nordic shoppers have said they prefer local payment methods such as Swish, Vipps and MobilePay. Until now, credit cards were still used most often. This year, local online payment methods moved ahead of cards for the first time, reaching a 23 percent share across the Nordics.

Cross-border shopping remains strong

The report also shows that Nordic consumers continue to buy from international online stores. In 2025, 71 percent of respondents made at least one cross-border online purchase. More than 40 percent said they shop from foreign online retailers at least once a month.

China remains the most popular country for cross-border ecommerce purchases, with a 27 percent share. This is slightly higher than last year, when it stood at 26 percent. European countries follow with 21 percent, while Germany accounts for 15 percent. The United States ranks next with a 5 percent share.