Payment in Sweden: this is how it works
Payment in Sweden works more or less the same as in the Netherlands. However, there are a number of things that are useful to know before you travel. For example, no one uses cash anymore and you come across the term ‘Swish’ in many places. In this article I will tell you more about how payments work in Sweden and how you can best prepare for your holiday.
The easiest way to pay for your purchases in Sweden is with your debit card. The currency of Sweden is the Swedish krona and as a rule of thumb you can calculate with 1:10, so 1 euro is 10 kroner (broadly speaking, at the time of writing it is 1:8.4). Please note that at some banks you pay a exchange rate difference, which you can request from your own bank. You can pay almost anywhere with your debit card, including contactless.
Pay in Sweden with your credit card
Paying with your credit card is also possible everywhere in Sweden. This works the same as with your debit card. Please note that you need a PIN code for your debit card, so make sure you know it. You also usually pay a rate surcharge for most credit cards. Sometimes it happens that a bank card does not work, credit cards are almost always accepted. With credit cards, keep in mind that you often have a spending limit and that sometimes, for example when renting a rental car or renting a snowmobile, a temporary deposit is blocked.
Pay in cash in Sweden
In fact, no one pays this with cash in Sweden anymore. There is therefore no point in withdrawing crowns or taking them with you from the Netherlands. I have been living in Sweden for a year now and have never paid with cash. In many places it is no longer even possible to pay in cash, so pinning money is really not necessary. Only some mountain huts in the north allow cash only payment, but this is the exception rather than the rule. If you unexpectedly need cash, there are ATMs everywhere in the country.
Pay with Swish
A payment method that is mainly used by Swedes themselves, in addition to the credit card, is Swish. This is a Swedish payment system where you can transfer money directly from one bank account to another. But you can also pay online with Swish, buy (bus) tickets and make other payments. It is a combination of a tap and a payment request as we know it here in the Netherlands, but Swish is linked to your telephone number and Bank ID. You only get a Bank ID if you have a personal number and you only get a personal number if you live and are registered in Sweden. Unfortunately, it is not possible for Dutch people to pay with Swish.
E-book Sweden for Beginners
Are you planning your first trip to Sweden? Excellent choice—there’s a good chance you’ll fall in love with this country just like I did.
I was once a beginner myself. Back in 2015, to be exact. Since then, I’ve traveled to Sweden every year, and since 2023 I’ve been living in Swedish Lapland. In my e-book, you’ll find everything you need to know about your first trip to Sweden, written by a local (me!).
I share many of my own experiences and all the things I wish I had known when I first traveled to Sweden in 2015.
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Hej hej!
Mijn naam is Antonette! Na meer dan 12 reizen door Zweden besloot ik in de zomer van 2023 naar Zweeds-Lapland emigreren. Daarvoor reisde ik met mijn oude Volvo door Zweden op zoek naar de meest bijzondere plekjes voor mijn reisboeken.
Wist je dat je mij jouw reis door Zweden kunt laten plannen? Je ontvangt een prachtig op maat gemaakt reisvoorstel inclusief een dag-tot-dagprogramma, handige routetips en meer.
JA DAT WIL IK!
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