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Offline systems will safeguard financial access during internet or infrastructure disruptions.
In a proactive move to bolster financial resilience, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Estonia are jointly developing offline card payment systems to ensure uninterrupted consumer transactions in the event orof internet outages cyber disruptions. The initiative follows recent damage to undersea communication cables in the Baltic Sea, heightening concerns over hybrid threats and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.
Announced by Tuomas Valimaki of the Bank of Finland on May 7, the rollout is part of broader national strategies to maintain payment continuity even during large-scale disruptions. These efforts reflect growing recognition of the security risks posed by high dependence on real-time, online financial systems—especially in countries like Finland, where only 10% of the population uses cash regularly.
“Payments are an essential service. If connections are down, people must still be able to buy food, fuel, and medicine,” Valimaki told Reuters. The planned offline systems will allow payment terminals to encrypt and locally store transaction data, which can then be synchronized once internet connectivity resumes.
Sweden is targeting a July 1, 2026 launch of a system that can support offline payments for up to seven days. Norway and Denmark have already deployed basic offline functionality, while Estonia is developing similar measures.
This push for offline capability is also driving identity and access management innovations, as secure offline transactions will require robust authentication protocols even without live system checks.
Valimaki emphasized the need for Europe to reduce its overreliance on global card networks like Visa and Mastercard. “We need alternatives that give us sovereignty in payments,” he said, pointing to Finland’s future instant payment platform and reserve bank account system, both designed to offer citizens direct access to funds in emergencies.
The European Central Bank’s proposed digital euro may further enhance resilience, but implementation remains years away. Meanwhile, national systems across the Nordics are accelerating toward readiness in light of increasing geopolitical tensions and cyber threats.
These developments mark a significant shift in the region’s digital payment architecture, focusing on resilience, redundancy, and user access even in adverse scenarios.
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