Sweden's Riksbank has published recommendations for household payment preparedness, warning that the international situation and Sweden’s high degree of digitalisation can create vulnerabilities in the payments system and that the public should be able to pay through multiple channels during disruptions, crises and, in the worst case, war. The guidance sets a benchmark of SEK 1,000 in cash per adult to cover a week of essential purchases, notes households may need more or less depending on their circumstances, and advises holding several denominations and using cash periodically to help keep cash systems functioning. It also encourages access to at least two cards from different card networks (for example, Visa and Mastercard), access to mobile payment services such as Swish as an alternative infrastructure to card payments, and keeping physical cards and PINs readily available even where mobile wallets are normally used, including for potential offline chip payments. The recommendations are presented in the Payments Report 2026, which is scheduled to be published on 12 March, and have been made available in advance on the Riksbank’s website.
Riksbank 2026-03-04
Sweden's Riksbank issues payment preparedness guidance urging households to hold SEK 1,000 per adult in cash and maintain alternative payment methods
Sweden's Riksbank recommends household payment preparedness, citing vulnerabilities from digitalisation and international factors. It advises holding SEK 1,000 in cash per adult for emergencies, using multiple payment channels, and maintaining access to diverse card networks and mobile payment services. These recommendations are detailed in the Payments Report 2026 on the Riksbank’s website.