Nordic consumers mostly use local payment methods

More than 8 out of 10 (86 percent) of Nordic consumers shop online monthly. This is an increase of 2 percent compared to last year. While shoppers in thoese countries have preferred local payment methods since 2024, this year marks the first time that these were used most often.

These data come from the latest E-commerce in the Nordics Spring 2026 report, published by PostNord. In January and February, a total of 4,000 respondents aged between 18 and 79 were surveyed. Respondents came from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

86% shopped online in the last month

The report indicates that 86 percent of consumers in the Nordics shopped online in the 30 days before the survey. Compared to the previous report, in Autumn 2025, this is an increase of 3 percent. Additionally, the report indicates that 71 percent of Nordic consumers bought something online from abroad during 2025.

Payment methods used

According to the report, payment behavior has seen a rapid change. Swish, Vipps and MobilePay have been the most preferred payment methods in the Nordics since 2024. All three are local online payment methods.

Local online payment methods were used more often than credit cards, for the first time

While most Nordics said that they prefer these payment methods, credit card was always in the top position of used payment methods. This year marks the first time that Swish, Vipps and MobilePay were used more often than credit cards. It has a share of 23 percent in the Nordics.

Cross-border orders mostly placed in China

As mentioned earlier, 71 percent of Nordic consumers said that they made a cross-border purchase in 2025. And more than 40 percent shop online in foreign countries at least once a month. Most of them shop on Chinese platform, as the country has a share of 27 percent. A year ago, that share was still 26 percent. It is followed by European countries, with a share of 21 percent. In third place comes Germany (15 percent), followed by the United States of America (5 percent).