In the last decade, the way we use cards has changed, both in Sweden and in other countries. The number of card payments per person per year has increased, while the average amount per transaction has decreased; see Figure 2. We are therefore using cards more often and for smaller purchases than before. This may be due to the introduction in 2015 of new rules on card fees in the EU/EEA, which made it cheaper for shops and merchants to accept card payments. After the introduction of the rules, more shops started to accept card payments. It may also be due to new technologies such as the contactless function that have made it easier and more convenient to use cards.

It has also become easier to make card payments by telephone. Mobile services such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay integrate cards into phones and make it possible to pay by holding the phone against a card terminal. These services are now increasingly being used (see Paying by mobile phone is popular).

Use the slider below the diagram to change the time interval. The vertical axis shows the average value per card payment in SEK. The horizontal axis shows the number of card payments per person per year.