How people pay in Ireland in 2026
Ireland is a card and phone market. The Banking and Payments Federation Ireland counted more than 1.6 billion contactless payments worth over €30 billion in 2025, 88.7% of all point-of-sale card payments, and 62.4% of those taps came from a phone or a watch rather than a plastic card. The Central Bank of Ireland's monthly card statistics put card spending at €9.31 billion across 250 million transactions in September 2026, split almost evenly between online and in-store. As in the United Kingdom, debit cards do most of the work.
Cash is in retreat but protected. ECB survey data cited by the Irish Times show that under half of Irish point-of-sale payments were made in cash in 2024, and the Access to Cash Act in force since 28 November 2025 obliges AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB to keep ATMs within reach. On the account side, SEPA Instant became mandatory for every bank on 9 October 2025, the three pillar banks launched Zippay in March 2026, and Revolut passed 3.4 million Irish customers. BNPL is regulated by the Central Bank and led by Klarna and humm.
- €30 billion value of contactless card payments in 2025, up 12.6% (BPFI Payments Monitor)
- 62.4% share of contactless payments made with a mobile wallet in 2025 (BPFI Payments Monitor)
- 3.4 million Revolut customers in Ireland in June 2026 (Irish Times)
- 82.2 million cash withdrawals in 2025, down 7.1% in a year (BPFI Payments Monitor)
Payment by card in Ireland
Ireland has no domestic card scheme any more. Laser, the Irish debit scheme launched in 1996, stopped processing on 28 February 2014 after peaking at more than 3 million cards, and the banks moved to Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard. Today almost every current account comes with one of the two, and credit cards are a smaller, mostly Visa and Mastercard, business. The Central Bank of Ireland counted 250 million card payments worth €9.31 billion in September 2026, with domestic online spending of €3.49 billion against €4.06 billion at domestic points of sale.
In the street, contactless is the default. BPFI reports 88.7% of point-of-sale card payments were contactless in 2025, 298 taps per person, and in restaurants cards and apps rose from 15% of payments in 2019 to 39% in 2024. For acquirers and PSPs the Irish market is simple on paper, two international schemes, chip and PIN, EMV contactless, but pricing matters: Ireland sits under the EU cap on interchange fees, and merchants compare acquirers closely on scheme fees and settlement speed. Our guide to card networks explains the mechanics behind those costs.
Card schemes in Ireland
Visa
International scheme
Visa Debit is the card behind most Irish current accounts, including AIB and Bank of Ireland debit cards, and it carries the bulk of contactless and online card payments in Ireland.
Mastercard
International scheme
Debit Mastercard and Mastercard credit cards are issued by PTSB and Revolut among others; Mastercard also runs its European technology hub in Dublin.
Debit cards
Debit card
Contactless Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard cards linked to a current account are the everyday payment instrument in Ireland, in shops, online and in mobile wallets.
88.7% of point-of-sale card payments were contactless in 2025, BPFI Payments Monitor
Credit cards
Credit card
Visa and Mastercard credit cards from the pillar banks, An Post Money, Avant Money and Revolut are used for larger purchases, travel and online subscriptions.
€9.31 billion total card spending, debit and credit, in September 2026, Central Bank of Ireland
Payment by cash in Ireland
Ireland uses less cash than the euro area average. The ECB's SPACE 2024 study puts cash at 52% of point-of-sale transactions across the euro area, while in Ireland the share had fallen below half by 2024, from about 54% two years earlier. Withdrawals keep sliding: BPFI counted 82.2 million ATM and cashback withdrawals worth €12.2 billion in 2025, down 7.1% and 4.2%, and for every €1 withdrawn, €2.46 was spent contactless. Cash held up only in Donegal.
The response has been legal rather than commercial. The Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act took effect on 28 November 2025: it sets a minimum number of ATMs per 100,000 people in each region and makes AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB responsible for meeting it. The Central Bank's first check found just over 4,000 ATMs and 1,200 cash service points at the end of 2025, with six local shortfalls to fix. Cashback at the till and An Post counters fill the gaps. Online, cash on delivery is almost unknown in Ireland.
Cash payment methods in Ireland
Cash
Banknotes and coins
Euro notes and coins remain common for small purchases, pubs, markets and rural shops, and the 2025 Access to Cash Act guarantees that ATMs and bank or post office counters stay within reach of every region.
Under 50% of Irish point-of-sale payments were made in cash in 2024, ECB data via Irish Times
ATM withdrawal
ATM cash access
Bank and independent ATMs are the main way to get cash; the Central Bank now monitors ATM density every quarter and can direct the designated banks to fix shortfalls.
4,000+ ATMs in Ireland at the end of 2025, Law Society Gazette
Cashback at point of sale
Retail cash-out
Supermarkets and convenience stores give cash with a debit card purchase, a service counted in BPFI's withdrawal figures and the second most preferred way to get cash in the ECB survey for Ireland.
82.2 million ATM and cashback withdrawals in 2025, down 7.1%, BPFI Payments Monitor
Payment by bank transfer in Ireland
Ireland runs on SEPA. Credit transfers and direct debits pay salaries, bills and B2B invoices, and since 9 October 2025 every Irish bank must offer SEPA Instant for sending as well as receiving. The Central Bank of Ireland explains the new rules: money lands within 10 seconds, at any hour, for no more than the price of a standard transfer, and a Verification of Payee name check runs on every transfer. AIB switched on outgoing instant payments for its 3.35 million customers days before the deadline, after years in which Revolut was the only mainstream app that moved money instantly.
The next step is person-to-person. On 9 March 2026 AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB launched Zippay inside their apps, letting around five million customers send, request and split money by mobile number, up to €1,000 a day, on Nexi technology, after the banks dropped a standalone app in 2023. Unlike the Benelux, Ireland has no bank-redirect scheme at checkout, so pay-by-bank online still means an open banking provider or a manual transfer. Read why Europe's instant payments moment changes the calculus for PSPs and PayFacs.
Bank transfer methods in Ireland
SEPA Credit Transfer
Bank transfer
The standard euro transfer used for salaries, rent, invoices and larger online purchases, settled within one business day through the Irish banks and Revolut's Irish IBANs.
SEPA Instant Credit Transfer
Instant payment
Mandatory for all Irish banks since 9 October 2025, with funds credited in under 10 seconds around the clock and a Verification of Payee check on the recipient's name, according to the Central Bank of Ireland.
10 seconds maximum time for an instant transfer to arrive, at no more than the cost of a standard transfer, Central Bank of Ireland
Zippay
P2P bank payments
The in-app mobile-number payment service of AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB, launched on 9 March 2026, for sending, requesting and splitting money instantly between customers of the three banks.
5 million bank customers eligible at launch, with a €1,000 daily sending limit, RTÉ
SEPA Direct Debit
Direct debit
The usual way to pay utilities, insurance, gym memberships and subscriptions in Ireland, with mandates set up online and collected under the SEPA Core and B2B schemes.
Open banking pay-by-bank
Pay by bank
PSD2 account-to-account payments initiated from the shopper's banking app, offered by open banking providers for bills, top-ups and high-value purchases; usage remains small next to cards.
Payment by installment and BNPL in Ireland
Ireland regulated buy now, pay later early. Since the Consumer Protection (Regulation of Retail Credit and Credit Servicing Firms) Act came into force in May 2022, every BNPL provider needs Central Bank of Ireland authorisation and must follow the Consumer Protection Code, whose revised 2025 version adds rules on arrears, charges and credit. That is ahead of most of the EU, where the revised Consumer Credit Directive only applies from November 2026, as our article on BNPL in Europe explains.
The market is small but growing. Klarna, live since November 2021, works with about 6,000 Irish retail partners, including Tesco, Ticketmaster and Vodafone, and reaches almost half a million Irish customers with an average spend of €150. humm, the Irish-regulated brand of Flexifi Europe, finances furniture, electronics and healthcare at EZ Living, Harvey Norman and DID Electrical. Revolut offers Pay Later in three instalments for a 1.65% fee to Irish residents and added instalment plans on its credit cards in January 2025. Central Bank research found that more than a third of consumers see BNPL as a payment method rather than a loan, which is why the regulator watches it closely.
Installment and BNPL providers in Ireland
Klarna
BNPL
Pay in 3 interest-free instalments at partner checkouts or through the Klarna app, in Ireland since November 2021 and authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland.
6,000 Irish retail partners and close to 500,000 Irish customers in 2025, Irish Times
humm
Point-of-sale finance
Irish instalment lender, legally Flexifi Europe Limited and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, financing bigger tickets in store and online at retailers such as EZ Living, Harvey Norman, DID Electrical, DFS and B&Q.
Revolut Pay Later
BNPL
Splits an eligible card purchase into three instalments inside the Revolut app for Irish residents, one third upfront, with a 1.65% fee per purchase and no interest; Revolut credit card holders can also spread purchases over 3 to 12 months.
1.65% fee per Pay Later purchase, representative APR 21.4%, Revolut Ireland
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in Ireland
Ireland is one of Europe's most phone-first markets at the till. Google launched Android Pay in Ireland in December 2016 and Apple Pay followed in March 2017; by 2025, 62.4% of contactless payments came from a mobile wallet, 159 phone or watch taps per person in a year. The ECB's SPACE study counts Ireland among the three euro area countries where mobile devices exceed 10% of point-of-sale transactions. Most of those taps are tokenized Visa and Mastercard debit cards, which is what X-Pay means in Ireland.
The other wallet is Revolut. With 3.4 million customers in June 2026 in a country of about 5.4 million people, it is the default for splitting bills and paying friends, and its cards sit in Apple Pay and Google Pay. PayPal, whose European operations are run from Dublin, remains a standard option at checkout. CSO data show 85% of Irish internet users bought online in 2025 and 94% used internet or mobile banking. For PSPs, the lesson is to put Apple Pay and Google Pay first on the payment page; our piece on Apple Pay integration covers the certification work behind that button.
Digital wallets and X-Pay in Ireland
Apple Pay
X-Pay wallet
Live in Ireland since March 2017 and supported by AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB and Revolut among others, Apple Pay is the leading way to tap with a phone in Irish shops and a common express checkout online.
62.4% of contactless payments in 2025 were made with a mobile wallet, Apple Pay or Google Pay, BPFI Payments Monitor
Google Pay
X-Pay wallet
Launched as Android Pay in December 2016 with AIB and KBC, now supported by all major Irish issuers, used for in-store taps on Android phones and for one-tap checkout in Chrome and apps.
Revolut
Fintech wallet
Irish-licensed bank app used for instant peer-to-peer payments, bill splitting, Revolut Pay at checkout and card payments through its Visa and Mastercard cards.
3.4 million Irish customers in June 2026, up 100,000 since January, Irish Times
PayPal
Digital wallet
PayPal's European entity is headquartered in Luxembourg with large operations in Dublin and Dundalk; it stays a familiar checkout button for Irish shoppers buying from marketplaces and foreign merchants.
Payments in Ireland: FAQ
What is the most used payment method in Ireland?
Contactless debit cards, increasingly through a phone. BPFI counted over 1.6 billion contactless payments worth more than €30 billion in 2025, 88.7% of all point-of-sale card payments, and 62.4% of those were made with a mobile wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Does Apple Pay work in Ireland?
Yes. Apple Pay has been available in Ireland since March 2017 and is supported by AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB and Revolut among others. Google Pay launched even earlier, in December 2016, and together the two wallets account for most contactless taps in Irish shops.
Is cash still accepted in Ireland?
Yes, and the law now protects access to it. The Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Act took effect on 28 November 2025 and makes AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB responsible for keeping a minimum number of ATMs in every region. Still, cash fell below half of point-of-sale payments in 2024.
What is Zippay in Ireland?
Zippay is the instant payment service that AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB launched inside their mobile apps on 9 March 2026. Around five million customers can send, request and split money using a mobile number, up to €1,000 a day, with no IBAN needed. It runs on Nexi technology and competes with Revolut for peer-to-peer payments.
Is Klarna available in Ireland?
Yes. Klarna launched Pay in 3 in Ireland in November 2021 and, according to the Irish Times, works with about 6,000 Irish retailers and almost half a million Irish customers. BNPL providers in Ireland must be authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland, a requirement in place since May 2022.
Accept local payments in Ireland with NORBr
Irish merchants historically took card acceptance from their bank, and two bank-branded acquirers still lead: AIB Merchant Services, wholly owned by Fiserv since it bought AIB's remaining 49.9% stake in June 2025, and BOI Payment Acceptance, the Global Payments alliance with Bank of Ireland. Elavon runs U.S. Bank's European acquiring from Dublin. Online, Stripe is the home player, with around 70,000 Irish businesses.
A PSP, PayFac, ISO or ISV entering Ireland should check Central Bank of Ireland authorisation or passporting, Apple Pay and Google Pay out of the box, SEPA Instant and Verification of Payee readiness, next-day euro settlement and POS integration for hospitality. The Irish Tech News Podcast is a useful way to follow the local fintech scene.
Merchants selling in Ireland expect contactless Visa and Mastercard debit, Apple Pay and Google Pay, Revolut, SEPA Instant transfers and BNPL such as Klarna and humm. With NORBr, you are not limited to a fixed catalog: you can connect any acquirer, PSP or local provider that offers these methods. Some may already be in our connector catalog. For the others, Mapper™, our low-code integration tool, and Connector Studio get a new partner live in days rather than quarters. Each partner then joins your global payment network, and Smart Checkout shows the right methods to each shopper. Ready to expand into new markets? Explore the other #PayWorldTour guides.
Local payment providers in Ireland
AIB Merchant Services
Acquirer
Dublin-based acquirer founded as a joint venture between AIB and First Data, now fully owned by Fiserv, offering Clover POS terminals, e-commerce acquiring and next-day settlement to Irish and European merchants.
50,000+ businesses served, AIB Merchant Services
Covers: Visa, Mastercard, Debit cards, Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Clover POS
BOI Payment Acceptance
Acquirer
Marketing alliance between Global Payments and Bank of Ireland, selling card terminals, online, in-app and unattended payment acceptance to Irish businesses referred by the bank.
Covers: Visa, Mastercard, Debit cards, Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Elavon
Acquirer
U.S. Bank's European acquiring business, born in Arklow in 2000 as euroConex and headquartered in Cherrywood, Dublin, serving hospitality, retail and large merchants with POS, gateway and Opayo e-commerce services.
1,100+ staff employed in Ireland in 2025, FF News
Covers: Visa, Mastercard, Debit cards, Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, SEPA Direct Debit
Worldnet Payments
Payment gateway
Dublin-founded omnichannel gateway for ISVs and SaaS platforms, acquired by Payroc in 2022, providing white-label card-present and online processing to thousands of software customers.
Covers: Visa, Mastercard, Debit cards, Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Stripe
PSP
Founded by the Irish Collison brothers and dual-headquartered in Dublin and San Francisco, Stripe is the default online payment provider for Irish startups, SaaS companies and marketplaces.
70,000 Irish businesses and sole traders on Stripe, with 2,000 joining each month, in October 2025, Stripe
Covers: Visa, Mastercard, Debit cards, Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, Revolut Pay, SEPA Direct Debit, PayPal
