How people pay in Portugal in 2026
Portugal is one of the most digital payment markets in southern Europe, and it runs on infrastructure built at home. SIBS operates the Multibanco network and MB WAY, the mobile payment app that passed 6.5 million users when it turned ten in October 2025 and handles more than 70 million operations a month. According to the Banco de Portugal's 2025 payment systems report, Portuguese residents made 5.2 billion electronic payments worth €821.9 billion in 2025, up from 4.7 billion a year earlier.
Cards remain the main instrument, with more than 4.4 billion card operations in 2025. Instant transfers are the fastest-growing rail: their number rose 1,623.6% in 2025, while ordinary credit transfers fell for the first time since 1999. Online, shoppers expect MB WAY, Multibanco references and cards at checkout. Cash use is falling fast, and BNPL from Klarna, Cofidis Pay and others is still young. Through the EuroPA link, MB WAY users can already send money to Bizum users in Spain and Bancomat Pay users in Italy, and SIBS plans transfers across 13 countries by the end of 2026.
- 5.2 billion electronic payments in 2025 (Banco de Portugal via ECO)
- 6.5 million+ MB WAY users in October 2025 (4gnews)
- 322.8 million instant transfers in 2025 (Banco de Portugal via ECO)
- 30.0 million active payment cards in 2024 (Banco de Portugal)
Payment by card in Portugal
Portugal's card market is built around Multibanco, the SIBS network that links Portuguese bank cards to ATMs, POS terminals and online payments. Most cards also carry Visa or Mastercard, which makes them usable abroad and on international websites. The Banco de Portugal 2024 payment systems report counts 30.0 million active cards issued by Portuguese providers, up 10.1%, and 521,700 POS terminals, 93% of them contactless. In 2025, card-based operations rose 5.4% to more than 4.4 billion, worth €227.6 billion. Retail credit cards also count: Sonae's Cartão Universo had more than 850,000 clients and over 13% of the credit card market in 2021.
Tapping is now the default at the till. Contactless was used for 56.7% of card purchases in 2024, and on REDUNIQ, the largest acquiring network, 81% of transactions were contactless in 2023, against 16% in 2019. Online card purchases with Portuguese cards grew 37.2% in number in 2024 and reached 18.0% of card purchases. Card fees follow the EU interchange fee caps, and acquirers that understand how card networks work help keep approval rates high.
Card schemes in Portugal
Multibanco
Domestic card network
SIBS's interbank network connects Portuguese debit cards to about 13,000 ATMs and to POS terminals, and also powers Multibanco references for online and bill payments.
693 million operations on the Multibanco ATM network in 2024, SIBS via Jornal de Negócios
Visa
International scheme
Carried on a large share of Portuguese debit and credit cards, often next to the Multibanco brand, and accepted at almost every terminal and online checkout.
Mastercard
International scheme
The other global scheme on Portuguese cards, issued by the main banks and neobanks and widely used for e-commerce and payments abroad.
Contactless debit cards
Debit card
Debit cards dominate Portuguese wallets, and the Banco de Portugal reports that 91% of cards were contactless-enabled in 2024.
56.7% of card purchases made contactless in 2024, Banco de Portugal
Payment by cash in Portugal
Cash is losing ground quickly in Portugal. The ECB's 2024 study on payment attitudes found that the share of cash at the point of sale fell by 10 percentage points between 2022 and 2024 in Portugal, one of the largest drops in the euro area. Card cash withdrawals fell 3.2% to 381.1 million in 2024, worth €30.6 billion, according to the Banco de Portugal. In a 2024 Nuek survey, only 8% of Portuguese respondents said cash is their main way to pay in person.
Access to cash still matters. The Multibanco network counts about 13,000 ATMs, yet 34% of Portuguese respondents in the ECB study said they make a special trip to get cash. Online, cash survives as cash on delivery, still offered by many shops and carriers, and as payment references that customers settle in cash at Payshop agents.
Cash payment methods in Portugal
Cash
Banknotes and coins
Euro banknotes and coins remain legal tender and are still used for small purchases, at markets and in cafés, though their share keeps falling.
381.1 million card cash withdrawals in 2024, down 3.2%, Banco de Portugal
Cash on delivery
Cash on delivery
Paying the courier on delivery (pagamento à cobrança) is still offered by many Portuguese online shops, mainly for shoppers who do not want to pay in advance.
Payshop
Cash payment network
A network of agents where customers pay bills and online orders in cash with a reference, offered at checkout by gateways such as ifthenpay.
Payment by bank transfer in Portugal
Account-based payments in Portugal go beyond plain transfers. Multibanco references, made of an entity code, a reference number and an amount, let shoppers pay online orders and bills at any ATM or in their banking app. Instant transfers took off in 2025: the Banco de Portugal counted 322.8 million instant transfers worth €140.9 billion, up 1,623.6% in number, while ordinary credit transfers fell 17% to 185.1 million, the first decline since 1999. EU rules now require banks to offer instant payments at the same price as standard transfers.
Direct debits grew 3.6% in number in 2025 and remain the default for utilities, telecoms and subscriptions. Spain's Bizum is not a Portuguese payment method, but it reaches Portuguese checkouts: Eupago launched Bizum payments in December 2024 for merchants selling to Spanish shoppers. Through the EuroPA link, MB WAY users can also send money by phone number to Bizum users in Spain and Bancomat Pay users in Italy, a network of more than 50 million users. Our guide to account-to-account payments explains why these rails matter for merchants.
Bank transfer methods in Portugal
Multibanco references
Bank reference payment
The merchant issues an entity code and reference, and the customer pays it at a Multibanco ATM or in home banking; gateways such as easypay, ifthenpay, Eupago and HiPay issue references for online shops.
SEPA Instant Credit Transfer
Instant payment
Euro transfers settled in seconds, 24/7, now offered by Portuguese banks at the same price as standard transfers and used for person-to-person payments and pay-by-bank.
322.8 million instant transfers worth €140.9 billion in 2025, Banco de Portugal via ECO
SEPA Direct Debit
Direct debit
Débito direto is the standard way to collect utility bills, insurance premiums and subscriptions, and payment institutions offer it to online merchants for recurring billing.
+3.6% growth in the number of direct debits in 2025, Banco de Portugal via ECO
Payment by installment and BNPL in Portugal
Buy now, pay later came late to Portugal, a market where consumers favor debit cards. Klarna launched in Portugal in November 2021 with pay in 3, and it now works with large merchants such as TAP Air Portugal, which lets customers split flights of up to €3,000 into three interest-free payments. Consumer credit lenders are present too. Oney Bank offers 3x 4x Oney with partner retailers, and Cofidis Pay moved from stores to e-commerce and services, distributed through local gateways such as ifthenpay and LusoPay.
Italy's Scalapay is used by fashion and lifestyle shops, according to Literacia Financeira. Banks answer with installment options on their own cards, and REDUNIQ offers Parcela Já to its merchants. The revised EU Consumer Credit Directive brings most BNPL products under consumer credit rules from November 2026, with creditworthiness checks and clearer cost disclosure.
Installment and BNPL providers in Portugal
Klarna
BNPL
The Swedish provider offers pay now, pay in 30 days and pay in 3 interest-free installments in Portugal, both at merchant checkouts and through its app, with partners such as TAP Air Portugal.
Cofidis Pay
Installment payments
Cofidis's split payment solution lets customers pay in up to 12 interest-free installments on their debit or credit card, in stores and online through gateways such as Eupago, LusoPay and ifthenpay, with the merchant paid within 24 hours.
Oney
BNPL
Oney Bank's 3x 4x Oney splits purchases from €75 to €2,000 into 3 to 12 card payments, in stores and online at partners such as IKEA, Leroy Merlin, Auchan and FNAC.
Scalapay
BNPL
Italian BNPL provider offering three interest-free installments, mainly at fashion and lifestyle e-commerce shops serving Portuguese customers.
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in Portugal
MB WAY is the wallet that matters in Portugal. Built by SIBS and available in its own app and in 14 partner bank apps, it passed 6.5 million users in October 2025 and handles more than 70 million operations a month, with more than 10 million cards linked. People use it to pay online with a phone number, to pay in stores by QR code or NFC, to split bills and to send money. It also took over MB NET, SIBS's virtual card service, whose website closed in July 2017, leaving virtual card generation to the app. In the ECB's 2024 study, e-payment solutions made up 33% of online payments in Portugal, among the highest shares in the euro area.
Apple Pay and Google Pay carry tokenized cards at contactless terminals and in apps, and acquirers such as REDUNIQ accept them. In a 2024 Nuek survey, 44% of Portuguese smartphone or smartwatch users paid contactless with their device. Interoperability comes next. In April 2026, SIBS demonstrated MB WAY payments with Italy's Bancomat and EPI's Wero, and plans transfers across 13 countries by the end of 2026 and merchant payments by 2027. Read more on X-Pay wallets.
Digital wallets and X-Pay in Portugal
MB WAY
Bank mobile wallet
SIBS's mobile payment service, used to pay online with a phone number, in stores by QR code or NFC, to send money and to withdraw cash, and the most requested local method at Portuguese checkouts.
6.5 million+ users when MB WAY turned ten in October 2025, 4gnews
Apple Pay
Mobile wallet
Apple's wallet, used in Portugal for contactless payments in stores and one-click card payments online and in apps.
Google Pay
Mobile wallet
The Android wallet for tap-to-pay with tokenized Visa and Mastercard cards, offered at checkout by Portuguese acquirers and gateways.
44% of Portuguese smartphone or smartwatch users paid contactless with their device, 2024 survey, Nuek via E-konomista
PayPal
Digital wallet
The global wallet used by Portuguese shoppers for marketplaces and cross-border purchases, and offered by local acquirers such as REDUNIQ.
Payments in Portugal: FAQ
What is the most popular online payment method in Portugal?
MB WAY, followed by Multibanco references and cards. MB WAY passed 6.5 million users in October 2025 and handles more than 70 million operations a month. In the ECB 2024 study, e-payment solutions such as MB WAY made up 33% of online payments in Portugal.
What is a Multibanco reference?
It is a payment slip made of an entity code, a reference number and an amount, generated by a merchant or biller. The customer pays it at any Multibanco ATM or in home banking. Payment institutions such as easypay, ifthenpay and Eupago issue references for online shops.
Do people in Portugal still pay in cash?
Less and less. The share of cash at the point of sale fell by 10 percentage points between 2022 and 2024, according to the ECB, and only 8% of Portuguese say cash is their main in-person payment method. Card cash withdrawals fell to 381.1 million in 2024.
Can MB WAY be used outside Portugal?
Partly. Since 2025, the EuroPA link lets MB WAY users send money to Bizum users in Spain and Bancomat Pay users in Italy, and by August 2026 it worked at most Portuguese banks. SIBS plans transfers across 13 European countries by the end of 2026 and payments at merchants in those countries in 2027.
Accept local payments in Portugal with NORBr
In Portugal, payment institutions such as easypay, ifthenpay and Eupago issue Multibanco references and connect MB WAY, while acquirers such as REDUNIQ handle cards. Check whether a partner issues references under its own SIBS code and supports MB WAY refunds.
With NORBr, you can connect any acquirer, PSP or local provider that offers Multibanco references, MB WAY, cards and Cofidis Pay installments. Some are already in our connector catalog; Mapper™ gets the others live in days, and Smart Checkout shows each shopper the right methods. Explore the other #PayWorldTour guides.
Local payment providers in Portugal
SIBS
Payment gateway
The operator of Multibanco and MB WAY also sells SIBS Pay, an online and in-store acceptance offer used by large Portuguese retailers and utilities, with a gateway that also connects Spanish and Benelux methods.
Covers: Cards, MB WAY, Multibanco references, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SEPA Direct Debit, Bizum
REDUNIQ
Acquirer
UNICRE's acquiring brand and Portugal's largest acceptance network, with more than 100,000 points of sale and online payment links for small and large merchants.
€28.8 billion transacted on the REDUNIQ network in 2023, Jornal Económico
Covers: Cards, MB WAY, Multibanco references, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Pix, Parcela Já
easypay
Payment institution
Lisbon-based payment institution founded in 2000, whose 2025 price list covers Multibanco references, MB WAY, cards, SEPA direct debits, instant transfers and payment initiation for online and recurring billing.
Covers: Cards, MB WAY, Multibanco references, SEPA Direct Debit, SEPA Instant Credit Transfer, Payment initiation
ifthenpay
Payment gateway
Portuguese gateway founded in 1998 and owned by Payten, part of the Asseco group, since 2023, serving thousands of small businesses and WooCommerce shops with Portuguese payment methods and card terminals.
€1.8 billion in payments processed for 33,000 clients in 2025, Dinheiro Vivo
Covers: Cards, MB WAY, Multibanco references, Payshop, Cofidis Pay
Eupago
Payment institution
Porto-based payment institution supervised by the Banco de Portugal, specialized in online payments, which added Bizum for Portuguese and Spanish merchants in December 2024.
Covers: Multibanco references, MB WAY, Bizum
HiPay
PSP
French payment institution that operates in Portugal through Hi-Pay Portugal in Lisbon, issuing Multibanco references and processing MB WAY and cards for online merchants and other payment intermediaries.
Covers: Cards, MB WAY, Multibanco references
