Latvia has introduced a solution allowing people to purchase food, fuel and medicine by card during internet or mobile-network disruptions. Offline card payments are currently available through ten retail networks in cooperation with Swedbank, SEB banka, Citadele banka and the Latvian branch of Luminor Bank.
Eligible cards may be used for offline purchases totalling up to €200 per card. This is not a €200 limit for each transaction. The physical card must be inserted into the terminal and the customer must enter the card’s PIN.
What is an offline card payment?
A payment terminal would normally communicate with banking and card-processing infrastructure to verify and authorise a transaction. An internet or mobile-network disruption can interrupt this process even where a shop remains open and has electricity.
The solution introduced by Latvijas Banka together with critical financial-service providers and retailers allows payments to be accepted without the usual online connection in specified circumstances.
It is a business-continuity measure for crises and communications outages. It is not a new everyday payment method or a universal function available through every terminal in Latvia.
Where are offline payments available?
Food and essential-goods retailers
- Rimi;
- Maxima;
- Lidl.
Fuel retailers
- VIADA;
- ASTARTE NAFTA;
- Virši;
- Neste.
For Neste, Latvijas Banka specifically states that offline payments are provided using Neste customer payment cards. Customers should not assume that every supported bank card will necessarily work offline at Neste stations.
Pharmacy networks
- Euroaptieka;
- Mēness aptieka;
- BENU.
Availability may also depend on the technical readiness and electricity supply of a particular location. Customers should follow the retailer’s instructions during an outage.
Which bank cards are supported?
The solution supports cards issued by Latvia’s four critical financial-service providers:
- Swedbank;
- SEB banka;
- Citadele banka;
- the Latvian branch of Luminor Bank.
The applicable Latvijas Banka rules refer to contact-chip payment cards issued to natural persons. A business should therefore not assume that a corporate card is covered. Eligibility of a particular card should be checked with the issuing bank.
Can customers pay using a phone or smartwatch?
No. The offline solution currently cannot be used with a phone, smartwatch or another smart device.
To make the payment, the customer must:
- use the physical payment card;
- insert it into the terminal’s chip reader;
- enter the card’s PIN.
Tapping the card is not sufficient. A customer who has added the card to Apple Pay, Google Pay or another digital wallet must still have the physical card available.
How does the €200 limit work?
€200 is the total amount that may be spent offline using each eligible card. It is not a separate €200 allowance for every transaction or retailer.
For example, if a person makes an offline purchase of €60 and subsequently spends another €90 using the same card, the combined amount is €150. The remaining amount before reaching the stated limit would be €50.
Acceptance of a particular transaction may still depend on the technical conditions applicable to the card, terminal and retailer. The €200 ceiling does not guarantee that every payment below that amount will be accepted.
Must sufficient money be available in the account?
Yes. Offline payment is not a loan, benefit or additional credit facility. The customer must ensure that sufficient funds are available to cover the purchases.
During a communications outage, it may not be possible to view the latest account balance or transactions immediately. Customers should therefore track how much they have spent offline and should not treat the €200 limit as additional money.
Does the solution work during a power cut?
Not necessarily. Latvijas Banka states that the offline solution does not work if the retailer has no electricity.
The solution addresses loss of internet or mobile connectivity. The payment terminal, point-of-sale system and other required infrastructure still need electrical power.
Does offline payment work in every shop?
No. It is not automatically available in every shop, pharmacy, fuel station or other business.
The solution operates through designated essential-goods retailers that have implemented the necessary infrastructure. Having an ordinary payment terminal does not by itself allow a merchant to accept these offline payments.
What does the solution mean for retailers?
The new system demonstrates that payment continuity is not only an issue for banks or terminal operators. A retailer must also be capable of operating when its usual communications channel is unavailable.
Essential-goods retailers should verify:
- whether their terminals and point-of-sale systems support the agreed offline mode;
- which terminals and checkouts are prepared;
- how employees identify offline mode and inform customers;
- how the total limit for each card is handled;
- whether backup electricity is available;
- what process applies after connectivity is restored;
- how transactions made during the incident are documented and reconciled.
A merchant cannot unilaterally activate this function on an ordinary terminal. Coordination with payment-service providers, terminal operators and other participants is required.
How should individuals prepare for an outage?
- Keep a physical payment card available instead of relying solely on a phone.
- Know the card’s PIN.
- Maintain a modest cash reserve.
- Know where the nearest participating shop, pharmacy or fuel station is located.
- Record the amounts spent offline.
- Do not treat the €200 limit as guaranteed additional funds.
Offline card payments supplement rather than replace cash and Latvia’s critical ATM network.
Frequently asked questions
Can a person now pay by card without internet everywhere in Latvia?
No. The solution is available only at participating food, fuel and medicine retailers.
Is €200 the limit for one purchase?
No. It is the total offline-purchase limit for each eligible card.
Can the card be used contactlessly?
Tapping is not sufficient. The physical card must be inserted into the terminal and the PIN entered.
Can Apple Pay or Google Pay be used?
No. Payments by phone, smartwatch or another smart device are not currently supported in offline mode.
Does it work if the shop has no electricity?
No. The terminal, point-of-sale system and other necessary infrastructure still require electrical power.
Are corporate cards covered?
The Latvijas Banka rules refer to contact-chip cards issued to natural persons. Eligibility of a corporate card should be confirmed with the issuing bank.
Information updated on 11 September 2026. The list of participating retailers, banks and payment locations may subsequently be amended or expanded.
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