Europe & Central Asia · GDP rank #22
Sweden
SE · SEK @ 0.1069/USD
Tab 03
Rails & infrastructure
The instant rail, the RTGS spine, the card switch, the direct-debit scheme, and the country's CBDC stance. Each rail is reported with operator, launch year, and 2024 flow so the relative scale across rails is readable at a glance.
CBDC status is deliberately granular: live, pilot, preparation, live stalled, and sceptical, no pilot are different things.
e-krona (paused; design and legislation prep only)
Target · no implementation decision; awaiting political mandate
The technical pilot was completed in 2023. As of March 2026 the e-krona remains in design and legislative-prep stage; no political decision has been taken. The Riksbank now tracks the digital euro work closely and, in the Payments Report 2026, proposed an inquiry into the legislative amendments that would be needed if issuance were ever authorised.
Instant payments
RIX-INST (instant leg of RIX)
The instant leg typically carries the vast majority of retail consumer flow in modern payment systems — and sits in direct tension with card networks and wallets for the same transactions.
Since November 2024 RIX-INST has been open to additional types of instant payment beyond Swish. Riksbank Payments Report 2026 explicitly criticised the lack of bank-offered customer-facing services on the rail, setting a March 2027 expectation.
- Operator
- Riksbank
- Live since
- 2.0k
- Per-txn limit
- 1,000,000 SEK
- Fee per txn
- set by participating banks; consumer-level typically zero
Transactions · 2024
Cleared value · 2024
Participating institutions
RTGS
RIX-RTGS
The RTGS spine clears high-value interbank flow — including the settlement of the instant-rail cycles and card-network net positions. Transaction count is modest; cleared value is enormous.
- Operator
- Riksbank
Transactions · 2024
Cleared value · 2024
Card switch
No active domestic card scheme
Legacy SEB-Köpkort and Bankkort (Bankernas Automattjänst) wound down in 2000s; all cards route via Visa/Mastercard.
Source · Riksbank
Direct debit
Autogiro
Direct debit is the boring rail that carries recurring subscriptions, utilities, and payroll pull-payments. It is routinely the largest single channel by count after cards.
- Operator
- Bankgirot (Getswish parent)
Transactions · 2024