Sweden restores cash in shops: new law requires stores and pharmacies to accept banknotes and coins
A law effective from July 2026 requires grocery stores and pharmacies to accept cash again; authorities cite security and crisis preparedness.
Sweden has moved to restore cash access in everyday retail: a law that came into force at the beginning of July 2026 obliges grocery stores and pharmacies to accept banknotes and coins again, reversing years of de facto cashlessness in many outlets.
Government and central bank stress security and resilience
Elin Ritola of the Swedish central bank said the change reflects growing concerns about resilience. "Because of the new geopolitical situation, cash has regained importance. It's about security, that is, ensuring means of payment that will function even if, for example, the internet or electricity supply is interrupted," she explains.
The government and civil-protection authorities have also urged households to keep a modest amount of cash at home as part of emergency preparedness. Officials recommend that every adult keep around 1,000 Swedish kronor in cash — roughly 90 euros — to cover basic needs if digital systems fail.
Many Swedes long ago adopted digital payments as the norm: card payments and the mobile system Swish are ubiquitous, and some shops stopped handling cash entirely. That reliance can create vulnerabilities — in 2021 a cyberattack disrupted operations at around 800 supermarkets across the country, illustrating how quickly purchases can be blocked when digital systems fail.
Bjorn Eriksson, an activist from Stockholm who has campaigned for preserving cash access, said consumers should be free to choose their payment method. "I think consumers themselves should decide. Whoever wants to pay digitally, feel free to do so. But there must be the option to pay in cash if someone wants that," he says.
Eriksson also framed the matter as social as well as practical: "There are many people for whom digital payments cause problems, such as people with disabilities and older citizens," he stresses. Retailers and pharmacies will now have to ensure that paying in cash is possible even when digital options are offered.
Photo: press material from the event
