Following a nationwide tech failure in July 2025, plans to allow mobile payments in Denmark during emergencies, is accelerating. Retailers, banks, and tech firms are moving fast to build resilience and ensure continued service during system outages.
Major System Crash Exposed Critical Weaknesses
On July 19, 2025, the Danish payment processor Nets experienced a multi-hour nationwide outage that halted digital payments entirely across much of Denmark. Consumers were unable to pay via card or phone in supermarkets, restaurants, and on major highways, causing chaos and public frustration. The disruption forced stores to leave shopping items unpaid, restaurants to let customers walk out without settling their bills, and tollbooth operators on the Storebælt bridge to face hours-long delays and even threats from angry drivers. It caused big problems across the country.
During the outage, only MobilePay and physical cash transactions remained functional. This exposed a critical weakness in the country’s highly digitized economy. Currently, about 60% of Danes use their smartphones as their primary payment method, none of which worked during the blackout. Most people had no way to pay.
Offline Mobile Payments in Denmark Can Be a Solution
In response to the crisis, the Danish central bank, Nationalbanken, released new emergency payment guidelines. These include practical suggestions for citizens to carry multiple types of payment methods, including cash, and urge businesses to train staff on how to activate offline payment features. The goal is to ensure smoother operations during future outages, whether caused by technical failures or cyberattacks.
Several Danish companies are already taking action. Nets, the operator at the center of the July breakdown, is increasing its investment in offline payment infrastructure. In collaboration with Salling Group, which manages over 750 stores under the Netto, Føtex, and Bilka brands, the company is introducing 50 “emergency-ready” stores. These locations will be equipped to process nearly all forms of payments in Denmark, even when systems are down, and remain operational for at least 48 hours during complete power or network failures.
Training and Communication Take Center Stage
Many stores affected by the July incident criticized the lack of communication from Nets. Business owners and employees were left in the dark during the blackout, unsure how to proceed as payment terminals displayed error messages or failed to respond.
The Danish Chamber of Commerce is calling for better preparedness across the retail sector, including detailed contingency plans and hands-on training for staff. Retailers are also expecting more accountability from payment service providers in terms of real-time updates, more intuitive failover systems, and increased support capacity during emergencies.
Cybersecurity Threats Add Urgency
Although the July outage was caused by internal technical errors, it also served as a stark reminder of the growing threat of cyberattacks. Denmark’s Cybersecurity Council reports a sharp rise in hacking attempts targeting the banking and retail sectors since 2022. Experts stress that the consequences of a successful cyberattack are significantly more damaging and longer-lasting than conventional system failures.
A recent example came from Nordea, one of Denmark’s largest banks, which faced over 400 cyberattacks within a 40-day window in late 2024. Some attacks rendered the online and mobile banking services temporarily unusable for customers. Nordea’s risk office emphasizes the increasing likelihood of large-scale hybrid attacks and the necessity for strong preventive infrastructure coupled with recovery protocols.
Planning for Resilience at All Levels
The hospitality and tourism industry, represented by HORESTA, is now actively coordinating with the Danish Ministry of Civil Protection and Emergency Preparedness. Their goal is to develop nationwide standards for service continuity during unforeseen disruptions. This includes digital contingency plans, backup power systems, and alternative payment methods for hotels, restaurants, and tourist sites.
Authorities and business leaders broadly agree that Denmark must treat payment resilience as integral to national security. The incidents of 2025, especially as the country transitions toward an increasingly cashless economy, underline the need for a dual-pronged approach: modern, flexible technologies and robust analog fallback mechanisms.
As new offline capabilities for mobile payments in Denmark begin to roll out within the coming months, Denmark’s unique blend of innovation and caution may serve as a global model for future-proofing financial infrastructure.
