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Payment methods in Bulgaria

Europe
10methods
13banks

Debit cards are used by ~74% of online shoppers; credit cards by ~38% and digital wallets by ~27%

Market takeaways

  • Debit cards are used by ~74% of online shoppers; credit cards by ~38% and digital wallets by ~27%
  • ~40% of online commerce still settles in cash on delivery, a persistent legacy preference
  • Mobile devices account for 77% of retail site traffic and 68% of online orders in 2024
  • ePay.bg is the key local electronic payment system, in operation since 1999
  • Bulgaria is an EU member using the Bulgarian Lev (BGN), not yet in the eurozone but targeting euro adoption

Population

6.5M

Online population

~5.2M (~80%)

B2C e-commerce

~$1.8B (2024 est.)

Banked population

~85%

Credit card population

~45%

E-commerce of total retail

~15%

Payment method breakdown

  • Card45%
  • Cash on Delivery38%
  • E-Wallet12%
  • Bank Transfer4%
  • Other1%

Card scheme breakdown

  • Visa50%
  • Mastercard45%
  • American Express2%
  • Local Schemes2%
  • Other1%

Cross-border e-commerce

Market data coming soon.

Featured payment methods in Bulgaria

All payment methods available in this market, sorted by prominence.

PayPal

PayPal

Global digital wallet and checkout provider with broad e-commerce coverage.

Bank Transfer (Internet & Mobile Banking)

Bank Transfer (Internet & Mobile Banking)

Generic online and mobile bank-transfer methods (internet banking, e-banking, EFT and interbank transfers). Customers pay directly from their bank account via their bank's own online/mobile banking portal. Implementation and rails differ by country, but the consumer flow is a standard account-to-account bank transfer.

Mastercard

Mastercard

Mastercard is a leading global card network supporting credit, debit and prepaid card payments online, in-store and at ATMs worldwide. In the listed countries it is a core internationally accepted scheme.

Visa

Visa

Visa is the world's largest card network, enabling credit, debit and prepaid card payments online, in-store and at ATMs across virtually every market. In the listed countries Visa is a core internationally accepted scheme alongside local methods.

Mint / TrustPay

Mint / TrustPay

Regional alternative payment methods with presence in Bulgarian e-commerce. TrustPay offers bank-based payment solutions popular in Central and Eastern Europe.

ePay.bg

ePay.bg

Bulgaria's primary local electronic payment system, launched in 1999 and operated by United Bulgarian Bank. Allows customers to pay using their bank accounts directly at e-commerce checkout. Widely integrated across Bulgarian online stores.

Settle

Settle

Pan-European mobile payments app connecting phone numbers for instant consumer-to-merchant and P2P payments, active in the Balkans. Operator: Settle Group (formerly Auka). Est. users: Cross-border across 28 EU markets (2024).

Mokka

Mokka

One of the largest buy-now-pay-later services in Eastern Europe, offering interest-free installment payments online and in stores. Operator: Revo Technologies / Mokka. Est. users: 12-16M registered users (2025).

Apple Pay / Google Pay

Apple Pay / Google Pay

The major international device-based wallets — Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay — have been widely adopted in Kuwait alongside local prepaid cards. These wallets tokenise underlying debit and credit card credentials and are accepted at NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminals and participating online merchants. Their adoption reflects Kuwait's high smartphone penetration and consumer preference for contactless payments.

Cash on Delivery (COD)

Cash on Delivery (COD)

The single most-used payment method, with approximately 45-47% of e-commerce orders still settling in cash at delivery. Consumer distrust of online payments remains the primary driver. Most major Serbian logistics providers (Post of Serbia, DExpress, etc.) offer COD collection.

Featured banks in Bulgaria

All banks operating in this market, sorted by prominence.

UniCredit

UniCredit

Milan, Italy

UniCredit is a pan-European commercial bank headquartered in Milan with a strong presence in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Central & Eastern Europe, serving 15 million clients.

OTP Bank

OTP Bank

Budapest, Hungary

OTP Bank is Hungary's largest bank and the dominant financial institution in the country, with significant regional presence across Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

KBC Group

KBC Group

Brussels, Belgium

KBC Group is a Belgian banking-insurance company with a strong presence in Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Ireland.

Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI)

Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI)

Vienna, Austria

Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is Austria's second-largest bank and a leading retail and corporate bank in Central and Eastern Europe, operating in 13 markets.

National Bank of Greece (NBG)

National Bank of Greece (NBG)

Athens, Greece

National Bank of Greece (NBG) is Greece's oldest bank and one of the country's four systemic banks, providing retail, corporate, and investment banking.

Eurobank

Eurobank

Athens, Greece

Eurobank is one of Greece's four systemic banks, with operations in Bulgaria, Serbia, Cyprus, Luxembourg, and London, offering retail and corporate banking.

Alpha Bank

Alpha Bank

Athens, Greece

Alpha Bank is one of Greece's four systemic banks, offering retail, corporate, and investment banking in Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, and other markets.

Piraeus Bank

Piraeus Bank

Athens, Greece

Piraeus Bank is one of Greece's four systemic banks, offering retail and corporate banking. It has been undergoing significant restructuring following the Greek financial crisis.

UniCredit Bulbank

UniCredit Bulbank

Sofia, Bulgaria

UniCredit Bulbank is Bulgaria's largest bank, a subsidiary of UniCredit, offering retail, corporate, and investment banking.

DSK Bank (OTP)

DSK Bank (OTP)

Sofia, Bulgaria

DSK Bank is one of Bulgaria's largest retail banks, acquired by OTP Bank in 2019, serving over 3 million clients.

United Bulgarian Bank (KBC)

United Bulgarian Bank (KBC)

Sofia, Bulgaria

United Bulgarian Bank (UBB) is a KBC subsidiary, one of Bulgaria's largest banks offering retail and corporate banking.

Eurobank Bulgaria (Postbank)

Eurobank Bulgaria (Postbank)

Sofia, Bulgaria

Eurobank Bulgaria (Postbank) is the Bulgarian subsidiary of Eurobank, offering retail and corporate banking.

Other Banks — Bulgaria

Other Banks — Bulgaria

Sofia, Bulgaria

Aggregate of all remaining banks in Bulgaria, collectively ~60.0% of domestic banking assets.

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