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Payment methods in Ireland

Europe
6methods
12banks

Online retail grew 28% in 2024; 85% of internet users purchased goods or services online

Market takeaways

  • Online retail grew 28% in 2024; 85% of internet users purchased goods or services online
  • Debit card and digital wallets (PayPal, Google Pay, Klarna) are the top two payment methods
  • Card payments exceed 75% of all retail transactions; 85% of those are contactless
  • Over 80% of Irish consumers prefer contactless payments over chip-and-PIN for purchases under €50
  • Ireland is a major EU financial hub — Stripe, PayPal, and many other fintech giants are headquartered here

Population

5.1M

Online population

~4.7M (~92%)

B2C e-commerce

~$6B (2024 est.)

Banked population

~98%

Credit card population

~70%

E-commerce of total retail

~25%

Payment method breakdown

  • Card55%
  • E-Wallet (PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay)30%
  • Bank Transfer10%
  • BNPL3%
  • Other2%

Card scheme breakdown

  • Visa55%
  • Mastercard38%
  • American Express5%
  • Local Schemes1%
  • Other1%

Cross-border e-commerce

Market data coming soon.

Featured payment methods in Ireland

Popular options based on coverage and prominence in this market.

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.

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.

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.

Klarna / BNPL

Klarna / BNPL

Klarna and similar BNPL providers have growing adoption in Switzerland, enabling shoppers to pay over time or after delivery. This aligns with Switzerland's historically strong open-invoice/invoice-payment culture, particularly in catalogue and fashion retail.

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.

All payment methods in Ireland

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