Payment methods in Ireland
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
All payment methods available in this market, sorted by prominence.
PayPal
Global digital wallet and checkout provider with broad e-commerce coverage.
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 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 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 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
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.
Featured banks in Ireland
All banks operating in this market, sorted by prominence.
Barclays
London, United Kingdom
Barclays is a British multinational investment bank and financial services company, operating retail banking in the UK and Ireland, and investment banking globally through Barclays Bank.
Danske Bank
Copenhagen, Denmark
Danske Bank is the largest bank in Denmark and one of the leading universal banks in the Nordic region, serving 3 million retail and 500,000 business customers.
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.
NatWest Group
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
NatWest Group (formerly Royal Bank of Scotland Group) is one of the UK's biggest banks, operating NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Ulster Bank brands across the UK and Ireland.
AIB Group (Allied Irish Banks)
Dublin, Ireland
AIB Group is Ireland's largest bank, providing retail, commercial, and corporate banking across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with a presence in the UK and Europe.
Bank of Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Bank of Ireland is one of Ireland's oldest and largest banks, offering retail, commercial, and corporate banking in Ireland and the UK.
Bankinter
Madrid, Spain
Bankinter is a Spanish bank known for its innovative approach, focusing on private banking, SMEs, and mortgages.
Bunq
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bunq is a Dutch neobank founded in 2012, operating across Europe as one of the continent's fastest-growing challenger banks, known for its eco-friendly and multi-currency features.
Permanent TSB
Dublin, Ireland
Permanent TSB is a major Irish retail bank offering mortgages, personal loans, savings, and current accounts to Irish consumers.
Ulster Bank (NatWest, being wound down)
Dublin, Ireland
Ulster Bank Ireland (a NatWest subsidiary) announced its withdrawal from the Republic of Ireland in 2021 and has been winding down operations, transferring mortgage books to other institutions.
KBC Bank Ireland (exited)
Dublin, Ireland
KBC Bank Ireland was the Irish subsidiary of KBC Group, which also exited the Irish market in 2022, transferring its mortgage book and current accounts to Bank of Ireland and other institutions.
Other Banks — Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Aggregate of all remaining banks in Ireland not individually listed, collectively ~40.0% of domestic banking assets.
