Yes. Sweden is becoming a cashless society. Nearly all payments are made by card or a local payment app called Swish. Visa and MasterCard are accepted everywhere. American Express cards may not be accepted in all stores.

Some British banks may charge for international card payments. In addition your bank’s SEK to GBP exchange rate may not be so good. This is how banks make money. Before using your bank card for payments in Sweden, it’s certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.

Not really. Although Swedish banknotes are beautiful, they are not being used much for payments in Sweden anymore. Sweden wants to be cashless by 2023. Locals almost entirely pay by card and using a local payment app called Swish.

More and more shops have opted out of accepting cash entirely. This is especially the case in urban areas, including in Stockholm and Malmö.

If you decide to bring Swedish Krona cash on your trip to Sweden, you will still be able to spend it. Many restaurants, cafes, taxi drivers and street vendors continue to accept cash. All shops on the airport accept cash payments.

Prices in tourist-heavy areas in Stockholm and Malmö will be higher than elsewhere in Sweden. A coffee will usually cost around 25 kronor. And when you finish your coffee, ask for a ‘påtår’, which is a second cup of coffee (a refill), either for free or for a heavily reduced price.

A three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant in Sweden costs around 600 kronor.

Overall, the cost of living in Sweden is around 7% higher than the cost of living in the UK.

Tipping is not common practice in Sweden. You can simply pay the amount on the bill.