Norway's national payment card
BankAxept is the national payment system in Norway. Today, eight out of ten card payments in stores are made with a BankAxept card.
BankAxept is the national payment system in Norway. Today, eight out of ten card payments in stores are made with a BankAxept card.
With BankAxept, payments are authorized in real-time using chip, tap, or on mobile phones. The transaction is linked to the user's bank to verify authentication and ensure sufficient funds in the account. If everything is in order, the money is immediately deducted from the cardholder's account.
BankAxept traces its origins back to the deployment of ATMs in the late 1970s. Payment terminals at point of sale also emerged in the early 1980s, but the brand "BankAxept" was first introduced in 1990. The following year, a common operational infrastructure was established.
In the early 1990s, the various Norwegian banking systems were consolidated, and the banks established a unified electronic payment solution for physical commerce. BankAxept payment cards initially had a magnetic stripe on the back of the card that was read by payment terminals. Over time, the magnetic stripe was replaced with a chip to enhance security. Tap payments quickly became Norwegians' favorite method, both time-saving and secure.
In April 2014, BankAxept AS was established with banks as shareholders. In July 2018, BankAxept merged with BankID and Vipps to form a unified organization.
From July 2022, BankID BankAxept AS was separated from Vipps, and today we deliver market-leading services in digital identification/signing and card payments to both end users and merchants throughout Norway.
BankID BankAxept AS is owned by the banks, with DNB, Sparebank 1 Betaling, Balder Betaling, and Eika VBB as the largest shareholders. BankID BankAxept is 100% owned by Vipps Holding AS.