FAQ EMV OFFLINE - Nordics
We are enabling EMV Offline acceptance for eligible merchants. This allows certain Visa and Mastercard chip card transactions to be approved even if temporary connectivity issues prevent online authorization. There is no fixed list of cards or transactions that qualify, whether a transaction can be approved offline depends on factors such as the card type, issuer settings, and transaction amount.
EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard, and Visa. EMV Offline is a card scheme-approved functionality where the payment card chip can approve a transaction locally when online authorization is unavailable.
The change helps merchants continue accepting payments during temporary network or connectivity disruptions and abiding scheme regulations.
No. When connectivity is available, transactions will continue to be processed online as they are today. EMV Offline is only used when online authorization is unavailable.
The offline floor limit is the maximum amount that may be considered for EMV Offline approval when connectivity is unavailable, set by Schemes.
Eligible merchants will have a maximum offline limit of:
EUR: 200
DKK: 1,500
SEK: 2,200
NOK: 2,200
The card issuer ultimately decides whether a card can approve transactions offline. Some cards may still decline even when the transaction amount is below the configured limit.
Support depends on the card issuer and card configuration. Not all cards support EMV Offline.
EMV Offline is only enabled for selected merchant categories, including grocery stores, bakeries, fuel stations, EV charging, pharmacies and parking operators. If your business is not eligible for EMV Offline, you may still be able to use Always On (Deferred Authorisation) to continue accepting payments during connectivity disruptions. Contact us to learn more about the available options for your business.
No action is required from eligible merchants. The functionality will be configured automatically.
In most cases, no. Payments will continue as normal. During a network outage, some chip card transactions may still be approved instead of being declined.
The basic principle for determining liability is the same as for any chip transaction. Liability resides with the card issuer, provided that the transactions are processed in accordance with the Scheme rules and meets all technical requirements. For the avoidance of doubt, Nets will not in any case be liable for any failed captures, chargebacks, card issuer rejections and disputed card payments made using EMV Offline.
EMV Offline
Approval is performed by the card chip.
Available only for supported cards.
Liability resides with the issuer if processed in accordance with Scheme rules.
Always On (Deferred Authorization)
Transaction is stored to terminal and sent later for authorization once the connection is available.
Can be used when EMV Offline is unavailable.
Liability remains with the merchant.
16. If I already use Always On (Deferred Authorization), what happens now?
The recommended transaction flow is:
Online authorization
EMV Offline authorization (where available)
Deferred Authorization (Always On)
The recommended transaction flow is:
Online authorization
EMV Offline authorization (where available)
Deferred Authorization (Always On)
This means EMV Offline will be attempted before Always On (Deferred Authorisation) when available. If you already use Always On (Deferred Authorisation), please note that the maximum number of offline transactions allowed per terminal is shared across both Deferred Authorisation and EMV Offline transactions, meaning all offline transactions count towards the same limit; if you expect a higher volume, please contact us and we can review and increase your Always On (Deferred Authorisation) transaction limit. If you face any technical issues, please contact your integrator to ensure integration is setup properly. Denmark specific: On Viking terminals, merchants can activate Dankort Force Offline with a physical Dankort (with chip and pin). The flow is then:
Online Authorization
EMV Offline (where available)
Dankort Force Offline (Viking terminals only)
Deferred Authorization (Always on) with wallet
Norway specific: On Viking terminals, BankAxept transactions can be processed using the BankAxept POS Backup Solution also called “Reserveløsning” with chip and pin. The flow is then:
Online Authorization
EMV Offline (where available)
BankAxept Backup Solution (Viking terminals only)
Deferred Authorization (Always on) with wallet
The transaction may be declined or if you have Deferred Authorisation service, that can be utilized.
Yes, all approved or offline generated transactions, will be processed and settled.
Was this article helpful?