Vipps: Norway’s Essential Mobile Payments App

Whether you’re a consumer, freelancer, or business owner, understanding how to use Vipps is fast becoming essential in modern Norway. Here's what you need to know about the app.

Mobile payment solutions in Norway have consolidated around one app: Vipps. Backed by Norwegian banks and now offering innovative features beyond simple money transfers, Vipps has become an essential app for everyone in Norway.

At Oslo's Intility Arena, I recently spotted four open tills at a kiosk. Two accepted cards, and two were marked “Vipps only.”

In Trondheim, I recently saw a handwritten sign at a food market: “Ja, her kan du betale med Vipps!” (Yes, you can pay here with Vipps!).

Mobile payments have surged across Scandinavia in recent years. While the likes of Apple Pay have entered the Norwegian market, Vipps remains the leader by far thanks to its early adoption, bank backing, and increasingly wide range of features.

What is Vipps?

Vipps is a Norwegian mobile payment app that allows users to send and receive money, pay for goods and services, settle group expenses, and manage recurring payments.

For businesses, it provides a simple and secure way to accept payments without handling cash.

Initially developed by DNB, Vipps is now an independent company majority-owned by DNB, with additional ownership from SpareBank 1, Eika Gruppen, Sparebanken Møre, and 15 independent savings banks.

Vipps has merged with BankID and BankAxept to form a powerhouse of mobile payment, banking, and identification services.

How to Get Started

To use Vipps, you must have a Norwegian national ID number, an 8-digit Norwegian mobile number, a Norwegian bank account, and a debit card. Download the Vipps app from the App Store or Google Play and follow the setup instructions.

You can link your Vipps account to either your bank account or debit card. Transfers sent from a bank account arrive instantly, while those from debit cards may take a few business days.

Vipps Among Family & Friends

The most common use of Vipps is sending and receiving money between individuals. It’s the most frequent way I use the app. Why? Well, unlike traditional bank transfers, you don't need the recipient's account number. You just their phone number to make the payment.

You can also request money from others, which is handy when splitting a restaurant bill or shared taxi fare. For group events such as cabin trips or holidays with friends, the settlements feature makes it easy to track who paid for what.

Each participant can log expenses in the app, and Vipps automatically calculates how much each person owes, making awkward money conversations a thing of the past.

The settlements feature is designed to simplify group expense management. Users can create a settlement group where all members can add and monitor shared expenses. The app supports various currencies and allows for both equal and unequal expense splits, accommodating different contribution levels.

Once all expenses are logged, Vipps calculates the balances, indicating who owes whom and how much. To settle up, users can initiate standard Vipps payments directly from the group, ensuring a seamless and transparent process.

While the settlements feature aids in calculating shared expenses, the actual payments are processed through Vipps' regular payment system.

Paying Bills and Businesses

Vipps is widely used across Norway for everything from everyday purchases to paying utility bills.

In physical shops and cafés, payments are often made by sending money to the business’s Vipps number, which might be a regular mobile number or a dedicated five-digit code.

Increasingly, you’ll also spot QR codes displayed at the checkout or even on mobile card readers, offering a quick scan-and-pay solution that’s especially common at food trucks, markets, and festivals.

For businesses with integrated point-of-sale systems, the payment process is even more seamless. Staff can scan the customer’s personal Vipps QR code to request payment, which the customer then confirms in their app—no cash, cards, or terminal tapping needed.

Online shopping is just as straightforward. Many Norwegian websites and apps offer Vipps as a payment option. When selected, the app opens automatically to approve the transaction before returning you to the store or service.

With the recent introduction of Express Checkout, Vipps can now autofill your contact and shipping details, making the online buying process even faster.

Vipps is also useful for managing ongoing payments. Subscriptions, memberships, or recurring donations can be set up within the app, and they’re just as easy to cancel.

For formal invoices, Vipps supports eFaktura, allowing users to view and pay bills in a few taps. As with bank-based payments, larger transactions may require identity verification using BankID.

New in 2025: Tap to Pay & Cross-Border Transfers

Vipps now supports contactless payments via its new “Tap with Vipps” feature. This allows users to pay at terminals by tapping their phone, making Vipps the first app to offer an alternative to Apple Pay on iPhones.

Initially supporting BankAxept cards, support for Visa and Mastercard is expected later in 2025.

Another major addition is cross-border peer-to-peer payments. Users in Norway, Denmark, and Finland can now send money to each other using only phone numbers, with no IBANs required. A small fee applies to international transfers, while domestic transfers remain free.

In 2025, Vipps has expanded its functionality with several features that simplify the user experience even further.

One of the most convenient is the ability to manage and cancel recurring payments directly within the app. Users no longer need to contact merchants to stop subscriptions, giving them more control over their finances.

Another upgrade is automatic card updates. If a saved Visa or Mastercard is close to expiry, Vipps now updates the details in the background, helping to avoid failed payments and interruptions.

Vipps has also introduced a new Express checkout feature for online shopping. This allows users to complete a purchase with just one tap, as the app automatically shares necessary shipping and contact details with the store. This streamlining helps avoid the hassle of repeatedly typing addresses when shopping online.

For social occasions and holidays, the new wish list function lets users create and share gift lists directly through the app.

A Brief History of Vipps

Vipps was launched by DNB on 30 May 2015 as a mobile payment app designed to simplify peer-to-peer transactions. Within just six months, it had attracted over one million users, quickly establishing itself as Norway's leading mobile payment solution.

Although developed by DNB, Vipps was made accessible to customers of all Norwegian banks, fostering widespread adoption.

In February 2017, Vipps transitioned into a standalone company, Vipps AS, with ownership shared among DNB and other Norwegian banks, including SpareBank 1, Eika Gruppen, and Sparebanken Møre. This collaborative approach aimed to unify the mobile payment landscape in Norway.

Later that year, Danske Bank and Nordea integrated their services with Vipps, discontinuing their own mobile payment solutions in Norway.

To strengthen its position in the digital economy, Vipps merged with BankID and BankAxept in 2018, creating a comprehensive platform that combined mobile payments, digital identification, and card-based services.

In June 2021, a merger was announced between Vipps, Denmark's MobilePay, and Finland's Pivo, aiming to form a unified mobile payment platform across the Nordics. However, due to competition concerns raised by the European Commission, Pivo withdrew from the merger in September 2022.

The merger between Vipps and MobilePay received approval and was finalised on 1 November 2022, resulting in the formation of Vipps MobilePay AS. The new entity, headquartered in Oslo, serves over 11 million users and processes approximately 900 million transactions annually.

Vipps for Developers

Vipps offers developer APIs with documentation in English. To access the development environment, you must first have a regular Vipps account. Once set up, you can apply for test and production credentials, which are typically approved within 24 hours.

If you're working through a payment service provider or integration partner, coordinate with them to enable developer access.

Vipps continues to evolve as the dominant mobile payment app in Norway. From peer-to-peer transfers and merchant payments to identity verification, online shopping, and international money transfers, it remains at the forefront of digital finance in the Nordics.