Mastercard has announced new requirements for offline payments across Europe. The aim is to ensure customers can still complete transactions even if there is a power cut or network failure. According to the payment organisation, from February 2027, all new Mastercard cards issued in Europe will be capable of processing offline payments. From May 2027, all new and replacement payment terminals must also be capable of accepting such transactions.

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Once these requirements have been implemented across Europe, in the event of a network failure, users will be able to pay by card (using a chip and PIN) for essential goods and services – including in supermarkets, grocery shops, petrol stations and pharmacies, as well as at ticket machines and self-service points for purchasing transport services."The offline payment mechanism is based on securely storing spending limits on the card’s chip. If the terminal loses its connection, the transaction can be authorised locally – up to the limit (a maximum of 200 euros per transaction) set in advance by the card-issuing bank. Once the connection is restored, the transaction is sent for settlement,” explains Mastercard.

The introduction of these new requirements is a response to situations such as the blackout that occurred in Spain and Portugal in April 2025. At that time, around 55 million people were unable to make cashless payments for over a dozen hours.

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To date, Mastercard has already introduced the offline payment mechanism in Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and Latvia, and it has even been tested in practice. “During a recent storm in Latvia, card payments were still possible even in shops powered by local generators. Meanwhile, in Denmark this spring, when a technical fault cut terminals off from the main payment system, Mastercard’s contingency procedures enabled numerous transactions to be processed at key retail and service outlets,” the announcement regarding the introduction of the new requirements noted.