When will Mastercard payments arrive in Switzerland without internet?

Mastercard plans a phased rollout in Europe and Switzerland starting in 2027. From February 2027 all newly issued cards will need to support the feature. By May, newly installed or replaced terminals must have the corresponding technology. The novelty concerns payments when the internet does not work but the terminal continues to receive electricity.

Will I need a new card to use the feature?

Yes. The source specifies that a new Mastercard will be required to use the feature. From February 2027 all newly issued cards must support it. An update of the card already possessed is not indicated; the condition described is therefore the possession of a new compatible card. The terminal must also have the required technology and remain electrically powered.

How do you pay if the internet doesn't work?

During an internet outage, payment is verified directly between card and terminal. You pay with your pin. For Europe, amounts up to 200 euros per purchase are allowed, while the limit is set by the bank. Operation requires the terminal to continue to be electrically powered; the source does not indicate a limit expressed in Swiss francs.

Is the payment processed immediately after verification?

As soon as the connection becomes available, the payment is then processed. The function is not described as a solution to an electrical blackout: electricity remains the prerequisite for the operation of the terminal. The source recalls that during the electricity blackout in Spain and Portugal, in April 2025, millions of people could not pay with their card.

Mastercard: offline payments from 2027

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 9 October 2026

Mastercard will introduce the feature in Switzerland from 2027 New cards will support it from February 2027 New or replaced terminals: technology by May

Context

TL;DR

Mastercard will introduce the feature in Switzerland from 2027
New cards will support it from February 2027
New or replaced terminals: technology by May
Europe: up to 200 euro per purchase, paying with PIN

Key facts

Function → payment with Mastercard without internet
Launch → from 2027 in Europe and Switzerland
Card requested → new card
Terminal → power supply
Limit indicated → up to 200 euros per purchase in Europe
Verification → directly between card and terminal
Method → PIN
Limit → established by the bank

Starting from 2027, Mastercard will gradually introduce a function in Europe and Switzerland that will allow consumers to pay even when the internet is not available, if there is electricity. The declared objective is to prevent the cashless payment system from stalling during widespread disruptions.

A Mastercard spokeswoman indicated this to the AWP agency. The effect will concern ordinary purchases in supermarkets, petrol stations and pharmacies: if the internet connection drops, the payment can still be verified directly between the card and the terminal.

The two introduction deadlines

For the consumer, the first date is February 2027. From that month all newly issued cards will have to support the function. To use it, however, you will need a new card: the technology is therefore not presented as an update applicable to the card already in possession.

The second step concerns the terminals. By May, all newly installed or replaced ones will have to be equipped with the corresponding technology. The introduction will therefore be gradual, with the adaptation linked to new card issues and interventions on payment devices.

The technical prerequisite remains the electrical power supply to the terminal. In the absence of internet, the customer will pay with the PIN. For Europe, Mastercard indicates amounts of up to 200 euros per purchase, while specifying that the limit is established by the bank. As soon as the connection is available again, the payment will then be processed.

The payment is not described as an operation suspended without verification: during the outage the card and the terminal carry out the check, while the processing arrives after the connection is restored. The source therefore separates the moment of verification from that of processing.

The company links the news to a problem that already emerged during the electricity blackout in Spain and Portugal in April 2025, when millions of people were unable to pay by card. The feature described for 2027, however, concerns the interruption of the internet and does not eliminate the electricity requirement.

Operational details

For those using a Mastercard in Switzerland, the crucial distinction is between the internet going down and a lack of electricity. The announced feature concerns the first scenario, but only if the terminal remains powered. Electricity is therefore not a detail: it is the technical prerequisite identified by Mastercard.

The terminal is the real test

Table 1: Condition
Condition	Planned verification
Internet down and terminal powered	The card and terminal verify the payment directly; the PIN is used.
Connection restored	The payment is then processed.

The first scenario is the one that directly affects anyone paying in a store: the internet is not working, but the terminal remains powered. In this situation, verification takes place directly between the card and terminal, and the PIN becomes the required method. The process does not depend on the network returning immediately: the payment is processed when the connection returns.

The limit should be interpreted without making automatic conversions. The source refers to amounts of up to 200 euro per purchase for Europe and adds that the bank sets the limit. No threshold in Swiss francs is specified. For a possible comparison between the two currencies, comparatore CHF/EUR can be used, but the result does not replace the limit set by the bank.

The power blackout in Spain and Portugal in April 2025 shows what can happen when the power supply fails: millions of people were unable to pay by card. The feature announced for 2027 is instead designed to keep cashless payment traffic active during internet disruptions, always with the terminal powered.

The case of Latvia provides further practical evidence. The technology is already operational in Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and Latvia. When, in August, the country was hit by one of the most severe storms in its history, shops equipped with emergency generators were able to continue accepting card payments.

For anyone using the card in Switzerland, the practical requirement is therefore a combination of four conditions: a compatible card, a terminal equipped with the technology, an electrical power supply and compliance with the limit set by the bank. The source does not present the feature as a guarantee for every type of blackout, but as a response to internet network disruptions.

Key points

To turn the new development into a concrete procedure, there are four useful steps. The sequence follows the requirements set out by Mastercard and distinguishes what needs to be arranged before payment from what happens during the service disruption.

Before spending

1. Start with the card. To use the feature, you will need a new card. From February 2027, all newly issued cards will have to support it. The check to make is therefore related to the card you have: the source indicates the need for a new card, not simply a different use of one already issued.

2. Consider the terminal. Internet-free payment requires the terminal to continue receiving electrical power. The feature concerns purchases at the supermarket, service station or pharmacy, but the technical requirement remains the same: the device must have power and the corresponding technology when it is installed or replaced according to the stated deadline.

During the interruption

3. Use the PIN and respect the limit. If the network does not work, the payment is verified directly between the card and the terminal, and you pay with the PIN. For Europe, the source indicates up to 200 euro per purchase; the actual limit is set by the bank. To get an overview of the services available, you can consult conti bancari in Svizzera, without turning the European amount into a limit in francs.

4. Let the payment be processed. When the internet connection returns, the transaction is then processed. The source does not describe entering the payment again after restoration: it indicates that processing is completed once the connection has been restored.

This sequence avoids two errors of interpretation: considering a card already owned sufficient or confusing an internet outage with a power blackout. The first condition requires a new card; the second leaves the terminal without the technical requirement.

The timeline is gradual: from February 2027 for new cards and by May for terminals newly installed or replaced. These are the two operational dates indicated by the source for following the rollout in Europe and Switzerland.

To complete the assessment of your income in Switzerland, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: swissinfo.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Mastercard payments arrive in Switzerland without internet?: Mastercard plans a phased rollout in Europe and Switzerland starting in 2027. From February 2027 all newly issued cards will need to support the feature. By May, newly installed or replaced terminals must have the corresponding technology. The novelty concerns payments when the internet does not work but the terminal continues to receive electricity.
Will I need a new card to use the feature?: Yes. The source specifies that a new Mastercard will be required to use the feature. From February 2027 all newly issued cards must support it. An update of the card already possessed is not indicated; the condition described is therefore the possession of a new compatible card. The terminal must also have the required technology and remain electrically powered.
How do you pay if the internet doesn't work?: During an internet outage, payment is verified directly between card and terminal. You pay with your pin. For Europe, amounts up to 200 euros per purchase are allowed, while the limit is set by the bank. Operation requires the terminal to continue to be electrically powered; the source does not indicate a limit expressed in Swiss francs.
Is the payment processed immediately after verification?: As soon as the connection becomes available, the payment is then processed. The function is not described as a solution to an electrical blackout: electricity remains the prerequisite for the operation of the terminal. The source recalls that during the electricity blackout in Spain and Portugal, in April 2025, millions of people could not pay with their card.