Offline card payments for a resilient payment system
Electronic payments are a key prerequisite for ensuring the supply of vital goods and services to the population. To help maintain this capability even in the event of a failure of telecommunications or payment infrastructures, the Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES), together with the Swiss National Bank (SNB), banks, payment service providers, and the retail sector, has developed a nationwide solution for offline card payments.
Offline card payments make it possible to process electronic payments even when an online connection is unavailable. Authorization takes place directly between the card and the payment terminal (chip and PIN), while transaction processing is completed once the connection has been restored. The solution focuses on the purchase of essential goods such as food, medicines, and fuel, thereby strengthening the resilience of electronic payment systems during crisis situations.
Implementation is being carried out in stages. Banks, acquirers, and terminal manufacturers are currently preparing the necessary technical adaptations. Commitments have already been secured for approximately 16.5 million debit and credit cards that are expected to support offline payments in the future. Broad deployment is planned by the end of 2027.
The successful collaboration between the federal government and the private sector was recognized on 24 August 2026 at a joint event attended by representatives of the payments industry. On this occasion, Swiss President Guy Parmelin, Swiss National Bank Chairman Martin Schlegel, and the Delegate for National Economic Supply, Roland Pfister, emphasized the importance of the project for Switzerland’s security of supply and resilience.