A major outage in electronic payments disrupted services across the Nordic countries on Saturday evening, affecting terminals managed by the payment provider Nets. The incident, which lasted nearly three hours, caused widespread difficulties for card users in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and possibly other parts of Europe.
Who is Nets?
Nets is one of the leading payment service providers in Northern Europe, operating a vast network of payment terminals and digital services across the region. The company plays a crucial role in the digital financial infrastructure of countries like Denmark, Norway, and Finland. Since 2021, Nets has been part of the Italian-based Nexi Group, following a merger that created one of the largest pan-European players in digital payments. The integration aimed to strengthen innovation and scalability in the growing digital economy.
Widespread disruption during peak travel and events
The disruption began on Saturday evening and had immediate consequences in multiple locations. In Denmark, the outage caused long traffic queues at toll booths on the Storebælt Bridge, one of the country’s busiest travel routes. Card payments were temporarily impossible, leading to delays and frustration among drivers. According to Jens Villemoes, press officer for Sund & Bælt, some motorists even attempted to force open toll barriers. Acts of vandalism have since been reported to the police.
The popular Tivoli amusement park in Copenhagen was also impacted. A scheduled concert by Tom Jones coincided with the outage, significantly affecting sales and visitor experience. In a press release, Tivoli’s management stressed the need for more robust national coordination and faster public communication in response to such incidents.
Investigation ongoing, no signs of cyberattack
According to Søren Winge, head of press at Nets, the exact cause of the breakdown remains unknown. Reports initially emerged from Denmark and Norway, but similar problems were also observed in Sweden and elsewhere. Nets has ruled out any external malicious attack, such as a DDoS, as the cause of the failure. “We continue to investigate the incident and will consider additional measures based on our findings,” stated Allan Bonke, Nets country director for Denmark.
Experts call for improved preparedness
Cybersecurity specialist Susanne Diemer, director of the Praesidio Group, described the episode as a relatively minor failure but a wake-up call. “It could have been much worse,” she noted, urging governments, companies, and individuals to be better prepared. She emphasized the importance of maintaining contingency options, such as cash payments, in case of digital outages.
Diemer added that as societies become increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, they also become more vulnerable to disruptions—whether due to cyberattacks, technical faults, or human error. The events on Saturday highlight the need for more resilient systems and better risk communication, especially during peak periods like holiday weekends.
Concerns about critical infrastructure
The incident has reignited debate about the reliability of cashless societies, especially in countries like Sweden and Denmark, where digital payments dominate daily transactions. The failure of such a central infrastructure provider underscores the systemic risks tied to digital dependency.
Tivoli director Susanne Mørch Koch stressed in her statement that when “such vital infrastructure fails, there must be stronger structures for management and information.” Calls for faster coordination and transparency are likely to intensify as stakeholders assess the fallout.
For now, Nets has restored operations and continues to monitor systems. The precise origin of the fault is still under review.
