Which is the best credit card in Sweden in 2026?
The best credit card in Sweden in 2026 is the Bank Norwegian credit card according to us at Kreditio. It pays 0.5% CashPoints on all purchases and up to 5% on Norwegian flight tickets, has a 0 SEK annual fee and 0% withdrawal fee. Re:member Flex is second with up to 25% discount across 300 e-shops and 56 interest-free days (the longest on the Swedish market).
Why use Kreditio.se?
Kreditio.se is an independent credit card comparison site that reviews 78 cards on 55 criteria. We earn commission when you click through our links, but ranking is decided by our scoring model rather than by who pays the highest fee.
The four main reasons to use Kreditio are independent ranking, deeper comparison than most sites, live tables when terms change and a transparent methodology.
- Independent ranking: We rank cards on bonus value, insurance, card terms and fees - not on commission size.
- Deeper comparison: Each card is reviewed on 55 data points, from interest-free days to currency surcharge and insurance scope. We have collected 5,010 data points across our dataset.
- Live tables: We update tables within 30 days when an issuer changes interest rate, annual fee or bonus. Tomas Andersson keeps the dataset current.
- Transparent methodology: Our editorial guidelines describe how the scoring model works and how we handle partnerships.
Kreditio.se is owned by Leadwhale AB (org. no. 559450-2675).
How does a credit card work?
A credit card works as a payment card linked to a credit limit at a bank or card issuer. When you make a purchase, the card company pays the merchant and bills you once a month with 30 to 60 interest-free days before interest accrues. Pay the full balance within that window and no interest is charged.
Who is a credit card suitable for?
A credit card is suitable for those with stable finances who pay invoices on time and want benefits such as bonus, cashback or travel insurance. The five user types who get the most out of a credit card are the financially stable, the bonus hunter, the frequent traveler, the online shopper and the buffer builder.
- The financially stable: Those with regular income who pay bills on time avoid interest costs and can use bonuses and insurance fully. Credit card interest in Sweden ranges from 14% to 22%, so financial discipline is essential.
- The bonus hunter: Those who shop regularly want cashback on purchases they would make anyway. Bank Norwegian gives 0.5% on all purchases without a cap, and Coop Mastercard gives up to 5.5% on grocery purchases at Coop.
- The frequent traveler: Those traveling often benefit from travel insurance, low currency surcharges and flight bonus. Bank Norwegian has a 1.99% currency surcharge, and Marginalen Traveller has 1.65% plus travel insurance.
- The online shopper: Those who shop online get extra purchase protection and price guarantee through the card. Re:member Flex provides up to 25% discount across 300+ partner e-shops.
- The buffer builder: Those wanting a buffer for unexpected expenses get immediate access to a credit limit of up to 150,000 SEK without taking out a separate loan.
How does interest work on a credit card?
Interest on a credit card is charged on the part of the credit not paid within the interest-free period. The interest-free window is typically 30 to 60 days from invoice date, and paying the full amount within the window costs 0 SEK in interest. Nominal interest on Swedish credit cards ranges from 8.80% to 22% across our dataset of 78 cards.
The effective interest rate is higher than nominal because all fees (annual fee, billing fee, withdrawal fee) are included. Effective interest is the figure to compare - a 11.50% nominal rate can land at 13.45% effective once a 1,899 SEK annual fee is factored in (Danske Bank Platinum).
What are the pros and cons of a credit card?
The biggest advantage of a credit card is 0 to 5.5% cashback and bundled insurance at no extra cost, plus interest-free days for flexibility. The biggest disadvantage is interest of 14% to 22% if you miss the payment date, and the risk of debt accumulation if used irresponsibly.
What are the advantages of a credit card?
The four most important advantages are cashback on purchases, bundled insurance, longer interest-free periods than debit cards and stronger purchase protection.
- Cashback on purchases: You save 0.5% to 5.5% on purchases you would make anyway. At 25,000 SEK monthly spend and 1% general bonus, that is 3,000 SEK per year.
- Insurance included: Travel insurance, cancellation cover, purchase protection and price guarantee come bundled at no extra cost. Bank Norwegian and Re:member Flex both have household-wide travel insurance.
- Interest-free days: You get 30 to 60 days to pay the invoice without interest. Re:member Flex tops the list at 56 days and Coop Mastercard has 55 days.
- Purchase protection: For undelivered, defective or unauthorized purchases you can claim directly with the card issuer. Protection is stronger than with a debit card where money has already left your account.
What are the disadvantages of a credit card?
The four most important disadvantages are high interest on late payment, currency surcharges abroad, the risk of payment defaults and the temptation to overspend.
- High interest on late payment: Credit interest is between 14% and 22% on Swedish cards. Miss the invoice and interest starts running immediately, eating into any bonus.
- Currency surcharge abroad: The standard surcharge for non-SEK transactions is 2%. Bank Norwegian sits lower at 1.99% and ICA Bankkort Plus at 1.25%. Forex Kreditkort has 0%.
- Risk of payment default: Unpaid invoices end up at debt collection and ultimately at Kronofogden. A payment default stays on your record for 3 years and affects mortgage applications, rental contracts and new credit.
- Temptation to overspend: The ability to defer payment can trigger purchases you would not otherwise make. The net effect on your finances becomes negative if you shop more just because the card is there.
What types of credit cards are available in Sweden?
There are nine main categories of credit cards in Sweden divided by benefit type: bonus cards, cashback cards, travel cards, fuel cards, grocery cards, no-fee cards, insurance cards, low-requirement cards and premium cards. Each category targets a specific consumer profile, and the right card depends on how you actually use it.
Which credit cards offer bonus in Sweden?
Bonus cards give points or cashback on purchases that are redeemed against discounts, products or invoice deductions. Bonus rates are 0.3% to 5% generally and up to 25% with specific partners. Bank Norwegian, Re:member Flex and Coop Mastercard are the three most popular bonus cards in Sweden.
Which credit cards offer cashback in Sweden?
Cashback cards deduct the bonus directly from the invoice in SEK rather than requiring redemption in a loyalty store. American Express Blue Cashback gives 1.25% on all purchases automatically deducted from the invoice, and Marginalen Traveller gives 1% on all purchases without a cap.
Which credit cards are best for travel in Sweden?
Travel credit cards have low or no fees abroad, comprehensive travel insurance and flight bonus. Bank Norwegian leads the category thanks to 0% withdrawal fee, 1.99% currency surcharge and 0.5% to 5% CashPoints on flights. Marginalen Traveller and SAS Eurobonus Amex Premium are two other travel cards with strong travel insurance.
Which fuel cards are available in Sweden?
Fuel cards give 15 to 25 öre per liter discount at staffed stations and 0 to 15 öre per liter at unmanned stations. OKQ8 Mastercard gives 25 öre per liter plus 2% bonus on OKQ8 purchases, Preem Mastercard gives fuel discount at Preem stations plus 0.5% on other purchases, and Circle K EXTRA Mastercard gives 5% cashback on a chosen category (fuel counts).
Which grocery cards are available in Sweden?
Grocery cards give a high bonus within a specific supermarket chain. Coop Mastercard gives up to 5.5% bonus at Coop plus 0.5% elsewhere, and ICA Bankkort Plus gives up to 3.75% double bonus at ICA and 0% withdrawal fee within the EU. Both cost 0 SEK in the first year.
Which credit cards have no annual fee in Sweden?
No-fee credit cards charge 0 SEK in fixed annual cost, making them the safe pick when you are not sure your spend will pay back the fee. Bank Norwegian, Re:member Flex, Marginalen Gold (0 SEK year 1, 195 SEK after), Coop Mastercard (0 SEK year 1, 295 SEK after) and OKQ8 Mastercard are five no-fee cards where the bonus is net positive from the first krona.
Which credit cards include insurance in Sweden?
Credit cards with insurance offer travel insurance, cancellation cover, purchase protection, delivery insurance or rental car insurance bundled at no extra cost. SAS Eurobonus Amex Premium has one of the most comprehensive travel insurance packages in Sweden, and Marginalen Gold includes 9 different insurance types in the same card.
Which credit cards have low requirements in Sweden?
Low-requirement credit cards accept lower income thresholds, short credit history or less strict UC assessment. Two related categories are credit cards without UC (which use other credit bureaus such as Bisnode or Creditsafe) and the easiest credit card to get (with the lowest income requirement on the market).
Which premium credit cards are available in Sweden?
Premium credit cards offer lounge access, concierge service, fast-track at airport security and high credit limits in exchange for an annual fee of 1,095 to 6,000 SEK. SAS Eurobonus Amex Elite (6,000 SEK) and Eurocard Platinum (1,695 SEK) are two examples where the benefits require high annual spend to pay off.
Which card networks operate in Sweden?
The three largest card networks in Sweden are Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Visa has the highest global acceptance, Mastercard is the second largest and American Express specializes in premium cards with exclusive benefits.
Which Visa cards are issued in Sweden?
Visa cards are issued by around 20 banks in Sweden and have the highest global acceptance with over 4.1 billion cards in circulation. Bank Norwegian, Nordea, SEB, ICA Banken, Skandiabanken, Marginalen Bank and Collector Bank are some of the larger issuers. Visa works in over 200 countries.
Which Mastercard cards are issued in Sweden?
Mastercard cards are issued by 22 Swedish banks and have 3.1 billion cards in circulation globally. Handelsbanken, Danske Bank, Länsförsäkringar, Swedbank, Re:member, Coop and Resurs are some of the issuers. Mastercard has the same global reach as Visa.
Which American Express cards are issued in Sweden?
American Express specializes in the premium segment with cards such as SAS Eurobonus Amex Elite, American Express Platinum and American Express Centurion. Acceptance is slightly lower than Visa and Mastercard, especially with smaller merchants, but is offset by strong travel benefits and the SAS partnership granting Eurobonus points.
How do you compare and find the best credit card in Sweden?
You compare credit cards by working through six questions in order: requirements, cost, credit terms, benefits, insurance and customer reviews. Tomas Andersson, our credit card expert at Kreditio, walks through each question in detail below.
1. Do you meet the requirements for the credit card?
All credit cards in Sweden have basic requirements applicants must meet to be approved. The five most common requirements are age, payment defaults, residency, income and debts at Kronofogden.
- At least 18 years old: The standard requirement is 18 years, but premium cards such as Coop Mastercard and Marginalen Traveller require at least 20 years and some cards require 23 to 24 years.
- No payment defaults: An active payment default leads to almost automatic rejection. Marginalen I’m Yours is an exception that accepts defaults.
- Registered in Sweden: You need to have been registered for 2 to 3 years at the same address with a Swedish personal number.
- Income: The income requirement ranges from 100,000 SEK to 200,000 SEK per year. Bank Norwegian requires 100,000 SEK, Coop Mastercard 150,000 SEK and Marginalen Traveller 120,000 SEK.
- No debts at Kronofogden: Active debts at the Swedish Enforcement Authority almost always result in rejection because they signal payment inability.
2. How much will the card cost?
The cost of a credit card consists of five components: annual fee, currency surcharge, withdrawal fee, credit interest and other fees. Fees vary significantly between cards and decide whether the bonus is net positive.
- Annual fee: The range is 0 SEK (Bank Norwegian, Re:member Flex, OKQ8) to 6,000 SEK (SAS Eurobonus Amex Elite). The standard band for ordinary cards is 0 to 420 SEK.
- Currency surcharge: The standard rate is 2%. ICA Bankkort Plus is lowest at 1.25% and Bank Norwegian at 1.99%. Forex Kreditkort has 0% currency surcharge.
- Withdrawal fee: The standard is 2% to 4% with a minimum of 25 to 35 SEK. Bank Norwegian and ICA Bankkort Plus (within the EU) charge 0% withdrawal fee.
- Credit interest: Nominal rates range from 8.80% (Handelsbanken Platinum) to 22% (Bank Norwegian). Effective interest includes fees and lands 1 to 4 percentage points higher.
- Other fees: Reminder fees of 60 to 150 SEK on late payment, plus a billing fee of 30 SEK per month for paper invoice. E-invoice is always free.
3. What are the credit terms?
Credit terms govern the interest-free period, credit limit and minimum monthly payment. Three factors are most important.
- Interest-free days: Most cards have 45 to 55 interest-free days. Re:member Flex has up to 56 (the longest in Sweden), and Bank Norwegian has up to 45.
- Credit limit: The range is 25,000 SEK (Danske Bank Direkt Ung) to 1,500,000 SEK (Amex Centurion, SAS Amex Premium). Most cards land at 50,000 to 150,000 SEK.
- Minimum monthly payment: The standard is 3% of the outstanding balance or at least 200 SEK. Paying only the minimum stretches amortization across years and stacks up interest.
4. What benefits are included?
Benefits consist of bonus, cashback, discounts and digital wallet support. The four most valuable benefit types to compare are the following.
- Bonus and points programs: Loyalty programs such as Norwegian Rewards, Re:member Rewards and SAS Eurobonus give points redeemable for travel, discounts or invoice credit. Bank Norwegian and Re:member Flex have the broadest programs.
- Cashback: Direct cashback in SEK without redemption requirements. American Express Blue Cashback pays 1.25% on all purchases and Marginalen Traveller pays 1% on all purchases.
- Partner discounts: Re:member Rewards has over 300 partner e-shops with 5% to 25% discount. Coop Mastercard pays 5.5% on Coop purchases over 5,000 SEK per month.
- Digital wallets: Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are supported by almost all new cards. Bank Norwegian, Re:member Flex and Coop Mastercard support all three.
5. Does it include insurance?
Most credit cards include travel insurance, but coverage varies considerably. Cancellation cover, purchase protection, price guarantee and rental car insurance are four other common add-ons that can be worth several thousand SEK per year.
Bank Norwegian and SAS Eurobonus Amex Premium have the most comprehensive travel insurance packages. Marginalen Gold includes 9 different insurance types, including all-risk insurance and delivery insurance.
6. What do customers say?
Customer reviews give an honest picture of the card’s actual quality beyond the marketing. Two independent sources are our reviews on Kreditio and Trustpilot.
Check the rating, the number of reviews and how the issuer responds to criticism. Bank Norwegian, Re:member Flex and Coop Mastercard all rate above 4 of 5 on average.
How to apply for a credit card in Sweden
You apply for a credit card in four steps: choose the right card, fill in the application, wait for the credit check and activate the card. The whole process takes between 5 minutes and 7 working days.
1. How do you choose the right credit card?
You choose the right credit card by comparing at least three cards based on your habits: how often you travel, how much you fuel up, where you shop for groceries and whether you need low foreign-transaction fees. Use our top list at the top of this page as a starting point and dig into the category page that matches your profile.
2. How do you fill in the application?
You fill in the application online via the issuer’s website with BankID. The form requires personal details, income, employment status and any other credits. The whole step takes 3 to 5 minutes.
3. How does the credit check work?
The card issuer runs a credit check at UC, Bisnode or Creditsafe once the application is submitted. A decision is delivered on screen in 90% of cases. Rejection is most often due to low income, payment default or debts at Kronofogden.
4. How do you activate the card?
If your application is approved, in many cases you can add a digital card to Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay directly in the bank’s app. The physical card arrives within 5 to 7 working days and is activated through the first withdrawal or via the bank’s app.
How to use a credit card responsibly?
You use a credit card responsibly through five concrete habits: pay the invoice on time, compare effective interest rates, review the monthly invoice, maximize benefits and stay below 30% credit utilization.
- Pay the invoice on time: Set up direct debit or e-invoice so you never miss the due date. That way you use the interest-free days fully and avoid interest of 14% to 22%.
- Compare the effective interest rate: Effective interest includes all fees and is the figure to compare. Nominal interest gives a misleading picture if the card has a high annual fee.
- Review the monthly invoice: Identify unnecessary subscriptions and one-off purchases. Many people uncover forgotten streaming services, gym memberships or automatic top-ups every month.
- Maximize benefits: Use the right card for the right purchase category. Coop Mastercard at Coop, OKQ8 Mastercard at OKQ8 stations and Bank Norwegian on other purchases produces maximum cashback.
- Stay below 30% credit utilization: High utilization signals financial stress to banks and can lower your credit score. On a 100,000 SEK credit limit that means a maximum of 30,000 SEK outstanding.
How many credit cards should you have?
For most people one credit card is enough because it reduces administration and the risk of missed payments. Those with large expenses spread across categories can however earn 2,000 to 6,000 SEK extra per year by combining 2 to 3 no-fee cards.
A common setup is Coop Mastercard for groceries (5.5%), OKQ8 Mastercard for fuel (25 öre per liter) and Bank Norwegian for everything else (0.5%). The condition is that all three cards have 0 SEK in annual fee, otherwise the fees eat the extra bonus from specialization.
How did we select the best credit cards?
We selected the best credit cards by scoring each card on four main categories according to our scoring model: bonus and benefits (30%), insurance (25%), card terms (25%) and fees (20%).
- Bonus and benefits (30 % of the score): We analyze nominal bonus rate, redemption breadth and special benefits such as lounge access, fast-track and partner discounts.
- Insurance (25 % of the score): We evaluate travel insurance scope, cancellation cover, purchase protection and price guarantee. Insurance with a deductible above 1,500 SEK is downgraded.
- Card terms (25 % of the score): We assess credit limit, number of interest-free days, credit interest, minimum monthly payment and digital wallet support.
- Fees (20 % of the score): We review annual fee, currency surcharge, withdrawal fee and billing cost. Effective interest is calculated on 20,000 SEK over 12 months.
Each category is scored on a 0 to 100 scale and converted to our 5-star rating. Tomas Andersson updates the tables within 30 days when issuers change terms.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most rewarding credit card in Sweden?
The Bank Norwegian credit card is the most rewarding credit card in Sweden in 2026 according to us at Kreditio. The card combines 0 SEK annual fee, 0% withdrawal fee, 0.5% CashPoints on all purchases and up to 5% on Norwegian flight tickets, making it the broadest pick for Swedes regardless of spending pattern.
Which credit card has the lowest interest rate in Sweden?
Handelsbanken Platinum has the lowest nominal interest rate at 11.50% across our dataset of 78 cards, but the card costs 1,899 SEK in annual fee. Re:member Flex is often a better total pick because the nominal rate starts at 9.74% with no annual fee, although the effective rate depends on your credit profile.
What is the best credit card in Sweden without annual fee?
Bank Norwegian is the best credit card in Sweden without an annual fee in 2026. You get 0.5% CashPoints on all purchases, up to 5% on Norwegian flight tickets, 0% withdrawal fee and comprehensive travel insurance, all without a monthly or annual fee. Re:member Flex is an alternative with up to 25% discount across 300 e-shops and 56 interest-free days.
Are there disadvantages to credit cards?
Yes, credit cards have four main disadvantages: high interest on late payment (14% to 22%), currency surcharges of 1.25% to 2.5% on foreign purchases, the risk of payment defaults if the invoice is not paid and the temptation to overspend when purchasing power feels unlimited.
Why am I denied a credit card in Sweden?
You are denied a credit card when the issuer judges your ability to pay as insufficient. The most common reasons are low or irregular income, an active payment default, debts at Kronofogden or too many recent credit inquiries.
Can foreigners get a credit card in Sweden?
It is challenging without a Swedish personal number (personnummer) and a residency history. International visitors should consider cards from their home country with low foreign-transaction fees, or prepaid options available in Sweden such as Forex Kreditkort and Revolut Standard.
Different types of credit cards in Sweden
Depending on the benefits a credit card offers, it is suitable for different people. To help you find the category that’s right for you, we’ll look at credit cards with different types of benefits and who they’re for below.
