Ireland
Ireland is a card-first online market. In the ECB’s 2024 SPACE survey, cards accounted for 49% of Irish online payments by number and e-payment solutions such as PayPal for 29%, while credit transfers, direct debits and instant payments together made up about 15%. Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) data show that Irish-issued cards were used for about €59.5 billion of online payments in 2025, more than the €53.9 billion spent at physical points of sale. There is no widely used domestic online bank-payment scheme of the iDEAL or Bancontact type, so Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards, used directly or through Apple Pay and Google Pay, carry most transactions. Prices are in euros (EUR); a checkout for Irish shoppers needs cards plus the main wallets.
- Online
Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards · Apple Pay and Google Pay · PayPal and other e-payment wallets · buy-now-pay-later instalments at some retailers · SEPA direct debit for subscriptions and bills and, less often, bank transfer
- In store
Contactless Visa and Mastercard debit cards · Apple Pay and Google Pay · credit cards · cash
methods used in Ireland
accepted here, and everywhere
Card schemes and wallets that are not particular to Ireland
currencies
In-store payments in Ireland
Cash is still used for about half of in-store transactions, but contactless cards and phone wallets are growing fast. The SPACE 2024 survey found cash accounted for 49% of point-of-sale transactions by number and 44% by value, cards for 37% of transactions and mobile payments for 10%, one of only three euro-area countries where mobile passed 10%. CBI data for 2025 show contactless payments made up 63% of the value of domestic point-of-sale card spending, and mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay alone accounted for 42%, about €20 billion. Cards are issued on the Visa and Mastercard schemes.
E-commerce in Ireland
Online shopping is close to universal: Eurostat data show 95% of Irish internet users bought online in the 12 months before the 2025 survey, well above the EU average of 78%. Irish shoppers buy heavily from abroad: in 2023, 44% of people aged 16 to 74 had bought from sellers in other EU countries and 30% from sellers outside the EU within three months, alongside 60% buying from Irish sellers. CBI data show 23% of online card spending on Irish-issued cards in 2025 went to merchants outside Ireland. Since Brexit, goods bought from the UK are imports, so VAT and possibly customs charges apply; clear all-in pricing in EUR helps conversion.
Payment regulation in Ireland
The Central Bank of Ireland is the competent authority for authorising and supervising payment institutions under the European Union (Payment Services) Regulations 2018, which transpose PSD2; it also authorises e-money institutions. Strong customer authentication therefore applies to most online card and account payments. Gambling is moving under the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, established by the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 and operational since 5 March 2025, which is bringing betting and gaming operators, including online ones, under its licensing regime over time.
Banking and financial inclusion
Ireland has near-universal access to accounts. The World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 (2024 survey data) put account ownership at 98% of adults and debit card ownership at 94%. The CBI counted about 8.6 million debit cards and 1.6 million credit cards in issue in July 2026. Cash remains accessible: in the SPACE 2024 survey, 89% of Irish respondents said withdrawing cash was easy.
What are the most popular payment methods in Ireland?
Which payment providers operate in Ireland?
Which currencies can merchants accept in Ireland?
Sources · 8
- Central Bank of Ireland – Credit and debit card statistics (monthly card payment statistics)
- Central Bank of Ireland – Payment institutions
- ECB – Study on the payment attitudes of consumers in the euro area (SPACE) 2024
- ECB – SPACE 2024 country-specific data (Ireland)
- Eurostat – Internet purchases by individuals (isoc_ec_ib20)
- Eurostat – Internet purchases, origin of sellers (isoc_ec_ibos)
- Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (overview)
- World Bank – Global Findex Database 2025 (account ownership, Ireland)
Guide researched September 2026. Payment markets change quickly — check with providers before relying on it. Compiled from public sources. How we compile this