How MobilePay Works

Overview

MobilePay launched in 2013 and within a decade became Denmark’s default payment method for peer-to-peer transactions and small businesses. It merged with Finnish Pivo and Norwegian Vipps in 2022 to become a Scandinavian-wide platform, but in Denmark it operates under the MobilePay brand. If you do not have it, you will be constantly asked “can you MobilePay me?”

What MobilePay does

• Pay in shops: Scan a QR code at checkout. Used in supermarkets, cafés, clothing stores, pharmacies, and market stalls.
• Send money to people: Enter their phone number, type the amount, swipe to send. Instant transfer.
• Split bills: After a dinner, create a split request. MobilePay sends payment requests to everyone in the group.
• Pay invoices: Some businesses send MobilePay invoices (hairdressers, cleaners, tradespeople).
• Online payments: Many Danish webshops offer MobilePay at checkout.
• Subscribe: Recurring payments to gyms, charities, and subscriptions.
• Facebook Marketplace: The standard way to pay private sellers in Denmark.

What you need

• A Danish phone number (starting with +45). See the phone/SIM guide.
• A Danish bank account linked to the app. See the bank account guide.
• MitID for verification during setup. See the MitID guide.
• A smartphone (iOS or Android) with the MobilePay app installed.

How to set up MobilePay

Setup takes about 5 minutes once you have all prerequisites.

Key features

Payment limits

• Per transaction: Up to 10,000 DKK (can be raised to 30,000 with bank approval)
• Daily limit: Configurable in the app. Default is usually 3,000–10,000 DKK.
• Fees: Free for personal use. Businesses pay a small transaction fee.

Paying in shops

At checkout, the cashier says “MobilePay?” or you see a QR code on the terminal. Open the app, tap “Pay in shop,” scan the QR code, confirm the amount, and swipe. Done in seconds. Some shops also accept MobilePay via a phone number displayed at the till — you send the exact amount.

Sending money to people

Open MobilePay, enter the person’s phone number (or select from contacts), type the amount, add a message if you want (“Dinner last night — tak!”), and swipe to send. The money arrives instantly in their MobilePay/bank account. You can also request money from someone — they receive a notification and can accept or decline.

Splitting bills

After a group dinner or shared expense:

1. Open MobilePay and tap “Split”
2. Enter the total amount
3. Add the people who should pay (by phone number or contacts)
4. MobilePay calculates each person’s share and sends payment requests
5. Everyone approves their share individually

This is how every Danish group dinner, shared taxi, and flatmate expense settlement works.

Business payments

Many small businesses — hairdressers, market vendors, cleaners, personal trainers — accept MobilePay exclusively (no card terminal). They display a “MobilePay number” (often their phone number or a business number). You send the invoice amount directly. A receipt appears in your MobilePay transaction history.

Common problems

My bank is not listed during setup

Some newer or international banks take time to integrate. Lunar, Danske Bank, and Nordea work immediately. If your bank is not listed, contact them — or open a second account at a compatible bank for MobilePay.

MobilePay rejects my phone number

Only Danish numbers (+45) work. Prepaid SIMs sometimes cause issues — try a subscription plan. If problems persist, contact MobilePay support (available in English).

I sent money to the wrong person

MobilePay transfers are instant and cannot be reversed by the app. Contact the recipient directly and ask them to send it back. If they refuse, contact your bank.

Someone is requesting money from me for something I do not recognise

You can always decline payment requests. Never approve requests you do not understand. Scammers sometimes send fake requests hoping you will approve without checking.

Questions and answers

Is MobilePay free?

Yes for personal use — sending and receiving between individuals is free. Businesses pay a small transaction fee (typically 1% or a flat fee).

Can I use MobilePay abroad?

Limited. MobilePay works in Denmark and for some cross-border payments with Vipps (Norway) and Pivo (Finland). It does not work as a general international payment method.

What if I do not have MobilePay yet?

You can still pay with cards everywhere. But for social situations (splitting dinner, paying back a friend, buying from Facebook Marketplace), you will be at a disadvantage. Set it up as soon as your bank account and MitID are ready.

Is there a spending limit per month?

No hard monthly limit, but your bank may have daily transfer limits that affect MobilePay. Check your banking app settings.