From February 2027, new Mastercard cards in Europe must support offline payments of up to EUR 200 per transaction, including during power outages.

Mastercard has announced plans to expand offline payment technology across the European market. The company will introduce new technical requirements for payment cards and terminals. The aim is to keep payment infrastructure operational during power outages, internet disruptions, or other emergencies. Under the new requirements, consumers will be able to pay by card without a terminal connected to the payment network. Transaction data will be sent for processing once connectivity is restored.

The transition roadmap consists of two phases. From February 2027, all newly issued Mastercard cards in Europe must support offline payments. From May 2027, this requirement will apply to all new payment terminals, including those installed to replace existing systems.

Technically, preset transaction limits will be stored directly on the card chip. When connectivity is lost, the terminal can approve a transaction automatically if its value falls within the limit set by the card issuer. The maximum amount for each offline transaction is EUR 200. To pay, users must use a chip-enabled card and enter their PIN. Once connectivity is restored, transaction data will be sent to the payment network for final settlement.

Lessons from the power outage in the Iberian Peninsula

Mastercard’s decision comes amid growing questions about the resilience of Europe’s payment infrastructure. A widespread power outage in Spain and Portugal in April 2025 exposed vulnerabilities in the system. Mastercard estimates that around 55 million people were unable to make electronic payments during the incident.

Offline payments are especially important for businesses that provide essential goods and services, such as grocery stores, supermarkets, gas stations, and pharmacies. The technology will also be used in public transport and at ticket vending machines, where transactions are often low-value but frequent.

Brice van de Walle, Mastercard’s Executive Vice President for Core Payments, stressed that people still need to buy food, fuel, and medicine even during power or network outages. He said that experience deploying the technology in several European countries has demonstrated the effectiveness of offline payments. This provides a basis for the company to expand the technology on a larger scale.

Mastercard has already introduced offline payments in four European countries: Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Latvia. The company is working with financial partners, governments, regulators, and central banks to bring the technology to the remaining European markets.

The ability to operate without connectivity is also becoming a standard requirement for next-generation payment systems in Europe. The digital euro, a central bank digital currency (CBDC) currently under development, is also expected to support offline payments.